Message templates (sometimes called templates) are pre-written messages you can send to your customers even outside the 24h window. They must be approved by Meta before being usable.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.sendocki.io/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Why templates?
WhatsApp imposes a rule: to write to a customer who hasn’t talked to you in the last 24 hours, you must use a template previously validated by Meta. That’s what allows you to send:- An automatic order confirmation
- A shipping follow-up when the parcel leaves
- A payment reminder for a pending COD
- A reminder for an abandoned cart
The 3 Meta categories
When you create a template, you choose its category:| Category | For what | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | Order tracking, service info | ”Your order is shipped”, “Driver on the way” |
| Marketing | Promotions, offers, re-engagement | ”-20% today on bag X” |
| Authentication | Verification codes | ”Your login code: 123456” |
Meta is stricter on the Marketing category (longer validation, more rejections). For your status notifications (confirmation, shipping, delivery), stick with Utility.
Create a template
Fill in basic info
- Internal name: to find it in Sendocki (e.g. “COD order confirmation”)
- Meta name: technical name submitted to Meta (lowercase letters, underscores)
- Category: Utility / Marketing / Authentication
- Language: French, English, Arabic…
Choose the template type
- Text: just text (fastest to validate)
- Media: with an image, video or document in the header
- Carousel: several scrolling cards (for product catalog)
Write the content
The message body can contain variables: You’ll indicate what data to use for these variables when sending the message (customer name, order number, amount…).
{{1}}, {{2}}, etc.Example:Add buttons (optional)
You can add up to 3 buttons:
- Quick reply: customer replies in one click (e.g. “Confirm”, “Cancel”)
- Link: opens a URL (e.g. tracking page)
- Call: dials your number
Track Meta validation
After submission, the template takes one of these statuses:| Status | What it means | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Meta is examining the template | Wait (a few hours to 48h max) |
| Approved | You can use it immediately | None |
| Rejected | Meta rejected the template | See reason, correct, resubmit |
Use an approved template
Once approved, a template can be:Sent manually
From a conversation, click “Insert a template” and fill in the variables
Triggered automatically
Configured on a pipeline stage to go out on its own (e.g. “Shipped” → message)
Used in a campaign
Sent to a customer segment (coming soon)
Reused in several automations
A same template can serve several triggers
Best practices
- ✅ Start simple: a text template without button is validated faster than a carousel with links
- ✅ Personalize with variables (
{{name}},{{order_number}}) to avoid the generic side - ✅ Stay in Utility for service notifications (faster validation)
- ✅ Test before automation: send manually to your own number
- ❌ Avoid exotic emojis and SHOUTING (all caps)
- ❌ Avoid aggressive commercial promises in Utility category (will be reclassified as Marketing by Meta)
Frequently asked questions
How long does Meta validation take?
How long does Meta validation take?
Generally a few hours, up to 48h max. Simple text templates often pass in less than 1h.
Can I modify an already-approved template?
Can I modify an already-approved template?
Yes, but any modification puts the template back into validation. As long as it’s not re-approved, the old version remains usable.
How many templates can I create?
How many templates can I create?
Meta allows several hundred templates per WhatsApp Business account. You’ll be very far from the limit for normal use.
Are my templates approved elsewhere (Meta Business Suite) usable?
Are my templates approved elsewhere (Meta Business Suite) usable?
Yes — Sendocki automatically syncs templates already approved on your WhatsApp Business account.
What’s next?
Content library
Store your reusable images, videos and documents
Template Automation
Automatically trigger a template at each pipeline stage