Templates, and why Meta rejects them

WhatsApp does not let a business start a conversation with free text. To message someone first — or to reply after the 24-hour window has closed — you must use a template that Meta has approved. Templates live on the Templates page.

The five statuses

When Meta rejects or pauses a template, its own words are shown on the row as “WhatsApp said: …”. That sentence is the actual reason; read it before rewriting anything.

What gets a template rejected

• Missing or fake example values. Every {{1}}, {{2}} needs a realistic sample — Meta reviews the samples, not just the text.
• A media header with no sample file uploaded.
• The wrong category. A promotional message submitted as Utility is a rejection, and repeatedly miscategorising hurts the number.
• A URL button whose example link is not a real, working link.
• Promotional language in an Authentication template.

Building one

1. 1Press “New template”. Give it a name in lowercase letters, numbers and underscores only (order_update).
2. 2Pick the category honestly — Utility, Marketing or Authentication — and the language you are actually writing in.
3. 3Write the body. Use “+ Add variable” to insert {{1}}, {{2}} where the text changes per person.
4. 4Fill in one realistic example per variable. This is the single most common reason for rejection.
5. 5Add a header, footer or up to three buttons if you need them, then press “Submit for approval”.

An approved template cannot be edited, only duplicated — Meta owns content it has reviewed. Use “Duplicate” to start a new version, which goes through approval again. Deleting a template here does not delete it from your WhatsApp account; remove it in WhatsApp Manager too if you no longer want it there.

“Check WhatsApp for changes” pulls the latest statuses from Meta, and “Sync Gupshup templates” imports templates you built in the Gupshup or Meta console. Statuses also refresh on their own every hour.