WhatsApp template message
What is WhatsApp template message?
A WhatsApp template message is a pre-written, Meta-approved message format — with placeholder variables for personalization — that a business must use to message a customer outside the 24-hour session window, or to start a new conversation. Templates are submitted for approval before use and are categorized (utility, marketing, or authentication), which affects both their approval bar and per-conversation pricing; an approved template can be reused indefinitely once live.
More detail
Templates go through Meta's review before they can send, and rejections are common for wording that looks like an ad in a category submitted as utility, or for missing required variable examples.
Once approved, a template's category can't be silently changed — Meta may re-review or re-categorize it if the actual usage pattern (e.g. promotional content sent as “utility”) doesn't match what was submitted.
Frequently asked
- Why can't I just send a normal message to start a WhatsApp conversation?
- Outside a 24-hour window opened by the customer's own message, WhatsApp only allows pre-approved template messages — free-form text is reserved for replies inside an active customer-initiated session.
- How long does WhatsApp template approval take?
- It varies, but most templates clear review within minutes to a day; a rejection for miscategorization or unclear variable usage requires editing and resubmitting, which restarts the review.
See also
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