Before you begin
Make sure you have a Meta Business Manager account and a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) before proceeding.
Sign In
Visit business.facebook.com and choose your business from the drop-down menu.
Open Facebook Business Manager
- Select Business Portfolios and click the Visit settings button.
Select the Account
- In the settings menu, locate and click on "Accounts" in the left sidebar.
- Choose "WhatsApp Accounts" from the list of available accounts.
Choose Your WhatsApp Account
- Click to view the list of WhatsApp Business Accounts linked to your business.
Go to WhatsApp Manager
- Under the Summary tab, click WhatsApp Manager.
- In the Account tools section, select Manage Templates.
- You can view all of your current message templates.
Create a Message Template
You can create up to 250 message templates per unverified WhatsApp Business account.
On the Message Templates page, click "Create Template." Provide the following details:
Category
Select a category for your template. Hover over the template types for more information about each.
Name
Enter a name for your template. Allowed characters include lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, with a 512-character limit.
Template names can be used internally to organize templates, such as Thanksgiving_1, Thanksgiving_2, or delivery_status_update.
Language
Choose the language for your message template.
WhatsApp does not offer translations. All template translations must be entered in the same format, and the template name will remain the same across all translations.
Click the "Create Template" button. Select Marketing and click Next.
Design Your Message Template
This step lets you draft the message for your templates. For Utility and Marketing templates, follow these steps:
Header (Optional)
- Text: Add a title with up to 60 characters. You can include one variable (e.g., customer name, order number).
- Media: Add an image, video, document, or location.
- None: Choose this if no header is needed.
Provide sample variables or media for review.
Body
- Enter the message text in the selected language.
- Use formatting options like bold, italics,
strikethrough,monospace, emojis, and variables. - Variables must be formatted as
{{1}}, sequentially numbered (e.g.,{{1}},{{2}},{{3}}).
Example
"Hi {{1}}, this Thanksgiving, enjoy exclusive discounts on top electronics! Get up to {{2}}% off on {{3}}. Offer valid until {{4}}. Grab your deal now: {{5}}."
Footer (Optional)
Add a short line of text (displayed in smaller, grey font).
Buttons (Optional)
- Call to Action: Add a phone number or website link (supports static/dynamic URLs with "https").
- Quick Reply: Add up to three buttons for instant customer responses.
Example
"Hi! Did we help you with your issue?"
Authentication Templates
If you're using Authentication templates, include the following fields:
- Code Delivery: Choose Auto-fill or Copy Code for how customers receive the code. With Auto-fill, you can enable zero-tap for automatic code delivery.
- Advanced Settings: Set a custom validity period for your authentication message. If not specified, WhatsApp defaults to 30 days.
For more details, see One-time password buttons in authentication templates.
Submit the Template for Review
- After creating your template, click Submit to send it for review.
- You can check its status on the Message Templates page.
- Once approved, you can start using it to send messages.
For more details, refer to the Developer documentation for message templates.
Common Reasons for Template Rejection
Your template may be rejected for the following reasons:
Additional Guidelines
- Ensure the selected language matches the content (no mixed languages).
- Use a valid test format when sending tests.
- The Call to Action (CTA) link must belong to the business.
- Use clear template names (e.g., "Thanksgiving_1" instead of "template_018").
- Provide message examples, especially for media templates, to ensure approval.
Business-Initiated Conversation Messaging Limits
Messaging limits are the maximum number of business-initiated conversations (conversations opened as a result of sending a marketing, utility, or authentication template to a WhatsApp user) a business phone number can open in a 24-hour moving period.
Business phone numbers are initially limited to 250 business-initiated conversations in a 24-hour moving period, but this limit can be increased.
