Templates

A template is a message WhatsApp approved before you send it. Every conversation you start needs one: every broadcast to customers outside the 24-hour window, and every Ecomm+ message such as a cart reminder or a shipping update.

You write a template once, and use it as many times as you like. The parts that change per customer, such as their name or order number, are variables filled in when you send.

flowchart LR
    W["Write it"] --> S["Submit"]
    S --> P["PENDING"]
    P --> A["APPROVED"]
    P --> R["REJECTED"]
    R --> W
    A --> U["Use it in broadcasts, Ecomm+ and flows"]

Pages in this section

Create a template

Write a template, submit it, and follow it through review. See Create a template.

Template fields

Every field on the form, what it takes, and how to fill it well. See Template fields.

Why templates get rejected

The mistakes that get templates refused, and how to avoid each one. See Why templates get rejected.

Template types

Text, media, carousels and limited-time offers, and when each one works best. See Template types.

The templates most stores need

You do not need dozens. A store can run well on about ten, and the first five cover nearly everything you will send in your first month.

Template	Category	Type	Buttons	Sent by
Welcome	Marketing	TEXT or IMAGE	URL: your best-sellers	Broadcast
New arrival	Marketing	IMAGE	URL: the product	Broadcast
Sale or festive offer	Marketing	Limited-time offer or IMAGE	Copy code and URL	Broadcast
Restock alert	Marketing	IMAGE	URL: the product	Broadcast
Abandoned cart	Marketing	TEXT or IMAGE	URL ending in a variable: their checkout	Ecomm+
COD confirmation	Utility	TEXT	Quick replies: confirm and cancel	Ecomm+
Order confirmed	Utility	TEXT	None	Ecomm+
Order shipped	Utility	TEXT	URL ending in a variable: tracking	Ecomm+
Collection showcase	Marketing	Carousel	URL on each card	Broadcast
Feedback request	Marketing	TEXT	Quick replies: a rating	Ecomm+

Start with Welcome, New arrival, Abandoned cart, Order confirmed and Order shipped. The order messages matter first, because customers expect them the moment they pay.

Write templates to last

A template cannot be edited once approved. Every change means a new template, a new review, and a wait. So the templates worth having are the ones you can reuse.

Put what changes in variables. "New in this week: {{1}}" can announce a different product every week. "New in: the linen summer shirt" can announce one product once.

Keep dates and prices out of the fixed text. A template saying "Sale ends 31 October" is useless on 1 November. Make the date a variable.

One purpose per template. A template that confirms an order and also advertises a sale confuses customers, and WhatsApp approves it as Marketing, which costs more and stops it reaching customers who opted out. See Template fields.