Creating a WhatsApp template for the first time might seem complex, especially with all the restrictions and requirements introduced by Meta (the company owner of WhatsApp). These tips will help you fully understand the specifics of WhatsApp templates and how to adjust them to fulfil your communication goals within their strict rules.
WhatsApp message templates categories
The message templates you create must fall into the following categories:
Marketing
- Welcome message: start the conversation
- Promotional messages: all kinds of discounts, special offers, and alike
- Customer engagement: contests, surveys, and other interactive content
- Product launch: information about new products, services, or offers available
Utility
- Issue resolution: respond to questions, issues or information customers need from you.
- Auto-reply: send automatic messages, e.g. during your holidays or outside of work hours.
- Account update: give customers updates about changes to their accounts.
- Alert update: send notifications on order updates or delivery services.
- Payment update: confirm that payments were successfully processed.
- Personal finance update: message customers on personal finance queries.
- Appointment update: send appointment reminders and confirmations.
- Reservation update: keep customers up to date with their bookings or reservations.
- Shipping update: send shipping notifications on new purchases or orders.
- Transportation update: inform customers on transportation related tickets.
- Ticket update: confirm and send ticketing update status.
Authentication
Authentication templates are used for sending verification codes; the message content is pre-defined by WhatsApp.
Best practices for writing WhatsApp templates
Following these basic guidelines will increase the chances of WhatsApp approving your templates:
- Write as short template text as possible to get the necessary information across.
- Avoid grammatical or spelling mistakes, which are associated with spam and can result in rejection of your template.
- Select the message type corresponding to your template's goal and pick the right language.
- Once your template is submitted and approved, make sure you replace placeholder(s) with actual values.
Additional tips
- Make sure customers understand why they received your message. Remind them how you got permission for sending sending messages their way:
Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} placed on {{3}} has shipped. Get a tracking update anytime by replying TRACK.
- Avoid sending surveys or using the word "survey"; it is frequently associated with spam. Instead, you can ask for feedback.
- To avoid starting your template with a placeholder, lead with an introduction for the recipient and end with closing or descriptive text after the final placeholder:
Hello {{1}}, This is a message about {{2}}. Thank you.
- Get a peer review of your template text: coworkers can help you spot areas to improve or avoid mistakes.
- Think about a message template as a conversation starter that turns into a two-way communication by having the user reply.
Restrictions in WhatsApp templates and messaging
Forbidden business areas
WhatsApp rejects templates associated with the following business areas:
- adult content
- alcohol
- animal sales, including live animals, livestock, or any parts of animals
- currency
- dating
- defense
- digital subscription and digital content
- drugs or related products
- gambling
- tobacco
- weapons, ammunition, explosives
Forbidden business countries
WhatsApp template messages can't be sent in the following countries:
- Crimea
- Cuba
- Iran
- North Korea
- Syria