Message templates and Meta approval

A message template is a message format that Meta has reviewed and approved. WhatsApp requires one whenever a business writes to someone who has not messaged it in the last 24 hours, such as a fee reminder to a parent who has not written recently. You create templates in the School ERP's WhatsApp desk, and Meta reviews them.

Before you start#

• The Business API is connected. See Connect your school's WhatsApp number.
• Your role can update Communication.

Meta's template categories, in plain words#

Choose honestly. Meta checks the category, may change it, and applies different rules and charges to marketing messages. People can also block or report marketing messages more easily.

Create a template#

1. Open Communication and go to the WhatsApp panel.
2. Select Message templates at the top of the chat list (or open the Menu and choose Message templates).
3. Select Manage, then New template.
4. Fill in:
   • Name (lowercase, underscores), for example fee_reminder.
   • Language: English (en), English (US), Hindi (hi) or English (UK).
   • Category: Utility or Marketing.
   • Body: the text, with {{1}}, {{2}} and so on for the parts that change.
   • Example values: one per line, in order, for each variable. Meta reviews the template with these.
   • Footer (optional).
5. Select Submit to Meta.

An example body:

Dear {{1}}, the fee of ₹{{2}} for {{3}} is due on {{4}}. Kindly pay at the school office or through the parent portal. - Sunrise Public School

Meta's review can take from a few minutes to a day. Select Refresh in the templates panel to see the latest status. Each template shows its status, language, category and number of variables.

Tips for approval#

• Write the full sentence around the variables. Do not start or end the body with a variable.
• Give realistic example values, such as Mr Sharma and 12,500, not test.
• Name the school in the text.
• Do not put promotional wording in a Utility template.

Send a template in a chat#

1. Open the chat. If the window is closed, select Send a template; otherwise use the template button beside the typing box.
2. Choose an approved template.
3. Fill in a value for each variable. The preview shows the finished message.
4. Select Send template.

Set the template for messages outside the window#

When the ERP sends a queued message or a fee reminder to a parent who has not written in the last 24 hours, it uses one approved template that carries the message as its only variable.

1. Create and get approval for a Utility template whose body has exactly one variable, for example Message from Sunrise Public School: {{1}} Reply here if you have a question.
2. Open General Settings › WhatsApp Configuration.
3. Open Advanced API configuration. Change only these two boxes:
   • Template for closed conversations: the template's name, for example school_update.
   • Template language: its language code, for example en.
4. Select Save WhatsApp configuration.

Delete a template#

1. Open Message templates and select Manage.
2. Select Delete on the template and confirm.

Deleting removes the template, in every language, from the school's WhatsApp Business Account.

Troubleshooting#