On the WhatsApp Business Platform, you cannot start a conversation with free text. To message a customer who has not written to you in the last 24 hours, you must use a message template that Meta has reviewed and approved. Templates also carry a category, marketing, utility or authentication, which decides the price Meta charges for each delivered message.
Getting templates approved, in the right category, is one of the most practical skills in WhatsApp marketing. This guide explains how the process works, the most common reasons for rejection, and how to write templates that pass review and perform well.
The three template categories
According to Meta's documentation, templates fall into three categories:
- Marketing: promotional objectives, such as offers, product announcements, back-in-stock alerts, cart reminders, event invitations and re-engagement messages.
- Utility: transactional or informational objectives linked to a specific, agreed-upon transaction or account, such as order confirmations, shipping updates, payment reminders, appointment confirmations and account alerts.
- Authentication: identity verification, such as one-time passcodes for login, account recovery or payment confirmation.
Pricing differs by category and by the recipient's country, as explained in our WhatsApp API pricing guide for India and our UAE pricing guide.
How categorisation works in practice
You choose a category when you submit a template, but Meta reviews the content and can assign a different category if it believes the template does not match. The most common case is a template submitted as utility that contains promotional content, which Meta treats as marketing.
The simple test: does the message contain anything that promotes, upsells or encourages a new purchase? If yes, it is marketing, even if most of the message is an order update.
Examples:
- "Your order #4521 has been shipped and will arrive on Thursday. Track it here." → Utility
- "Your order #4521 has been shipped! Enjoy 10% off your next order with code THANKS10." → Marketing
- "Your appointment at Smile Dental is confirmed for 12 Nov at 4:30 PM. Reply 1 to confirm or 2 to reschedule." → Utility
- "It's been six months since your last check-up. Book now and get a free scaling session." → Marketing
- "123456 is your verification code. For your security, do not share this code." → Authentication
Anatomy of a template
A template can include:
- Header (optional): text, image, video, document or location
- Body (required): the main message, with variables for personalised details
- Footer (optional): short text such as "Reply STOP to opt out"
- Buttons (optional): quick replies, call-to-action buttons to visit a website or call a number, copy-code buttons and other button types, depending on the category
Templates also have a name (lowercase with underscores, such as order_shipped_update) and a language. Create separate language versions for English, Hindi, Arabic or other languages.
Writing variables correctly
Variables let you personalise templates, for example with a name, order number or date. Meta asks for sample values for each variable during review, so reviewers can see what a real message looks like. Good practice:
- Provide realistic sample values, never placeholder text like "test"
- Do not start or end the body with a variable
- Avoid several variables in a row with no text between them
- Keep a sensible balance between fixed text and variables; a template that is mostly variables looks like it could be used to send anything
- Do not use variables to insert entire promotional paragraphs
The most common rejection reasons
| Rejection reason | What it means | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong category | Promotional content in a utility template | Remove promotional content or submit as marketing |
| Variable formatting | Variables at start or end, or consecutive variables | Add fixed text around variables |
| Missing or poor samples | Samples do not show what the message will look like | Add realistic sample values |
| Unclear purpose | Vague message with no clear reason | State what the message is about and why the customer is receiving it |
| Policy violation | Prohibited products, misleading claims or threatening language | Review the Commerce and Business Messaging Policies |
| Requests for sensitive data | Asking for full card numbers, passwords or similar | Never request sensitive data in templates |
| Suspicious links | Unbranded URL shorteners or mismatched domains | Use your own domain and a clear link |
| Formatting problems | Spelling errors, excessive emojis, all capitals | Write clearly and professionally |
Tips for marketing templates that perform
Approval is only half the job. Marketing templates also affect your quality rating, so write them to be welcome:
- Lead with value: what is in it for the customer?
- Personalise with the customer's name and relevant details
- Use a strong header image for product or offer messages
- One clear call to action with a button
- Add an opt-out button, such as "Stop promotions", to reduce blocks and reports
- Keep it short: two to four short sentences usually work best
- Send to the right segment at a sensible time and frequency
Tips for utility templates
- Make them specific to a transaction or account the customer has
- Trigger them from real events in your systems (order placed, appointment booked, payment due)
- Include useful details, such as dates, amounts and reference numbers
- Add helpful buttons, such as "Track order", "Reschedule" or "Pay now"
- Keep promotional content out entirely
Tips for authentication templates
Authentication templates have a more fixed format designed for security. Use them only for verification codes, not marketing or general alerts. Use the copy-code or one-tap options your provider supports, and include a security message advising customers not to share the code.
After approval: monitoring and quality
Approved templates are monitored for quality. If customers block or report messages from a template, its quality may fall, and Meta may pause or disable it. Check template quality in WhatsApp Manager regularly, and rewrite or retire templates that perform poorly. See our WhatsApp business messaging policy guide for more on quality ratings and limits.
A starter template set for most businesses
- Welcome message after opt-in (marketing or utility, depending on content)
- Order or booking confirmation (utility)
- Shipping or appointment reminder (utility)
- Payment reminder with link (utility)
- Feedback request after delivery or visit (utility if tied to the transaction and non-promotional; check current guidance)
- Monthly offer or new arrivals (marketing)
- OTP for login or payment (authentication)
Writing templates in Hindi, Arabic and other languages
Multilingual templates follow the same rules, with a few extra points:
- Write natively, not with machine translation alone; reviewers and customers notice awkward phrasing
- Check right-to-left layout for Arabic and Urdu, especially around numbers, dates and variables
- Keep variables and buttons consistent across language versions so your systems can send the right version automatically
- Store the customer's language preference and send templates in that language
How DND Teams helps
DND Teams writes and manages WhatsApp templates in English, Hindi, Arabic and other languages for businesses in India, the GCC, the UK, Canada and Australia. We choose the right category, prepare samples, handle rejections, and track template quality and results. Browse our WhatsApp template library for examples, or see our WhatsApp marketing services.
Get a custom quote
Working with clients in India, the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the UAE, DND Teams replies with a short written review and a clear quote, with no obligation. Get a custom quote for writing and approving your WhatsApp templates, or message us on WhatsApp at +91 88274 09728.
Not ready for a full project? Start with our WhatsApp API starter for US$149 (one-time, paid in advance). Price covers our setup work only. Platform and Meta message charges are billed separately at cost. Need more? Get a custom quote. See how our pricing works for what affects your price.
Prices shown are indicative ranges in US dollars and exclude taxes and third-party charges (such as Meta or carrier fees, billed at cost) unless stated. Your price depends on your requirements; get a custom quote for an exact figure. This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects our understanding as of October 2026.