A WhatsApp template is the message Meta approves so you can start conversations and send campaigns. Write it once, send it for review and use it in any campaign once approved, usually within 24 hours.
Who it's for: any panel user with write permission (the Collaborator and Developer roles can only view). Screen: https://micuenta.whatsmarketing.es/whatsapp/plantillas/nueva
Before you start
- A connected WhatsApp number: templates belong to your WhatsApp Business account (Account → WhatsApp).
- Decide the category before writing: Marketing (offers, news, commercial reminders; requires consent and a way to opt out), Utility (confirmations, order notices, appointments, instalments; no promotion and cheaper) or Authentication (one-time codes; Meta dictates the format).
- If a utility template's text includes an offer, Meta changes it to marketing or rejects it.
- Have a real example for each variable: Meta requires it for review.
Steps
- Go to Account → WhatsApp → Templates and click "+ New template" («+ Nueva plantilla»).
- Type the "Internal name" («Nombre interno») (lowercase letters, numbers and underscores only, for example lanzamiento_marzo_v2; the customer never sees it), choose the "Language" («Idioma») and, if you want, an "Internal title" («Título interno») to recognize it in the list.
- Choose the category: "Marketing" («Marketing»), "Utility" («Utilidad») or "Authentication" («Autenticación»).
- Write the "Body" («Cuerpo») (up to 1,024 characters). To personalize, click "+ variable {{n}}" («+ variable {{n}}»): variables are numbered consecutively ({{1}}, {{2}}…) and the text can't start or end with one.
- Fill in "Example for {{n}}" («Ejemplo de {{n}}») for each variable (for example "Diego", "Runner Azul").
- In marketing, include in the text itself how to stop receiving messages (for example "Reply STOP to receive no more offers"). Avoid runs of capital letters and repeated characters: Meta treats them as spam.
- Check the "Before sending to Meta" («Antes de enviar a Meta») list: every check must be green. You can "Save draft" («Guardar borrador») to continue later.
- Click "Send to Meta for approval" («Enviar a Meta para aprobar»).
What you see when you're done
- The notice "Sent to Meta." («Enviada a Meta.») with the text "is under review. Meta usually replies in under 24 hours; we'll notify you through the bell and by email" («está en revisión. Meta suele responder en menos de 24 horas; te avisamos por la campana y por correo»). While Meta reviews it you can't edit it, but you can prepare the campaign and leave it ready.
- In the Templates list, each one's status: "Draft" («Borrador»), "Under review" («En revisión»), "Approved" («Aprobada»), "Rejected" («Rechazada») or "Paused by Meta" («Pausada por Meta»). At the top, the counts for Approved, Under review, Rejected and Paused by Meta.
- When Meta approves it, the row shows "Approved" and the "Use in campaign" («Usar en campaña») action. An approved template can't be edited: to change the text, create another one with a new name.
- If Meta pauses a template for low quality, it reactivates on its own when quality improves.
- The image header, the footer and the buttons (up to 3) arrive in an upcoming release; in the meantime, put the opt-out in the text itself.
If something goes wrong
- The "Send to Meta for approval" button is disabled: a check in "Before sending to Meta" is still red. Possible causes: a name with capital letters, spaces or hyphens; an empty body or one over 1,024 characters; non-consecutive variables; a missing example for a variable; the body starts or ends with a variable; in marketing, no way to opt out is given.
- "A template with that name already exists in that language. Change the name, for example by adding _v2." («Ya existe una plantilla con ese nombre en ese idioma. Cambia el nombre, por ejemplo añadiendo _v2.»): the name is already used in that language.
- "Connect your WhatsApp first: templates belong to an account." («Conecta primero tu WhatsApp: las plantillas pertenecen a una cuenta.») or the "Connect your WhatsApp to create templates" («Conecta tu WhatsApp para crear plantillas») screen: connect your number (see the tutorial on connecting your number).
- "Only drafts and rejected templates can be edited. To change an approved one, create another with a new name." («Solo se pueden editar borradores y plantillas rechazadas. Para cambiar una aprobada, crea otra con nombre nuevo.»): create a new template with a different name.
- "That template was already sent to Meta." («Esa plantilla ya fue enviada a Meta.»): it's already under review; wait for the reply.
- "Couldn't send to Meta." («No se pudo enviar a Meta.»): the draft was saved; fix what the message indicates and click "Send to Meta for approval" again.
- Meta rejected the template ("Meta rejected «{name}»" («Meta rechazó «{nombre}»») with Meta's reason): open the template, read "What went wrong and how to fix it" («Qué falló y cómo arreglarlo»), click "Edit mine and resubmit" («Editar la mía y reenviar»), fix it and send it again. The most frequent causes: a missing example for a variable, repeated capitals or emojis, marketing with no way to opt out, a category that doesn't match the text, or confusing text. You can keep the name; if Meta rejects it several times with the same text, change it to "{name}_v2" («{nombre}_v2»).
- Meta didn't send the reason for the rejection: follow the list of fixes on the screen itself and resubmit.
- It has been "Under review" for more than 48 hours: that's unusual; in Account → WhatsApp → Templates the status updates on its own as soon as Meta replies.
When to ask 24/7 Support for help
If Meta rejects the same template three times after you've fixed it following the list, if a template has been under review for more than 48 hours, or if an approved template shows "Paused by Meta" for more than a week. 24/7 Support: https://whatsappmarketing.zendesk.com/hc/es