WhatsApp templates — how to get one approved first time

On the Cloud API, any message you initiate — meaning the customer has not written to you in the last 24 hours — must be a template Meta approved beforehand. That is not bureaucracy; it is what stops WhatsApp turning into a spam market.

Inside the 24-hour window you are free to write whatever you like, with no template.

When you create a template you choose its category, and that category is what Meta bills you by. The gap is large:

Utility

Tied to an existing transaction: order confirmation, shipping update, appointment reminder. The cheapest.

Authentication

One-time codes only. Roughly the same price as Utility.

Marketing

Anything promotional. The most expensive by a wide margin — around 18×.

If your template relates to a real transaction, categorise it Utility. Filing an order confirmation as Marketing multiplies your invoice for no benefit whatsoever.

Meta templates use positional variables: `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`. Order is what binds a value to a slot.

• A template cannot start or end with a variable — there must be text around it.
• Two variables cannot sit next to each other with nothing between them.
• You must supply an example for each variable at creation time, and the example must be realistic.

• Promotional content in a template filed as Utility. Meta reads the content; it does not take the category on trust.
• Variables at the very start or very end of the text.
• Unrealistic examples like `{{1}} = xxx` — Meta rejects those.
• Frequent spelling errors, or text that does not parse.
• Exaggerated promises or medical claims.
• Asking for sensitive data such as passwords or card details.

• Write the template in Settings → Templates.
• Pick the right category the first time — changing it later needs a fresh review.
• Submit it to Meta and wait. Review is usually minutes to hours.
• If it is rejected, read Meta’s stated reason — it is usually specific.
• Run "Sync from Meta" so the status here matches the status there.