Message template
A message template is a pre-approved WhatsApp message a business may send outside the 24-hour window. Meta reviews the wording once; the business then sends it any number of times with the variables — a name, an order number, a date — filled in per customer.
On this page
The parts
- A header (optional): a line of text, an image, a video or a document.
- A body: up to 1,024 characters with {{1}}, {{2}}… as the variables.
- A footer (optional): a short fixed line, often the opt-out instruction.
- Buttons (optional): quick replies, a website link, a phone call, or a copy-code button.
Categories and price
Utility (an update about something the customer already has: ₹0.115 in India), marketing (₹0.86) and authentication (a one-time code: ₹0.115). Meta assigns the category from the wording and will recategorise a 'utility' template that reads as a promotion.
Review
Usually minutes, sometimes a day. The common refusals: a variable at the very start or end, variables out of order, a footer with a variable, promotional wording in a utility template, and a name that is not lowercase letters, numbers and underscores.
What is a WhatsApp message template?
A message Meta approved in advance so a business can send it outside the 24-hour window: fixed wording with numbered variables, in one of three categories — utility, marketing or authentication.
How much does a template message cost in India?
₹0.115 for utility or authentication and ₹0.8631 for marketing, per delivered message before GST, on Meta's published rate. Creating and submitting a template is free.
How long does template approval take?
Usually minutes to a few hours, sometimes up to a day. A rejected template names the reason and can be edited and resubmitted; the approval guide lists what Meta refuses.
Can I send a template inside the 24-hour window?
Yes. A utility template inside the window has been charged at the utility rate since 1 October 2026 (free before); a marketing template is charged wherever it is sent and needs the customer's opt-in.
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Nearby terms
See it in a product. Linkubit answers, qualifies and quotes on WhatsApp from your catalogue, and adds nothing to Meta’s per-message price. Start free — fourteen days of Pro, no card — or read the pricing.
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