If you want to message a customer on WhatsApp who has not written to you in the last 24 hours, you need a message template that Meta has approved. Templates are how WhatsApp keeps business messaging from turning into spam. They are also where many businesses get stuck, with templates rejected for reasons that are not obvious.

Here is how approval works and how to write templates that pass.

When you need a template and when you do not

When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you can reply freely with normal messages. Once it closes, the only way to start the conversation again is a template.

So templates are for messages you send first: order updates, appointment reminders, offers, and one-time codes.

The three categories

Marketing: anything that promotes, sells or re-engages. Offers, new products, abandoned cart nudges, event invitations.
Utility: updates about something the customer already did or asked for. Order confirmations, shipping updates, booking reminders, account alerts.
Authentication: one-time passcodes for login or verification.

Categories are priced differently and treated differently. Meta reviews the category you choose and can change it if the content does not match. A "shipping update" that ends with "use code SAVE10 on your next order" is a marketing message.

How approval works

You submit the template text, its category, its language and any header or buttons. Meta reviews it, usually within minutes and sometimes within a day. The result is approved, rejected with a reason, or, later on, paused if people react badly to it.

Approval is per template and per language. If you send in English and Hindi, each version is reviewed on its own.

Common reasons templates get rejected

Wrong category. Promotional wording inside a utility template.
Too vague. A template that is only "Hello {{1}}, {{2}}" could be anything, so Meta will not approve it.
Variables at the start or end, or next to each other. Placeholders need real words around them.
Spelling and formatting problems. Broken placeholders, odd symbols, all capitals.
Policy issues. Restricted products, misleading claims, or requests for sensitive data such as full card numbers.
Threatening or pressuring language. "Pay now or your account will be closed."

How to write a template that passes

Write the message as you would for one real customer, then decide what changes per person.
Pick the category that honestly fits the content.
Keep it short and specific. Say who you are and why you are writing.
Add buttons for the next step instead of long instructions.
Give a clear sample value for every variable when you submit.

A strong utility example: "Hi, your order from Green Leaf is on its way. You can track it with the button below." A strong marketing example: "New this week at Green Leaf: the summer range is in. Tap below to see it, or reply STOP to opt out of offers."

After approval: keeping templates healthy

Approval is not permanent. If many people block or report messages sent with a template, Meta can pause it. The fix is the same as for broadcasts in general: send to people who opted in, keep the content relevant, and do not send too often.

Templates in IotaBot

IotaBot uses the templates approved on your own WhatsApp Business account. You pick one when you create a campaign, choose a list or segment, and replies come back into the shared inbox where the AI or your team answers. Campaign steps use templates with fixed content, so templates that need per-contact variables are not used for campaigns.

For the full picture of sending to many customers at once, see WhatsApp broadcast.