Understanding WhatsApp Template Statuses and Best Practices

Overview

WhatsApp message templates are pre-formatted messages that must be approved before you can use them to initiate conversations with customers. These templates are required for sending messages to contacts who have not messaged your business in the last 24 hours, or who have never contacted you before. After approval by Meta, templates can be used for marketing, utility notifications, and authentication purposes. Keep in mind that even approved templates can be automatically paused or disabled if they receive negative feedback or low engagement from recipients.

Important Notice: Template Migration

When you initially connect your WhatsApp Business Account to the CRM, your existing templates from Meta are imported one time during the setup process. After this initial import, there is no automatic synchronization between Meta and the CRM. This has important implications:

• Templates created directly in Meta Business Manager after the initial setup will not appear in your CRM.
• Any changes made to a template in Meta will not update automatically in the CRM.
• To ensure templates are available for use, you must create all new templates directly within the CRM.

Important: Always create and manage your WhatsApp templates inside the CRM. Templates created outside the CRM after the initial onboarding will not be synced and cannot be sent from the platform.

Approval Process

After you submit a template for approval, it enters Meta's review queue, which typically takes up to 24 hours. The possible outcomes are:

• Approved: The template status becomes "Active - Quality Pending," and you can start sending it immediately.
• Rejected: You can edit the template to address the issues and resubmit it, or you can appeal the decision.

When creating a template, it is a best practice to include sample values for any variables. This shows Meta how the final message will appear to customers and can help increase the chances of approval.

Common Reasons for Template Rejection

To improve your approval rate, avoid these common mistakes:

• Missing variable parameters or incorrect formatting. Variables must use the correct format: {{1}}.
• Using special characters (such as #, $, or %) inside variable parameters.
• Non-sequential variable numbering (for example, using {{1}}, {{2}}, and {{4}} but skipping {{3}}).
• Template content that violates the WhatsApp Commerce Policy, such as non-compliant pricing or product descriptions.
• Requesting sensitive information like full credit card numbers or government ID numbers.
• Including threatening, abusive, or legally aggressive language.
• Submitting a duplicate of an existing template with identical body and footer text.

Sending WhatsApp Templates

Once a template's status is ACTIVE, you can send it to customers at any time, even outside the standard 24-hour messaging window. Be aware that a template's status can change from ACTIVE to PAUSED or DISABLED based on recipient feedback and engagement metrics. It is important to monitor your templates regularly and update any that are at risk of being restricted.

WhatsApp Template Statuses Explained

You can check the current status of your templates by navigating to WhatsApp > Templates > Status within the CRM. Here is what each status means:

• In Review: The template is being reviewed by Meta. This process usually takes up to 24 hours.
• Rejected: The template was not approved due to a policy violation. You can edit and resubmit it or file an appeal.
• Active - Quality Pending: The template is approved and ready to send, but it has not yet received enough user feedback to determine a quality rating.
• Active - High Quality: The template is performing well with little to no negative feedback.
• Active - Medium Quality: The template is receiving some negative feedback. Monitor it closely as it may be paused soon.
• Active - Low Quality: The template has received significant negative feedback. It can still be sent but is at high risk of being paused. Address the issues urgently.
• Paused: The template has been paused due to repeated negative feedback and cannot be sent until its quality improves.
• Disabled: The template has been disabled due to persistent negative feedback and can no longer be sent to customers.
• Appeal Requested: An appeal has been submitted to Meta and is under review.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are WhatsApp message templates, and why are they necessary?

WhatsApp message templates are pre-approved message formats that enable businesses to proactively contact customers outside of the 24-hour service window. They are essential for sending marketing campaigns, transactional alerts, and other automated notifications to contacts who have not recently initiated a conversation.

How do templates differ from regular WhatsApp messages?

Regular, free-form messages can only be sent in response to a customer who has messaged you within the last 24 hours. Templates, however, can be sent at any time to any contact, making them the primary tool for outbound communication.

How long does it take for a template to be approved?

The approval process by Meta typically takes up to 24 hours.