How to create WhatsApp message templates and get them approved
Message templates are required to message a customer outside the 24-hour reply window, and every template needs Meta's approval — usually within about 24 hours — before it can be used.
Steps
- Go to Templates to see your stats (total, approved, pending, rejected) and select Sync from Meta to pull in any changes made directly on Meta's side.
- Select New template, choose the agent it's for (Order Confirmation or Upsell Offer), a name (lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, starting with a letter), a language, and a category (UTILITY or MARKETING).
- Add an optional header (text, image up to 5 MB, video up to 16 MB, document up to 100 MB, or location), a body up to 1,024 characters using
{{1}}-style variables with example values, and an optional footer up to 60 characters. - Add up to 3 buttons: quick reply, a URL (https only), a phone number with country code, a copy code, or a voice call.
- Submit for approval, or start from the pre-built template library instead of writing one from scratch.
Common problems
- Template rejected for too many variables, or a variable alone on a line or at the start/end of the bodyreduce the number of variables and keep them inside full sentences, not standing alone.
- Template rejected for non-sequential variablesnumber your variables in order starting from
{{1}}with no gaps. - "Duplicate name and language"change the template's name or language; Meta requires a unique combination.
- Rejected for a missing example, an overly long body, an invalid URL or phone number, or a category mismatchfix the specific field Meta flagged and resubmit; category (UTILITY vs MARKETING) must match the actual content.
- Template still pending after 24+ hoursthis can happen occasionally; select Sync from Meta to check for an updated status.