Quick answer
A WhatsApp template is a message format that Meta approves in advance. Templates are how a business starts a conversation or messages a customer after the 24-hour window. Each has a category, which determines its purpose and price.
Templates keep WhatsApp free from spam. Meta reviews each one before it can be used, and each belongs to a category.
The three categories
- Marketing: promotions, offers, launches and anything that encourages a purchase or engagement.
- Utility: messages about something the customer already did, such as an order update or an appointment reminder.
- Authentication: one-time passcodes for logging in or verifying an action.
What a template contains
- A body with variables, such as the customer’s name or an order number.
- An optional header: text, image, video or document.
- Optional buttons: quick replies or link and call buttons.
- A language.
Tips for approval
- Pick the category that matches the content. A promotion submitted as utility is likely to be rejected or reclassified.
- Keep variables meaningful, with example values that show how each will be filled.
- Do not put several variables next to each other with no text between them.
- Avoid vague or misleading wording and anything that breaks WhatsApp’s commerce policy.
- Include a clear opt-out path for marketing templates when it makes sense.
After submission
A template shows as pending, then approved or rejected. A template can later be paused if recipients react badly to it. In Ten Digit the status is synced from Meta, and you can import and share templates between workspaces so you do not recreate work.
Quality counts. Sending templates to people who did not opt in leads to blocks and reports, which can lower your sending quality.
Frequently asked questions
How long does approval take?
Meta reviews templates on its own schedule. Check the status in your template library, which syncs from Meta.
Can templates have images or buttons?
Yes. Templates support media headers, quick reply and link buttons, and carousel cards.
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