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Meta requires businesses to use pre-approved message templates whenever they want to start a conversation with a customer, or message someone after the 24-hour customer service window has closed. This rule exists to prevent businesses from spamming users.

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Why templates exist

Without templates, a business could send any message to any customer at any time — for example: “Hello Rahul, buy our product for ₹1000” — to thousands of people who never asked for it. This is spam. Meta prevents this by requiring that:
  1. Any message a business initiates (sends first, with no prior customer message) must use a pre-approved template.
  2. Any message sent after the 24-hour window has closed must use a pre-approved template.
Meta reviews and approves each template before it can be used. If a template looks promotional when it shouldn’t be, or violates WhatsApp’s policies, Meta rejects it.

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How the flow works

Think of a template as getting the customer’s permission before starting a real conversation.

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What needs Meta approval

  • Every template must be submitted through the Meta dashboard and approved before it can be sent.
  • Approval typically takes a few minutes to 24 hours.
  • Once approved, the template can be sent to any customer.
See The 24-hour customer service window for how the window interacts with templates.

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Template approval overview

Overview of how WhatsApp template messages work — the approval flow and when templates are required.

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Frequently asked

WhatsApp only allows free-form messages inside the 24-hour window after a customer has messaged you. Outside that window, or to start a conversation, you must use a Meta-approved template. This prevents spam.
Meta reviews templates to ensure businesses are not spamming users. Unapproved messages cannot be sent as templates — they will be rejected.
A 24-hour customer service window opens. During this window you can send any message type — text, image, document, buttons — without using a template.
Yes — approved templates can be sent to any customer at any time, even without a prior conversation. This is the main advantage of templates.

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Gotchas & common mistakes

  • Sending free text outside the 24h window — fails every time. Always use a template to re-engage a customer after the window closes.
  • Thinking approval is instant — Meta approval usually takes minutes but can take up to 24 hours. Plan ahead before a campaign.
  • Creating a template for every message — templates are only needed for business-initiated messages or after the window closes. Inside the window, you can send anything freely.