WhatsApp & OperationsTemplate Message
What is a Template Message? WhatsApp Rules Outside the Window
Also known as: message template, HSM, whatsapp template
Short answer
A template message is a fixed-format WhatsApp message that must be approved in advance, used to contact people outside an active conversation window. Inside an active window, you can send free-form messages as normal.
The conversation window
When a customer messages you, a conversation window opens. While it is open you may reply freely. Once it closes, only approved templates can be sent.
| Situation | What may be sent |
|---|---|
| The customer just messaged | Free-form messages |
| A few hours after their last message | Free-form messages |
| After the window closed | Approved templates only |
| The customer never messaged you | Templates only, and only with consent |
Writing a template that passes
- Write for the recipient, not for yourself. Useful messages are approved more easily.
- Name your business, so the recipient knows who wrote.
- Use variables for data, never for the whole message body.
- Check spelling and punctuation. Small errors are a common rejection reason.
- Offer a way to stop receiving messages, and honour it.
Frequently asked questions
- Why do I need templates?
- Because once the conversation window closes, free-form messages are no longer allowed. A template is the only way to reopen contact, for instance a payment reminder or a delivery update.
- Why was my template rejected?
- The usual causes: the content reads as promotion with no context, there are spelling errors, a variable carries the entire message, or the sender is unclear. Write templates that are genuinely useful to the recipient.
- Can a template be edited after approval?
- Content changes normally need re-approval. Design templates with the right variables from the start, so small adjustments do not require a new version.
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