> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.chatsyncs.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Guidelines for Utility and Marketing Templates in ChatSyncs

> The difference between Marketing, Utility, and Authentication WhatsApp templates — the one-line test for picking the right category, and what happens if you pick wrong.

* Every WhatsApp template you build in ChatSyncs needs a **Template Category**, chosen when you
  create it.
* The category decides [pricing](/learn/chatsyncs-overview/what-whatsapp-api-pricing-really-means-in-chatsyncs), delivery rules, and what content
  is allowed.
* Picking the wrong one is one of the most common reasons a template gets rejected or
  reclassified.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/chatsyncs/ouLOR-saCHwHFKKf/images/learn/whatsapp-message-templates/step-03-mixed-template-builder.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ouLOR-saCHwHFKKf&q=85&s=943d2167e89cffc3256c2cc2585f91c0" alt="Message Template builder showing Template Name, Locale, Header Type, Message Body toolbar, Footer Text, and a live preview panel" width="1276" height="585" data-path="images/learn/whatsapp-message-templates/step-03-mixed-template-builder.png" />
</Frame>

## The one-line test

Ask: **"Does this message benefit the customer, or my business?"**

* Benefits the **customer** (confirms something, updates them, reminds them) → **Utility**
* Benefits **your business** (drives a sale, promotes something, re-engages a cold lead) →
  **Marketing**
* Contains a one-time password or verification code → **Authentication**

If a template mixes both — a shipping update with a discount code tacked on — Meta classifies it
as **Marketing**. A Utility template must be purely non-promotional.

## Marketing

**Purpose:** promote products, services, or offers — drive engagement and sales.

**Examples:**

* *"Exclusive deal! Get 20% off your next purchase. Use code SAVE20 at checkout."*
* *"We miss you! Enjoy free shipping on your next order. Tap below to shop now."*
* *"Join us for our upcoming webinar on WhatsApp automation. Register now!"*

**Key rules:**

* Used for promotional content: discounts, offers, product launches, upselling.
* WhatsApp limits how many marketing templates a single user receives — if they don't engage,
  Meta may stop delivering more (a per-user marketing limit).
* **Error 131049** means a marketing template was blocked because the recipient hit that limit.
  Wait at least 24 hours before retrying.
* Marketing templates are **not delivered to US phone numbers**.
* If a customer replies to a marketing template, that opens the
  [24-hour customer service window](/meta-api/messaging/24-hour-customer-service-window).

## Utility

**Purpose:** transactional notifications sent in response to something the customer already did
or is expecting — a confirmation, a change, or a status update.

**Examples:**

* *"Your order #12345 has been confirmed. You will receive a tracking update soon."*
* *"Your payment of ₹2,500 has been successfully processed. Thank you for your purchase!"*
* *"Reminder: Your appointment with Dr. Sharma is scheduled for March 15 at 10 AM. Reply to
  confirm."*

**Key rules:**

* Must be **non-promotional** — no discounts, offers, upselling, or marketing language.
* Must be specific to the customer's own action, or essential/critical information.
* If Meta detects promotional intent in a Utility template, it **automatically reclassifies it
  as Marketing**, and the higher Marketing pricing applies going forward.
* Supports up to 10 buttons: Call request, Copy code, Phone number, Quick Reply, URL.

**Accepted use cases:** order confirmation, shipping update, payment reminder, account alert,
feedback survey, an emergency notice (outage, fraud alert, health/safety), a privacy policy
update.

<Note>
  These are illustrative examples — Meta may classify a similar-looking message differently
  depending on its exact wording, so treat borderline cases with caution and lean Marketing if in
  doubt.
</Note>

## Authentication

**Purpose:** one-time passwords (OTPs) and verification codes only.

**Examples:**

* *"123456 is your verification code."*
* *"Use 789012 to verify your login."*

**Key rules:**

* Only for OTP-based flows: login verification, account recovery, identity verification,
  security checks, sign-up verification.
* **Only Authentication templates can send OTPs** — never put a verification code in a Marketing
  or Utility template.
* Delivered only to the customer's **primary device**, not a linked/secondary device.
* No header, footer, or URL buttons allowed — body only, containing the code.

## Category comparison

|                       | Marketing      | Utility                    | Authentication  |
| --------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------- | --------------- |
| Purpose               | Promote / sell | Transact / notify          | Verify identity |
| Promotional content   | Yes            | No                         | No              |
| OTP / verification    | No             | No                         | Yes             |
| US number delivery    | No             | Yes                        | Yes             |
| Per-user limit        | Yes            | No                         | No              |
| Auto-reclassification | —              | → Marketing if promotional | —               |

## Why picking wrong matters

Choosing the wrong category is one of the fastest ways to get a template
[rejected](/learn/chatsyncs-message-templates/why-templates-get-rejected-and-how-to-fix-them-in-chatsyncs), and it also changes what the message costs you
every time it's sent — see
[Understanding Conversations and Their Types](/learn/chatsyncs-message-templates/understanding-conversations-and-their-types-in-chatsyncs) for how
category ties directly to conversation pricing.

## Frequently asked

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Is an appointment reminder Utility or Marketing?">
    Utility — it confirms and reminds the customer about something they already scheduled, with
    no promotional content.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I want to send a shipping update AND a discount code in the same template. What category is that?">
    Marketing. Adding any promotional content — a discount, an offer, an upsell — to an
    otherwise transactional message pushes the whole template into Marketing. Send the discount
    as a separate template if you want the shipping update to stay Utility.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What about OTPs — is that Utility?">
    No. One-time passwords and verification codes always need the **Authentication** category —
    never Utility or Marketing.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if I pick Utility but the content is actually promotional?">
    Meta either rejects it or automatically reclassifies it as Marketing, and the higher
    Marketing conversation cost applies going forward.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why aren't my marketing templates being delivered to some customers?">
    Two likely reasons: the recipient is a US phone number (Marketing templates aren't delivered
    there), or they've hit their per-user marketing limit (Error 131049) — wait at least 24
    hours before retrying.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can an Authentication template have a button or image?">
    No — Authentication templates are body-only, containing just the code. No header, footer, or
    URL buttons are allowed.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Warning>
  * **Putting a discount in a Utility template** — Meta reclassifies it as Marketing
    automatically, and the higher price applies.
  * **Sending OTPs in a Utility template** — only Authentication templates can carry OTPs.
  * **Marketing to US numbers** — WhatsApp does not deliver marketing templates to US phone
    numbers. Use Utility or a different channel for US customers.
  * **Ignoring Error 131049** — retrying immediately makes it worse. Wait at least 24 hours.
  * **Authentication on secondary devices** — OTP messages only reach the customer's primary
    device.
</Warning>