Glossary
What is a WhatsApp message template?
The pre-approved message format businesses must use to start a WhatsApp conversation or write after the 24-hour window, explained with an example.
By Broadchat teamPublished 3 min read
Definition
Message template: A message template is a pre-written WhatsApp message that Meta reviews and approves before a business can send it. Businesses must use one to start a conversation, or to message a customer more than 24 hours after that customer's last message. Each template belongs to one category (marketing, utility or authentication), can contain numbered variables such as {{1}}, and is priced by Meta according to its category and the recipient's country.
Also called: WhatsApp template, Template message, HSM (highly structured message)
How a message template works
A business writes the template once, submits it to Meta with sample values for its variables, and waits for the status to change from Pending to Approved or Rejected. Once approved, the same template can be sent to many customers, with the variables filled in per person: a name, an order number, a date or an amount.
Templates exist because WhatsApp limits who may start a conversation. When a customer writes to a business, a 24-hour customer service window opens and the business can reply with any normal message. Outside that window, the only way to reach the customer is an approved template, and only if the customer has opted in to hear from the business.
The parts of a template
| Part | Required | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Header | No | Up to 60 characters of text, or an image, video, document or location |
| Body | Yes | The message itself, up to 1,024 characters, with variables such as {{1}} |
| Footer | No | Up to 60 characters, often an opt-out line |
| Buttons | No | Up to 10: quick replies, up to 2 website links, 1 call button or 1 copy-code button |
Example
A utility template that confirms an order might read:
Submitted with the sample values "Priya" and "#48213", it tells the reviewer exactly what a customer will see. The same message with "Use code DIWALI10 for 10% off your next order" added would be a marketing template instead, because it promotes something; Meta can re-categorise templates whose wording does not match the category chosen.
Why the category matters
The category decides how Meta prices each delivered message and how strictly the template is reviewed:
- Marketing: offers, announcements, re-engagement and anything promotional.
- Utility: updates about a transaction or account the customer already has, such as order, delivery, booking or payment updates.
- Authentication: one-time passcodes, with a copy-code or one-tap button.
For current rates by category and country, see how WhatsApp API pricing works.
Message templates in Broadchat
In a Broadchat panel, templates are created under CRM → WhatsApp Templates, previewed live, submitted to Meta and kept in sync with WhatsApp Manager. Campaigns, chatbots and automations then pick from the approved list. The step-by-step help article covers each field, and the message templates guide explains how to get approvals and avoid pauses.
Sources
- Template fundamentals — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Template components — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
Is a message template the same as a broadcast?
No. A template is the approved message format; a broadcast or campaign is the act of sending a template to many opted-in contacts at once. The same template can be used in a campaign, a chatbot or an automated notification.
Do I need a template to reply to a customer?
Not while the 24-hour customer service window is open. When a customer has messaged you in the last 24 hours, you can reply with free text, media, buttons or lists. After the window closes, you need an approved template to write again.
Can I edit a template after it is approved?
You can edit the content of an approved template, which sends it back for review, but the name, category and language are fixed once the template is created. To change those, create a new template.