This section provides a detailed introduction to the definition of message templates and how to create message templates.
In everyday WhatsApp communication we can send anything at any time. However, in the world of business communication, when a company needs to proactively and at scale send important notifications, transaction updates, or marketing messages to customers, it must follow a set of rules that both protect user experience and prevent abuse.
Message templates are the core embodiment of those rules. They are not a restriction but a standardized, compliant, and efficient tool for proactive communication that allows businesses to reliably reach customers within a framework of implied user consent.
A message template is a standardized message format that has been pre-reviewed and approved by Meta. Businesses can only use these approved templates to initiate conversations or send notifications to users outside the 24-hour customer service window. WhatsApp’s design philosophy is to protect users from harassment. Therefore, any non-user-initiated business message (business-initiated conversation) must follow a transparent, auditable format. The message template mechanism ensures:
User right to know: The template has a clear structure so the user can immediately understand the message’s source and purpose.
User control: Templates typically include clear unsubscribe or feedback options.
Quality control: Meta filters out misleading, spammy, or low-quality content through review.
To understand the “proactive” nature of message templates, you must compare them with “free messages”:
Sending timing
Can be sent outside the 24-hour service window (when the user has not contacted for over 24 hours)
Only within the 24-hour service window (within 24 hours after the user initiated contact)
Content format
Fixed structure, must be submitted for approval in advance
Flexible and free, depending on the conversation
Primary use
Proactively initiating utility, Authentication, marketing messages
Responding to customer inquiries and engaging in conversation
Sending permission
Granted based on template approval and business verification
Enabled by user’s proactive action
Simply put: When you reach out to users, start with a message template; when users contact you, respond with free messages.
Please note, the number of message templates under the same WABA must not exceed 250.
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