Platform & policy
Message templates
A template is a message Meta reviews in advance. Every automated WhatsApp message your store sends is one, so its category is the most important dropdown in the product.
Short answer
Utility templates are updates about something the customer did, and need no marketing consent. Marketing templates are anything promotional and need consent; Authentication is for one-time passcodes only. Meta sets the final category at review, so promotional wording in a Utility template gets it rejected.
The three categories#
| Category | Use it for | Consent needed |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | Order confirmed, shipped, out for delivery, delivered, COD confirmation, appointment reminders. | No |
| Marketing | Promotions, launches, restocks, discount offers, anything inviting a purchase. | Yes |
| Authentication | One-time passcodes only. | No |
Category also sets the price. Meta charges per message, and Marketing costs several times more than Utility. See what it costs.
Why templates get rejected#
| Reason | What to change |
|---|---|
| Promotional language in a Utility template | Remove sale, discount, offer, % off, free gift, limited time. Rewrite it as a pure status update. |
| Variable at the very start or end of the body | Put words around it. A body that begins with a placeholder reads as spam to review. |
| Too many variables, too little text | Add real sentences. A template that is mostly placeholders is rejected. |
| Placeholder sample content | Provide realistic sample values, not xxx or test. |
| Vague or generic body | Say what the message is actually about. "Update regarding your request" is not enough. |
| Policy-restricted content | Some categories cannot be messaged at all. Check WhatsApp commerce policy. |
Anatomy of a template#
- Name
lowercase_with_underscores, no spaces. Internal only; customers never see it.- Header
- Optional. Text, image, video or document. For cart and order templates, a live product image is picked from the cart or order at send time.
- Body
- The message. Variables are written as named fields like
{{first_name}}and converted to Meta’s numbered placeholders on submission. - Footer
- Optional small print. A good place for an opt-out line on Marketing templates.
- Buttons
- Quick replies (up to three; the customer taps and you get the answer) or URL buttons (open a link). COD confirmation needs quick replies; order tracking needs a URL button.
Template quality after approval#
Approval isn’t permanent. Meta tracks how customers react, and a template that collects blocks or reports can be paused or disabled.
A journey that worked for weeks can then start skipping sends with no change on your side. The skip reason on the order will say so.
- Send Marketing templates only to contacts who genuinely opted in.
- Keep Utility templates strictly transactional — customers do not block order updates.
- Watch template quality in Meta Business Manager as part of your routine, not after a problem.
- Retire a template that is accumulating complaints rather than waiting for Meta to act.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between a Utility and a Marketing WhatsApp template?
- Utility templates are transactional updates about something the customer already did, such as an order confirmation, and need no marketing consent. Marketing templates are promotional and require recorded consent. Meta assigns the final category at review, so promotional wording in a Utility template is rejected.
- Why does Meta keep rejecting my WhatsApp template?
- The most common cause is promotional language in a template submitted as Utility. After that: a variable placed at the very start or end of the body, a body that is mostly placeholders with too little real text, or unrealistic sample values. The rejection reason is shown on the template row.
- Can an approved WhatsApp template stop working?
- Yes. Meta monitors how customers react and can pause or disable a template whose quality drops, which makes previously working journeys start skipping sends. Check the skip reason on an affected order and your template quality in Meta Business Manager.