WhatsApp Business | Message Templates

Message Templates are message formats for common reusable messages a business may want to send. The Business must use Message Templates for sending notifications to customers. A message template stored with an identifying param is called a template identifier. This will allow a business to send just the template identifier along with the appropriate parameters instead of the complete message content.

Following are the template categories supported by WhatsApp:

• Authentication
• Marketing
• Utility

For more information see, the WhatsApp Template Category page.

Creating a message template

While creating a message template, you must include the following information:

• Message template name — Can only contain lowercase alphanumeric characters and underscores ( _ ). No other characters or white space are allowed.
• Message template in the correct format — Should be a string of no more than 1024 characters, with no newlines, tabs, or more than 4 consecutive spaces and variables indicated with {{#}} where the number represents the variable index. Note: Variables must begin counting at {{1}}.

To view examples, click here.

Limitations while creating a message template name

The Message Template name can only contain lowercase alphanumeric characters and underscores (_). No other characters or white space are allowed. Message Template in the correct format — should be a string where the variables are replaced with {{#}} where the number represents the variable index.

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Note:

WhatsApp does not provide any translation services for businesses. All message template translations must be performed by the business itself and the translated message must be provided in the format that the template mandates. The element name will be the same for all translations. When sending a message template from the WhatsApp Business API, you will specify the language you would like the message template to display by using the language field.

Here’s a list of languages supported by WhatsApp.

Emojis in the message template

Yes, message templates support all WhatsApp messaging characters and formatting including emojis, bolding, italics, etc. For emojis, you will need to directly use the emoji character (copy/paste) rather than its Unicode equivalent.

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Note:

View this WhatsApp guide on sending message templates.

Common reasons for template rejection by WhatsApp

If your template(s) have been rejected, it may have been for one of the following reasons:

• If your Template(s) are considered promotional.
  • Advertising, marketing, or promotional messages are not permitted. For example:
    • Offering coupon codes and/or free gifts
  • Upselling. Examples:
    • “Here is your boarding pass, with seat assignment and gate information. If you would like to save 10% on your in-flight dinner, order your meal through our app.”
      • Cold call messages. E.g., “Is now a good time to talk?”
      • “Thank you for your interest, can we speak now?”
      • “I tried contacting you but you weren't available. When are you free?”
• Sending a survey or poll to collect data. Example:
  • “Hi, we're interested in knowing how you feel about certain food groups. Do you mind participating in a survey?”
• Inclusion of certain words or phrases that make the template promotional (even though the content of your template may be fine).

Tip: Think about how your template sounds when read out loud.

• WhatsApp does not approve templates with floating parameters (i.e., lines with just parameters and no texts). Please surround the parameters with information so it's clear as to what will be inserted. In the below example, we're referring to {{3}} and {{4}} as the floating parameters.
  Examples:
  - TICKET NO: {{1}}
  - PASSENGER NAME: {{2}}
  - –
  - {{3}} - {{4}}
• If the formatting is incorrect:
  • Templates with spelling mistakes will be rejected.
  • Make sure to use parameters like {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. and include the correct number of curly brackets: 2 on the left side of the number and 2 on the right side of the number. Find out more about formatting in the WhatsApp Business API Guidelines.
• Templates contain potentially abusive or threatening content. Examples:
  • Templates that threaten customers with a legal course of action will be rejected.
  • Templates that threaten to add customers to a WhatsApp group with their friends and family to shame them if they don't pay back their loans will be rejected.