WhatsApp Message Templates: Creation and Management

WhatsApp requires every business to use pre-approved Message Templates whenever it initiates a conversation with a user outside an active 24-hour customer service window. Templates protect users from spam and ensure businesses communicate with clear, structured messages. Once Meta approves a template, you can send it at scale through Convo campaigns and the messaging API.

Templates must be approved by Meta before they can be sent. Attempting to send a template in PENDING or REJECTED status will return an error. Additionally, approved templates that accumulate poor user feedback can be paused or removed by Meta — always monitor quality ratings in your dashboard.

Template Categories

When you create a template, you must assign it one of three categories. Meta uses the category to determine pricing and applies different review criteria to each.

Category	Description	Typical Use Cases
`TRANSACTIONAL`	Non-promotional messages directly related to an agreed transaction or ongoing relationship.	Order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders, account alerts
`MARKETING`	Promotional or informational messages intended to drive engagement or sales.	Product launches, discount offers, loyalty rewards, newsletters
`OTP`	Short, time-sensitive one-time password or verification code messages.	Login verification, payment OTPs, account recovery codes

Meta periodically re-categorises templates automatically. If your template is reclassified, you will be notified and the associated per-conversation charge may change.

Template Types

A template’s type field controls what media or interactive element appears in the header of the message:

Type	Header Content
`TEXT`	Plain text only — no media attachment.
`IMAGE`	A JPEG or PNG image displayed above the message body.
`VIDEO`	An MP4 video displayed above the message body.
`FILE`	A document (PDF, DOCX, etc.) attached to the message.
`LOCATION`	A map pin showing a latitude/longitude location.
`CAROUSEL`	A horizontally scrollable set of cards, each with its own image/video, body, and buttons.
`ORDER_DETAILS`	A structured order summary card (supported in select markets).

Template Status Lifecycle

After you submit a template for review, it moves through the following statuses:

PENDING  ──▶  APPROVED
         └──▶  REJECTED

Status	Meaning
`PENDING`	The template has been submitted and is awaiting Meta’s review.
`APPROVED`	Meta has approved the template. It is ready to be sent.
`REJECTED`	Meta rejected the template. Check the `rejected_reason` field for details.

When a template is REJECTED, the rejected_reason field on the template object contains Meta’s stated reason (e.g., TAG_CONTENT_MISMATCH, INVALID_FORMAT). Fix the flagged issue and resubmit as a new template.

Template Parameters

Template bodies are written with numbered placeholders in double curly braces — {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}, and so on. At send time, you supply an ordered array of values that replace these placeholders.

Hello {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been shipped and will arrive in {{3}} days.

When sent with ["Priya", "#ORD-4521", "2"], the delivered message reads:

Hello Priya, your order #ORD-4521 has been shipped and will arrive in 2 days.

The sample_text field stored on a template is a pre-rendered version of the body with example values substituted in — Meta requires sample values during the review process so reviewers can assess the message in context.

Simple TEXT template exampleHere is a minimal template definition for a shipping notification:

{
  "name": "order_shipped",
  "label": "Order Shipped Notification",
  "category": "TRANSACTIONAL",
  "type": "TEXT",
  "language": "en",
  "text": "Hi {{1}}, great news! Your order {{2}} has been dispatched and is on its way. Expected delivery: {{3}}.",
  "sample_text": "Hi Rahul, great news! Your order #ORD-9901 has been dispatched and is on its way. Expected delivery: 3 days."
}

Supply template_params: ["Rahul", "#ORD-9901", "3 days"] when sending this template via a campaign.

Interactive Buttons

Templates can include interactive buttons that appear below the message body. WhatsApp supports several button types:

Call to Action (CTA)
Quick Replies
Carousel
Coupon Code
Limited Time Offer

CTA buttons let contacts take immediate action directly from the message. You can add up to 2 CTA buttons per template.

Sub-type	Description	Example
`PHONE_NUMBER`	Tapping the button dials a pre-configured phone number.	”Call Support” → `+91 98765 43210`
`URL`	Tapping the button opens a URL in the device browser. Can include a `{{1}}` parameter for dynamic URLs.	”Track Order” → `https://track.example.com/{{1}}`

Quick Reply buttons let contacts send a preset reply with a single tap. WhatsApp allows up to 3 Quick Reply buttons per template.

"quick_replies": ["Yes, confirm", "No, cancel", "Talk to agent"]

When a contact taps a Quick Reply, the button text is sent as their message and triggers any matching automation or webhook in your project.

A special button sub-type COPY_CODE that renders a one-tap “Copy code” button beneath the message. The coupon code value is passed as a parameter at send time so every recipient can receive a unique code.

{
  "type": "COPY_CODE",
  "coupon_code": "{{1}}"
}

Combine a promotional message with an expiration timestamp to create urgency. WhatsApp renders a countdown timer on the message card, and the offer’s expiration_time_ms parameter can be set dynamically per send.

Languages

Convo supports over 60 languages for message templates, matching every locale that Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform accepts. Common language codes used in template definitions:

Code	Language
`en`	English
`en_us`	English (US)
`hi`	Hindi
`es`	Spanish
`pt_br`	Portuguese (Brazil)
`ar`	Arabic
`fr`	French
`de`	German

You can create multiple versions of the same template in different languages and send each to the appropriate audience segment — Convo will dispatch the correct language variant based on the language field specified in your API request.

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Core Concepts

Guides

WhatsApp Message Templates: Creation and Management

Template Categories

Template Types

Template Status Lifecycle

Template Parameters

Interactive Buttons

Languages

​Template Categories

​Template Types

​Template Status Lifecycle

​Template Parameters

​Interactive Buttons

​Languages

Template Categories

Template Types

Template Status Lifecycle

Template Parameters

Interactive Buttons

Languages