Template Review & Approval
Approval Criteria
WhatsApp may reject a template if any of the following apply:
Invalid format: missing, misplaced, or malformed placeholders.
Policy violations: content conflicts with WhatsApp Terms/Business/Commerce policies.
Too generic: lacks context or looks like it could be misused.
Template Statuses
Pending — Under automated review and/or manual review (may take up to 48 hours).
Approved — Ready to use; messages can be sent to customers.
Rejected — Not approved during review (see common fixes below).
Paused — Temporarily halted due to negative user feedback (e.g., blocks/spam reports); cannot be used while paused.
Disabled — Permanently blocked due to repeated negative feedback or a policy violation; cannot be used.
Common Rejection Reasons & How to Fix
Variable at the very start or end of the message
Add static text or punctuation before/after the variable
Adjacent variables (e.g., {{1}}{{2}})
Add at least one word/symbol between them, or merge into a single variable
Non-sequential variable numbers (e.g., {{1}}, {{2}}, {{4}})
Make variables sequential ({{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}…)
Duplicates another template (name-only change)
Change both the name and the message content
Contains gaming/gambling language (e.g., “raffle”, “win a prize”)
Replace with neutral wording that avoids gaming/gambling terms
Overly vague (e.g., “Hi, {{1}}, thanks”)
Add clear context and purpose so reviewers see intended use
Language doesn’t match content
Select the correct language for the message text
More than 10 emojis
Reduce emojis to 10 or fewer
Template Categorization (pick the correct type)
See Meta’s guidelines: New Template Guidelines
Utility
Service/transactional updates the user expects.
Examples:
“Your order #{{1}} was delivered on {{2}}.”
“Your appointment on {{1}} at {{2}} is confirmed.”
“Payment {{1}} received. View receipt: {{2}}.”
Authentication
Messages that deliver one-time passcodes.
Examples:
“Your verification code is {{1}}. It expires in {{2}} minutes.”
“Use {{1}} to confirm your login on {{2}}.”
Marketing
Promotional or engagement messages intended to drive action (offers, new products, win-backs, reminders to complete a purchase).
Examples
“New offer: {{1}} off {{2}}. Shop now: {{3}}.”
“Back in stock: {{1}}. Tap to buy: {{2}}.”
“You left {{1}} in your cart. Complete your order: {{2}}.”
“Exclusive launch for you, {{1}}. Learn more: {{2}}.”
Best practices
Obtain user opt-in before sending marketing messages. Facebook Developers
Consider adding an opt-out quick reply (e.g., “Stop promotions”) to reduce spam reports and keep quality high. (Some platforms expose a “marketing opt-out” option in the template builder.)
Meta may apply per-user marketing template limits and different pricing/handling vs. Utility/Auth.
Tip: Keep variables only for the parts that truly change (names, times, codes, order IDs). Avoid starting or ending the message with a variable, avoid fully dynamic URLs, and always include realistic sample values when submitting.
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