Message templates
WhatsApp only lets a business start a conversation, or write after 24 hours of silence, with an approved template. Automations, broadcasts and the inbox all use the templates under Broadcasts → Message templates.
Create a template
Section titled “Create a template”Choose New Template and fill in:
| Field | |
|---|---|
| Channel | Which WhatsApp number’s account the template belongs to. Each template lives in one account. |
| Name | Lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, for example payment_due_reminder. |
| Category | Utility (updates about something the customer did), Marketing (offers and news) or Authentication (codes). Meta prices messages by category and may recategorise a template. |
| Language | The template’s language. Add more languages with translations. |
| Header | Optional: text, or an image, video, document or location. |
| Body | The message. Use {{1}}, {{2}} and so on for the parts that change per customer. |
| Footer | Optional short text, such as “Reply STOP to opt out”. |
| Buttons | Up to three: Quick reply, URL (can end in a placeholder), Phone number, or Form, which opens a WhatsApp Form. |
Give sample values for each placeholder, and pick the contact field each one usually comes from. Meta reviews templates with these samples.
The preview shows how the template looks on a phone as you type.
Approval
Section titled “Approval”Save and submit sends the template to Meta for review straight away. On a Twilio account, saving keeps it as a draft instead: choose Submit for review when it’s ready. Most are approved within minutes; some take up to a day.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Approved | Ready to send. |
| Pending | Meta is reviewing it. |
| Rejected | Meta declined it. Edit and resubmit. |
| Paused | Meta paused it after customers reacted badly. Automations skip it and use their next channel until it’s active again. |
Common reasons for rejection: placeholders at the very start or end of the body, samples that don’t look real, or marketing content in a utility template.
Sync pulls the latest statuses, and any templates created elsewhere, such as in Meta’s WhatsApp Manager.
Translate a template
Section titled “Translate a template”On the Growth plan and above, choose a language and Translate content in the template editor. AI rewrites the header, body, footer and button text in that language, keeping the placeholders. Check the result, then save it to submit the new language for approval.
Edit a template
Section titled “Edit a template”Meta doesn’t allow approved templates to be changed in place, so editing replaces the template: Renotify deletes it and submits the new version for approval. While it’s pending, automations use their next channel.