How to Create a WhatsApp Message Template (Step-by-Step, 2026)

A WhatsApp message template is a pre-written message that Meta reviews and approves before you can use it to start a conversation. Any time your business messages a customer who has not messaged you in the last 24 hours — a campaign, an order update, an OTP — it must be a template. Free-form text only works inside an open 24-hour service window after the customer writes to you.

Templates exist so that business-initiated messaging stays high quality and low spam. They support variables (the customer's name, an order ID, a tracking link), rich headers, quick-reply and call-to-action buttons, and they are reusable across thousands of contacts. This guide shows exactly how to build one that passes review the first time. For ready-made wording you can adapt, keep our WhatsApp template examples for India open in another tab.

Every template belongs to exactly one of three categories. Meta classifies it on submission, the category sets the price, and choosing wrong is the most common cause of rejection or surprise costs.

1. Marketing — promotions, offers, newsletters, re-engagement, product launches. The most expensive category (India ₹0.86 + PayPerWA ₹0.20).
2. Utility — transactional updates tied to a specific action: order confirmations, shipping updates, payment receipts, appointment reminders. Cheap (India ₹0.13 + PayPerWA ₹0.20).
3. Authentication — one-time passcodes and verification codes only. Cheap, with a fixed verification format.

Do not disguise a promotion as a Utility message to save money — Meta auto-reclassifies templates based on their actual content, so a "reminder" full of discount language will be re-priced as Marketing anyway. Match the category honestly to what the message does. See the full category pricing on our rates page.

The template name is an internal identifier, not something the customer sees, but Meta enforces a strict format.

1. Use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores only — for example, order_confirmation_v1. No spaces or capitals.
2. Make it descriptive so you can find it later among dozens of templates.
3. Choose the language (for example, English, Hindi, or English (India)). Each language is a separate approved version, so create one per language you send in.

In PayPerWA you do all of this in the template builder under Templates then New, with a live preview showing exactly how the message will look on a phone as you type.

A template is built from up to four parts. Only the body is mandatory; the rest are optional but powerful.

A simple order update might be just a body. A promotional offer often uses an image header, a body with the customer's name, a footer with "Reply STOP to opt out", and a "Shop now" URL button.

Variables are placeholders that get filled in per recipient. They make one template feel personal to thousands of people.

1. Insert variables in order as double curly braces: the first is the digit 1 in double braces, then 2, and so on.
2. Map each variable to a contact field — name, order ID, amount, date — so PayPerWA fills it automatically at send time.
3. Keep the message clear and specific. Vague, all-promo wording invites rejection.

Example body: Hi (variable 1), your order (variable 2) has been shipped and will arrive by (variable 3). Track it using the button below. Here variable 1 is the name, 2 is the order ID, and 3 is the delivery date. Do not start or end the body with a variable, and never place two variables next to each other with no text between them — Meta rejects both patterns.

These extras lift response rates and look more professional. Use them deliberately.

1. Header: add a short text title, or upload a sample image/video/PDF. Media headers are great for product launches and invoices.
2. Footer: a quiet line for context or compliance, such as your brand name or an opt-out hint. No variables allowed here.
3. Quick-reply buttons: let customers tap a canned response (for example, "Confirm", "Reschedule") that flows back into your chatbot.
4. Call-to-action buttons: a "Visit website" URL button (it can include a variable for a personalised link) or a "Call us" phone button.

If you wire quick-reply buttons into an automated flow, our features page shows how PayPerWA's chatbot picks up the tap and continues the conversation.

Meta will not approve a template with empty or nonsensical variable examples. The sample values you supply are how the reviewer understands what each placeholder represents.

1. For every variable, enter a realistic example: a real-looking name like "Rahul", an order ID like "OD20394", a date like "24 June".
2. For a media header, upload an actual sample asset (the real image or PDF type you will send).
3. For a URL button with a variable, give a complete, working example link.
4. Never use placeholders like "xxx", "test", or "123" — these are a frequent rejection trigger.

Good samples make the reviewer's job obvious and dramatically raise your first-pass approval rate. PayPerWA's builder prompts you for each sample inline so none are missed.

With the content and samples done, submit.

1. Click Submit. PayPerWA sends the template to Meta for review.
2. The status moves to Pending. Approval commonly takes anywhere from a few minutes to 24–48 hours.
3. When it flips to Approved, the template is instantly usable in campaigns and the API.
4. If it comes back Rejected, Meta gives a reason. Edit and resubmit — there is no penalty for trying again.

You can monitor every template's status from the Templates list. Approved templates also appear automatically in the campaign wizard's template picker.

Almost every rejection traces back to one of these. Check them before you submit.

One more 2026 note: you cannot change the category of an already-approved template, and Meta may auto-reclassify a template over time if its real-world use drifts. If you need a different category, create a fresh template instead of editing the old one.

Creating and submitting templates is free. You only pay when you send, and the price depends on the template's category. PayPerWA always shows Meta's fee and our fee separately:

1. Marketing template: Meta ₹0.86 + PayPerWA ₹0.20 = ₹1.06 in India.
2. Utility template: Meta ₹0.13 + PayPerWA ₹0.20 = ₹0.33 in India.
3. Authentication template: Meta's auth rate + PayPerWA ₹0.20.

Internationally the Meta rate varies by country — see the live numbers on our rates page and the headline model on pricing. Because there is no subscription, a business that sends only the occasional Utility update pays almost nothing. Ready to build your first one? Create a free account and open the template builder.