Templates
How to create a WhatsApp template
WhatsApp templates are pre-approved message formats. You need one to start a conversation, or to message someone more than 24 hours after they last messaged you: campaigns, order updates, reminders and follow-ups. WhatsApp reviews each template before you can use it, usually within minutes.
Before you begin
Your WhatsApp number must be connected first. If you haven't set up your channel yet, connect your WhatsApp number →
Have these ready:
- A template name and a category: Marketing, Utility or Authentication
- Your message body (up to 1,024 characters)
- An example value for every variable
- Optional: a header (text, image, video or document), a footer and buttons
Where to find your templates
Templates are a section of Campaigns, so you need the Growth plan or above to use them. In the sidebar, open Grow → Campaigns and click Templates in the bar at the top (Campaigns · Quick send · Live · RCS · Templates). If RCS is on for your workspace, a WhatsApp | RCS switch sits at the top of Templates; RCS templates are covered in RCS messaging.
The page is a library. Your templates are listed on the left, newest first. Pick one and it shows on a phone on the right, exactly as customers get it, with these details beside it:
- Review: its status, and for a rejected template the reason from WhatsApp.
- Variables and Buttons: what each one is.
- Used in: how many campaigns have used this template and the date of the last one. See these campaigns takes you to them.
Use the search box (name or text), the status chips (All, Approved, In review, Rejected, and Drafts when you have any) and the category list to narrow the list. Click Sync to check WhatsApp for new templates and review results.
Step-by-step
01
Click New template
The wizard has two steps: Details, then Message. A phone preview on the right updates as you type, with your examples highlighted.
02
Details: name, category and format
Under What is this template for? fill in:
- Name: lowercase letters, numbers and underscores. Spaces become underscores as you type and anything else is removed. Only you see the name, and it can't be changed after you submit.
- Category: Marketing (offers, launches, news and reminders to come back), Utility (updates on something the customer bought or asked for) or Authentication (one-time codes).
- Format: the kind of template within that category (see formats and buttons).
Choose the category carefully. A Utility template with an offer or promotion in the text gets rejected. Put offers in a Marketing template. Authentication templates use WhatsApp's fixed code format: you only choose the code expiry and the button. The category also sets the price per message. See your wallet and message costs.
03
Message: write the body
Click Next: write the message, then type your message in Body (up to 1,024 characters). Use the bold, italic and strikethrough buttons for formatting and Add variable to insert {{1}}, {{2}} and so on for personalised values. For each variable, give a short label and a realistic example. WhatsApp's reviewer sees these.
04
Add an optional header, footer and buttons
Header: text (up to 60 characters, one variable allowed, no line breaks, formatting or emoji), image (JPG, PNG or WebP), video (MP4 or 3GP) or document (PDF). For media, upload a sample file; WhatsApp uses it as the example during review, and you can attach a different file when you send.
Footer: plain text, up to 60 characters, no variables or formatting.
Buttons: up to 10, each label up to 20 characters. Which button types you can use depends on the category. For Marketing templates, add a Stop promotions button so people can opt out. WhatsApp allows at most 2 website buttons per template.
Footer: plain text, up to 60 characters, no variables or formatting.
Buttons: up to 10, each label up to 20 characters. Which button types you can use depends on the category. For Marketing templates, add a Stop promotions button so people can opt out. WhatsApp allows at most 2 website buttons per template.
05
Submit for review
Fix anything Tanvik flags under the body (see body rules), then click Submit for review. Not ready yet? Click Save draft and finish later from the Drafts chip. After you submit, the status moves from In review to Approved or Rejected. Click Sync to check. Approved templates show a Use in campaign button that starts a campaign with the template already picked.
Formats and buttons by category
| Category | Formats | Buttons you can add |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Standard, Carousel (up to 10 swipeable cards), Limited offer (countdown with a code), Catalog, Multi-product | Quick reply, Call phone, Visit website (fixed or dynamic), Copy offer code, Voice call, View catalog, Stop promotions |
| Utility | Standard, Flow (attach a WhatsApp Flow form), Order / payment, Call permission | Quick reply, Call phone, Visit website (fixed or dynamic), Voice call, Open flow |
| Authentication | Copy code, One-tap autofill, Zero-tap | Set automatically. You choose the code expiry. |
Order / payment templates need WhatsApp Payments connected. Until then this format can't be selected, because WhatsApp would approve the template but it could never be sent.
Body rules Tanvik checks for you
Tanvik checks the body as you type and lists any problems before you submit. These match WhatsApp's rules, so fixing them avoids easy rejections:
- The body can't be empty, and can't start or end with a variable.
- Two variables can't sit next to each other. Put text between them.
- Variables must be numbered in order: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}…
- Every variable needs an example value.
- There must be real text around the variables, not just placeholders. Too many variables for too few words is flagged.
- No more than two line breaks in a row, and no more than 10 emoji.
Template statuses
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Saved in Tanvik but not sent to WhatsApp yet. Edit it to finish and submit. |
| In review | WhatsApp is reviewing it. It usually takes a few minutes; use Sync to check. |
| Approved | Ready to use in campaigns, Quick send, automations and chats. |
| Rejected | WhatsApp declined it. The reason appears under Reason from WhatsApp in the Review box. See how to fix it. |
| Paused | WhatsApp paused it because customers reported or blocked it. Wait a few hours, or improve the text and send a new version. |
| Deleted | Deleted on WhatsApp, so it can't be sent. Duplicate it to make a new one. |
Edit, duplicate and delete
Select a template and use the buttons above its phone preview: Edit, Duplicate and the bin icon to delete.
- In review: WhatsApp doesn't allow edits during review, so the button reads Edit as new version. It opens an editable copy that you submit separately.
- Approved: WhatsApp allows one edit to a live template every 24 hours. Some changes (adding or removing variables, changing the category, adding buttons) send it back for a full review, and sending pauses until it's approved again. For big changes, Duplicate it and submit the copy instead.
- Rejected: click Edit, fix what WhatsApp flagged, then click Update & submit.
- Delete removes the template and sends a delete request to WhatsApp.
Common mistakes to avoid
Marketing message submitted as Utility
Promotional content in a Utility template gets rejected. If you're selling or offering a discount, use the Marketing category.
Weak example values for variables
Give every {{n}} a real-looking example, such as "Rahul" or "15 June". Generic values like "name1" or "text" get flagged.
Starting or ending with a variable
{{1}}, your order is ready is rejected. Use Hi {{1}}, your order is ready for pickup.What to do next
Once a template is approved, click Use in campaign to start a campaign with it already picked. See Send a broadcast for the full steps, or Manage and retarget campaigns.
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