Write a WhatsApp template that gets approved the first time

What a WhatsApp message template is

A message template is a message that has been written in advance and approved by Meta. On the WhatsApp Business Platform, you can send free-form messages only while a customer is talking to you. That window closes 24 hours after their last message. To message someone outside that window, or to start the conversation yourself, you must use an approved template.

Templates exist to protect customers from spam. Meta reviews each one before you can use it, and it keeps watching how people react to the messages you send. A template people block or report hurts your quality rating, and a low rating limits what you can do.

A template has a fixed part and, if you want, blanks called variables. Your wording stays the same for everyone. The variables are filled in for each customer when you send, so one template can say "Hi Priya, your order A1043 has shipped" to one person and "Hi Rahul, your order B2290 has shipped" to another.

Choose the right category

Every template belongs to one of three categories. The category decides how Meta reviews the template and how much each message costs, so choosing correctly matters more than almost anything else on this page.

The test for utility

Ask two questions. First, did the customer do something that this message follows up on, such as placing an order, booking a slot or making a payment? Second, would the message still make sense if you removed every offer and every reason to buy? If the answer to either is no, it is marketing.

Why the category affects your bill

WhatsApp charges for template messages by category and by the country of the person who receives them. Marketing messages cost the most. Utility messages cost less, and they are free when you send them inside the 24-hour window that opens when a customer writes to you. Meta publishes the current rates on its pricing page, so check there before you plan a campaign.

Meta may also approve a template under a different category than the one you chose. If your utility template reads like a promotion, expect it to be treated and billed as marketing. The checker warns you when a utility template contains offer language, so you can fix the wording or choose marketing honestly.

The parts of a template and their limits

A template is built from up to four parts. Only the body is required.

Keep the body short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. Customers read the first two lines in the notification and decide from those whether to open it. Put the most important fact, such as what happened or what you need from them, in that first part.

Use the footer for small print

The footer appears below the body in grey, smaller text. It suits a short line such as "Reply if you need help" or "Offer valid on selected items". Because it cannot hold variables, put anything specific to the customer in the body.

Name your templates so you can find them

Names cannot be changed later, and you will end up with dozens. Use a pattern that tells you what it is and which version, such as order_shipped_v1, cart_reminder_hindi_v2 or diwali_sale_2026. The generator turns a title into a valid name with one click.

How to write variables

A variable is written as a number in double curly braces: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}. They must start at 1 and go up one at a time. Meta does not accept names such as {{customer_name}} in the standard format.

Give every variable a real example

When you submit a template, Meta asks for an example value for every variable. Reviewers use them to understand the message. Examples such as "test" or "abc" make the template look unfinished and are a common reason for rejection. Use realistic ones: a first name, an order number that looks like yours, a date.

The checker will not let a template pass while an example is missing, and the live preview fills the examples into the message so you can read it as a customer would.

What you can send as a value

When you send the template later, the values you pass in cannot contain line breaks, tabs or more than four spaces in a row. If your data has them, clean it first. Otherwise the send fails even though the template itself was approved.

Buttons that help people act

Buttons turn a message into something a customer can act on with one tap. A template can have up to ten in total, in four kinds.

• Links need a full address. Start with https:// and use your own domain. Link shorteners such as bit.ly are a frequent cause of rejection.
• A link can end with a variable. For example https://example.com/track/{{1}}, so each customer lands on their own order page. The variable must be the last thing in the address.
• Phone numbers use the international format. Write + and the country code, then digits only, such as +919876543210.
• Quick replies are grouped together. WhatsApp shows them as one group, and link and call buttons as another. The generator orders them that way.

Give marketing messages an easy way out

A quick reply such as "Stop promotions" lets people leave without blocking you. A block counts against your quality rating, so an opt-out button protects the number you depend on. It is also fair to the customer, which is the best reason to add it.

Why templates get rejected

Meta reviews templates with a mix of automated checks and people, and it gives a short reason when it says no. These are the causes we see most often, in rough order of how common they are.

1. Broken variables. Wrong format, gaps in the numbering, a variable at the start or end of the message, or too many variables for the amount of text.
2. Missing or careless examples. Empty examples, or placeholder values such as "abc" and "123".
3. The wrong category. A promotion submitted as utility, or a template that does not mention anything the customer did.
4. Sensitive requests. Asking for a full card number, bank details, an ID number or a password in a message.
5. Threats and pressure. Warnings of legal action or arrest in payment reminders, or language meant to shame the customer.
6. Shortened or mismatched links. Link shorteners, links that do not work, or links to a site that has nothing to do with your business.
7. Spam signals. Messages in capitals, rows of exclamation marks, or text that reads like a chain message.
8. Prohibited content. Goods and services that WhatsApp’s commerce and business policies do not allow.
9. Vague or generic text. A one-line message that does not say what it is about.
10. A duplicate. A template with the same content and language as one that already exists.

The generator checks for the first seven directly. For the rest, read the policies on Meta’s site and keep your wording specific and polite. If a template is rejected, read the reason, fix that one thing and submit it under a new version name, such as order_shipped_v2.

After you submit

A new template starts as pending. Meta says a review can take up to 24 hours, though many are decided in minutes. You can use a template only once its status is approved.

Quality and pausing

After a template goes live, Meta watches how customers respond. Many blocks and reports lower its quality rating. A template that stays at low quality is paused for a short time and, if the problem continues, disabled. The best protection is to message only people who asked to hear from you, and to send them something they care about.

Editing, versions and languages

• Editing. An approved template can be edited a limited number of times, and its category cannot be changed. For a bigger change, create a new version.
• Languages. A template is approved separately for each language. Add a Hindi version next to your English one rather than mixing both in one message.
• Versions. Keep the old template running until the new one is approved, then switch.

Writing templates people want to read

Approval is the minimum. A template that is approved but ignored does not help you, and one that annoys people gets paused. A few habits make the difference.

• Say who you are. The customer sees your business name, but a clear first line removes any doubt.
• Lead with the point. What happened, or what you need, in the first sentence.
• One message, one job. A shipping update should not also announce a sale.
• Use plain words. Short sentences read well on a phone and are easier to translate.
• Use emoji sparingly. One or two can help. A row of them looks like spam.
• Always include a way to reply or act. A button, or a clear line telling them to reply.

Submitting through the WhatsApp Cloud API

You can create a template in the template manager inside your Meta business account, or send it to the WhatsApp Cloud API. The generator gives you both: the "Copy as text" button for the manager, and the request body for the API.

The request body is the content of a POST to your WhatsApp Business Account’s message_templates endpoint. It carries the template name, category and language, and a list of components for the header, body, footer and buttons. Examples for every variable are included, which is the part people most often forget when they write it by hand.

1. Get your WhatsApp Business Account ID from the Meta business settings.
2. Create an access token with permission to manage WhatsApp templates.
3. Send the request body to the message_templates endpoint of your account.
4. Check the status. The response tells you the template was received. Approval follows after review.