WhatsApp Templates

WhatsApp enforces a 24-hour session window: after a customer sends a message, you can reply freely for 24 hours. Once the window closes, you can only reach the customer by sending a pre-approved template message.

Templates are used to:

• Re-engage customers after the 24-hour window expires
• Send proactive notifications — order confirmations, appointment reminders, shipping updates
• Start conversations when the customer hasn’t messaged first

Note

While the 24-hour window is open, you can send any free-form message without a template.

Categories

WhatsApp classifies templates into three categories, each with its own approval criteria and pricing:

Category	Purpose	Examples
Utility	Transactional updates related to an existing interaction	Order confirmations, shipping notifications, payment receipts
Marketing	Promotional messages and offers	Product announcements, discounts, newsletters
Authentication	One-time passwords and verification codes	Login verification, two-factor authentication

Caution

Marketing templates have stricter approval requirements and may be subject to sending limits, especially for new or low-quality numbers.

Structure

Each template can include the following components:

Header (optional)

The top section. Can be:

• Text — a short title or heading
• Image — JPEG or PNG
• Video — MP4
• Document — PDF

Body (required)

The main content. Supports plain text, basic formatting (bold, italic, strikethrough, monospace), and variables — dynamic placeholders like {{1}}, {{2}} that are filled in at send time (e.g., customer name, order number).

Footer (optional)

A short line of muted text at the bottom. Often used for disclaimers.

Buttons (optional)

Interactive elements at the bottom:

• Call to Action — opens a URL or dials a phone number
• Quick Reply — predefined response options the customer can tap

Approval

Every template must be reviewed and approved by Meta before it can be used.

How to submit a template

1. Go to the Twilio Console
2. Navigate to Messaging → Content Template Builder
3. Click Create new
4. Fill in the template name, language, and content type (e.g., Text or Media). Content type describes the message layout — it is not the same as a WhatsApp category
5. Complete the body, variables, and any optional sections (header, footer, buttons)
6. Submit the template for WhatsApp approval. During submission, Twilio will ask you to choose the WhatsApp category (Utility, Marketing, or Authentication)

Note

The category field does not appear on the content-type screen — it is part of the approval step.

Tip

Review usually takes from a few minutes to 24 hours. Manual review may take longer.

Approval statuses

Status	Meaning
Pending	Submitted, awaiting review
Approved	Ready to use
Rejected	Did not pass review — check the reason and resubmit

Tips for approval

• Use clear, concise language
• Avoid overly promotional or spammy wording
• Include the correct variable placeholders (e.g., {{1}}) where dynamic content will go
• Make sure the category matches the template’s actual purpose
• Do not include shortened URLs from third-party services

Quality and Sending Limits

WhatsApp monitors template quality based on customer feedback. Templates that receive too many blocks or reports will have their quality rating lowered, which can reduce your sending limits.

Rating	Meaning
Green	High quality
Yellow	Medium quality — monitor closely
Red	Low quality — may be paused or disabled

Caution

If quality drops to Red, WhatsApp may automatically pause the template. Fix the content and resubmit for approval.

Using Templates in Dialong Chats

When the 24-hour window has expired, operators must send an approved template to resume the conversation. Only Approved templates appear in Creatio — pending and rejected templates are not shown.

Once Meta approves a template in Twilio, it becomes available in Dialong Chats immediately — no separate sync is needed.

For WhatsApp channel setup, see Connect WhatsApp.

Open the template picker

In the chat panel, click the WhatsApp icon in the toolbar below the message input field.

Select a template and fill in variables

The Send WhatsApp Template dialog lists every approved template for your WhatsApp sender.

1. In WhatsApp Template, choose the template by name
2. In Template text, replace each placeholder in curly braces (e.g., {{date}}, {{1}}) with real values for this customer
3. Click Send

Caution

Do not change the template structure — do not add, remove, or reorder sentences. If the sent text does not match the approved template, the message will not be delivered.

Message status

Outbound template messages are labeled Template (green) in the chat panel. A double checkmark indicates the message was delivered and read (when read receipts are enabled).

How the customer sees it

The customer sees the filled-in text in WhatsApp. If the template includes buttons (quick replies or actions), they appear below the message.

After the customer replies

When the customer responds (or taps a quick reply), a new 24-hour session window opens. During that time, operators can send ordinary messages without templates.