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WhatsApp template approval: how to get templates approved
To message a customer outside the 24-hour customer service window, you need a message template that Meta has approved. Good WhatsApp template approval starts with the right category and clean variables. This guide covers Meta's review, the three categories and the mistakes that most often lead to a rejection.
What a WhatsApp message template is
A template is a message you write once and submit to Meta. It can contain variables such as {{1}} for a name or an order number, plus buttons and media. Templates are the only message type a business can send outside an open customer service window, and they can only go to people who have opted in.
Each template has a category. The category decides what the message may contain and what Meta charges when it is delivered.
The three template categories
Marketing
Awareness, offers, sales, retargeting, app promotion and relationship messages. A template that mixes an order update with a promotion counts as marketing, and so does one whose purpose is unclear.
Utility
Non-promotional messages tied to a user's own order, account, booking or transaction, or essential alerts. A generic survey is not utility; a feedback request about a specific order can be.
Authentication
One-time codes only, built from Meta's authentication templates with a copy-code or one-tap button. No URLs, media or emojis, and parameters are limited to 15 characters.
The WhatsApp template approval process
Create and categorize
Write the template, choose a category and language, and add sample values for every variable. Meta checks that the category matches the content.
Meta reviews it
Automated systems and manual review check the template against WhatsApp policies. A decision can take up to 24 hours.
Approved or rejected
An approved template becomes Active and can be sent. A rejected one can be edited and resubmitted, or appealed; appeals are decided within 24 hours.
Monitor it after approval
Meta can move a utility template to marketing if the content does not fit, and it rates each template's quality from customer feedback.
Common reasons for rejection
- Variables with wrong or mismatched braces. The format is {{1}}.
- Variables with special characters such as #, $ or %.
- Variables that are not sequential, for example {{1}}, {{2}}, {{5}}.
- Too many variables for the length of the message.
- A template that starts or ends with a variable.
- Requests for sensitive identifiers such as full card numbers, bank account numbers or national ID numbers.
- Threatening or abusive content, such as threats of legal action or public shaming.
- Content that breaks the WhatsApp Commerce Policy.
- A duplicate of an existing template with the same body and footer.
Tips to get approved the first time
- Keep one purpose per template. Do not add a discount to an order update.
- Name templates in lowercase with underscores, for example order_confirmation.
- Give realistic sample values so the reviewer sees the final message.
- Write a full sentence around each variable instead of a message that is only {{1}}.
- Add an opt-out option to marketing templates, for example a Stop button.
Managing templates in BelloSend
BelloSend manages and syncs your Meta templates, so your team sees approved templates in the inbox and picks one when a conversation window has closed. Message templates are included from the Growth plan. Sending a template to a list of opted-in contacts as a campaign is included in the Max plan.
Facts checked on 2026-10-05. https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/overview · https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-categorization · https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-review · https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-quality · https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-pausing
Frequently asked questions
How long does WhatsApp template approval take?
Meta says a decision can take up to 24 hours. You get a notification in WhatsApp Manager and an email when it is done.
Why was my utility template changed to marketing?
Meta checks templates in production. If a utility template contains promotional content, Meta can change its category to marketing, usually with 24 hours' notice.
Can I appeal a rejection?
Yes. Edit the template if needed, add samples and resubmit, or file an appeal. Meta says appeals are decided within 24 hours.
How many templates can I have?
Meta allows 250 templates per account for unverified business portfolios, and up to 6,000 for verified portfolios with an approved display name.
Can a template stop working after approval?
Yes. A template with low quality can be paused, first for 3 hours, then 6 hours, and is disabled on the third time.