WhatsApp templates

A template is a message pre-approved by WhatsApp. It's the only way to start a conversation when the 24-hour window is closed.

Demo organization: Casa Nativa. Interface shown in Spanish.

Video: select a fictional template and click Send template. This is a simulation; nothing is sent to Meta.

See your templatesCopy link

Open Templates. The table shows each template with its message, its category, its language, its status and quality in Meta, and the date of its last change, newest first.

• Search: type part of the name or the message. Accents don't matter.
• Filter and sort: open a column's name, or select Filter. Each active filter appears next to the search box and comes off with its X.

When you open a template and come back, the table stays as you left it. Select a row's arrow to see the whole message. The buttons on the right of each row view the detail, edit, set up the CRM variables and delete.

Create a templateCopy link

1. In Templates, select New template.
2. Fill in the name, the language and the message content.
3. Select Create in Meta. Ricky sends the template for review.

Meta is the source of truth: the template goes through its review and the status is reflected in Ricky's table.

Edit a templateCopy link

Meta only allows editing templates that are Approved, Rejected or Paused. To edit one, select the pencil on its row. While a template is In review, Ricky does not show the pencil and the template's detail explains why. Meta allows editing an approved template once every 24 hours and up to 10 times in 30 days, without changing its category.

VariablesCopy link

A variable is replaced with the contact's data when sending. When you use the template in a broadcast, you choose which CRM field fills each variable.

When they're usedCopy link

• To start a conversation with a customer outside the 24-hour window.
• To send a broadcast to many contacts at once.

Inside the 24-hour window, the team and the agents reply with free-form messages.

Send a template to one contactCopy link

1. Open a WhatsApp conversation under Conversations.
2. If the message box is available, select Use template. Outside the service window, select Send a template.
3. Under Send template, choose an approved template for that number.
4. Fill any Header variables and Body variables the template requires; review the preview.
5. Select Send template. The notice says what WhatsApp answered: Template sent if it accepted it, Couldn't send the template with the reason if it refused it, or Template queued if it hasn't answered yet. The conversation shows the same status.

If the list is empty, check the number's WhatsApp account and whether Meta approved the template. A template from another number or of an unsupported type may show Not supported. Clicking send starts a request: check delivery or failure in the conversation before retrying.

The Casa Nativa video simulates the template and send response in the browser. The demo number has no Meta-approved template: the video teaches the UI steps and does not prove WhatsApp delivery.