WhatsApp message templates: categories, approval and examples
Updated October 21, 2026 · 5 min read
A template is a pre-approved message you can send to a customer outside the 24-hour reply window. Writing good ones is the difference between a campaign that gets replies and one that gets ignored.
What a template contains
- A category: marketing, utility or authentication
- Body text with variables such as the customer's name or an order number
- Optional header, footer and buttons such as quick replies or links
How approval works
You submit a template through your platform and it is reviewed against WhatsApp's policies. Review is usually quick, but you should plan ahead rather than submit a template on the day of a launch.
Common reasons templates are rejected
- Marketing content submitted in a utility template
- Variables with nothing around them, such as only {{1}}
- Unclear or misleading wording
- Content that breaks WhatsApp's commerce or messaging policies
Writing templates people answer
- Open with the customer's name and a clear reason you are writing
- Keep it short and put one clear action in it
- Add a quick-reply button so replying takes one tap
- Only message people who agreed to hear from you
Try it on your own number
Start a 14-day free trial of WatMark, or ask the team a question on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I send a template to anyone?
- Only to people who have opted in to hear from your business. Messaging people who did not agree harms your quality rating and can limit your sending.
- Where can I see example templates?
- WatMark's template examples page shows sample templates by use case that you can adapt.
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