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Create a message template and get it approved by Meta

Templates are ready-made messages with variables from the client’s data. A general template saves time on any channel. A WhatsApp Cloud template is sent to Meta for approval, and reaches the client even after the 24-hour window ends.

8 min
Before you start · 2 things · for owners and managers
A connected WhatsApp Cloud session for Cloud templates, a unit whose fields the template reads
  • You need: The Create permission in Message Templates
  • For WhatsApp Cloud templates: a connected WhatsApp Cloud session.
  • A unit whose fields the template reads, such as “Clients”.

Steps

1
Open Settings → Message Templates, then press Add Template.
2
Choose the Type: General or WhatsApp Cloud. The difference is in General template or WhatsApp Cloud template?.
3
For WhatsApp Cloud, choose the Session: the template reads the fields of the unit linked to it. For General, choose the Unit the template reads its data from.
4
Type the Name, then choose the Category and the Language. See Choose a template’s category and language, and find its name at Meta.
5
Type the Content, with variables in double curly brackets, such as Hello {{first_name}}. See Fill a template from client data with variables.
6
Optional: the Header Format and Footer Content (Add a header and footer to a message template), and for WhatsApp Cloud, buttons (Every kind of button on a WhatsApp Cloud template).
7
Press Create Template.
A general template is ready straight away. A WhatsApp Cloud template is sent to Meta and shows as Pending, then Active or Rejected.

The life of a WhatsApp Cloud template

Step
What happens
Saving
The template is saved and sent to Meta automatically
Pending
Meta is reviewing it. It can’t be sent
Active
Meta approved it. It shows in the template picker
Rejected
Meta’s reason is saved with the template. Edit it and send it again
Disabled
Meta paused or deleted it

The details are in Template approval states, and why Meta rejects one. If the template never reached Meta, use resend.

Editing a template

Editing the content, header, footer or buttons of a WhatsApp Cloud template sends it to Meta, so the approved template goes back to review. The name and language don’t change at Meta, and neither does a media header format after approval.

Deleting a template

Deleting removes the template from Corteksa only, and doesn’t delete it from your Meta account.

Usage

Send the template from the chat (Send a template from the chat, with a preview of the values), or from an automation. The Usage column in the list counts how many times it was sent.

Filter the list by type, category and status, or search by name.

If something goes wrong

What you see
Why
What to do
“The template was created, but WhatsApp didn’t accept it: ...”
Meta refused it, for example because of a duplicate name or a problem with the access token.
Read the reason, then use resend.
The template is stuck at Pending
Meta hasn’t finished its review, or its update didn’t reach Corteksa.
A variable is refused when saving
The field is a type that doesn’t print as text.

A real example

Shield Security Co.
The situation

Maintenance contracts run out and nobody remembers to renew them.

What they did
  1. They created a “Contract renewal reminder” template in the Utility category, with {{contract_end_date}} in it.
  2. After it was approved, they connected it to an automation that runs 30 days before the contract ends.
The result

The reminder now reaches the client automatically, and the teammate only follows up on the replies.

A made-up company, to show the idea. The numbers are rounded.

Good to know

A template name is up to 255 characters.
A WhatsApp Cloud template can’t be sent before it’s approved.
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