What is a WhatsApp message template?
The pre-approved message you need to start a WhatsApp conversation.
A WhatsApp message template is a message format that Meta has reviewed and approved, which a business must use to start a conversation or to message a customer after the 24-hour customer service window has closed. Each template has a category (marketing, utility or authentication) that sets its price, and placeholders like {{1}} for details such as a name or a time.
- Needed to message first, or after 24 hours.
- Categories: marketing, utility, authentication.
- Placeholders: {{1}}, {{2}}, or named ones like {{first_name}}.
- Meta reviews each one, which can take up to 24 hours.
Sources: Meta: message templates; Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing. Checked 9 October 2026.
Why templates exist
They stop businesses spamming people. You can reply freely within 24 hours of a customer's message, but anything you start must use a template Meta has approved.
What a template contains
- Body text, with placeholders that you fill for each customer. Placeholders are numbered ({{1}}, {{2}}) or named ({{first_name}}).
- Optional header (text or media), footer and buttons, such as quick replies or a link.
- A category that decides the price.
The three categories
- Utility: about something the customer did or asked for, like a booking or an order.
- Marketing: promotions, offers and announcements.
- Authentication: one-time passcodes.
Template statuses
In WhatsApp Manager a template can be In review, Rejected, Active (with a quality rating), Paused or Disabled. Only approved templates can be sent.
Get started
Browse our free WhatsApp templates for bookings, reminders, payments and offers, ready to submit.
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