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WhatsApp message templates are pre-approved message formats you manage through Connectly and Meta’s WhatsApp Manager. Because Meta approves them in advance, templates can be sent to any customer at any time — including first-time contacts and those outside the 24-hour session window.
Once a template is approved, use it to send messages via Send template message.

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Template categories

Every template must belong to one of three categories:
CategoryDescription
MESSAGE_TEMPLATE_GROUP_CATEGORY_MARKETINGPromotional messages, offers, product launches.
MESSAGE_TEMPLATE_GROUP_CATEGORY_UTILITYTransactional messages — order confirmations, shipping updates, account alerts.
MESSAGE_TEMPLATE_GROUP_CATEGORY_AUTHENTICATIONOTP and verification codes.

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Template components

A template is built from template_components — an ordered list of component objects. Each component is one of: header, body, footer, or button. Template headers support four types:
TypeDescription
TYPE_IMAGEImage header. Provide an example image URL to speed up approval.
TYPE_VIDEOVideo header. Provide an example video URL.
TYPE_DOCUMENTDocument header. Provide an example document URL.
TYPE_TEXTText header. Supports one variable ({{1}}).

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Body

The main text of the template. Supports variables using {{N}} syntax — {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}, etc., numbered sequentially from 1 to 15.
Variables must be numbered sequentially from 1. You cannot skip numbers or use duplicates. For example, {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}} is valid; {{1}}, {{3}} is not.
Optional plain text displayed below the body. Does not support variables.

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Buttons

Up to 3 buttons per template. Three types are supported:
TypeDescription
quickReplySends the button text as a message when tapped. Can trigger automated responses.
urlOpens a URL in the customer’s browser. Supports one dynamic suffix variable. Do not use shortened URLs (e.g. bit.ly) — WhatsApp automatically rejects them.
phoneNumberDials a phone number directly.
You cannot mix Quick Reply and Call-to-Action buttons in the same template. Use up to 3 Quick Reply buttons or Call-to-Action buttons (URL and/or phone) — not both.
Carousel templates display multiple cards in a horizontally scrollable format. Each card has its own header image, body text, and buttons. Create a carousel template by including a carousel component in template_components. See Create template for the full payload structure.

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Approval process

After you submit a template via the Create template endpoint, Meta reviews it automatically. Templates are typically approved within 5 minutes but can take up to 24 hours. The template status starts as MESSAGE_TEMPLATE_STATUS_PENDING and transitions to approved or rejected. Check the current status of your templates at any time using Get templates.
Media size limits apply to template headers. See Meta’s media documentation for the full list of constraints.

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Next steps

Create template

Submit a new template to Meta for review.

Send template message

Use an approved template to send a message.