# WhatsApp template messages: categories, approval and examples > What WhatsApp template messages are, the marketing, utility and authentication categories, how Meta approves them, the limits, and examples that pass review. Canonical: https://heykiko.io/blog/whatsapp-template-messages Last updated: 2026-11-05 WhatsApp guides · by The HeyKiko team · published 5 November 2026 · 8 min read A WhatsApp template message is a message a business writes in advance and Meta approves, and it's the only kind of message a business can send outside the 24-hour customer service window. Each template is marketing, utility or authentication, which decides its price; Meta reviews it, usually within 24 hours, and can move it to another category later if the content doesn't fit. ## When you need a template - To message someone who hasn't written to you in the last 24 hours: a booking reminder, an order update, a follow-up after a quote. - To start a conversation with many people at once, such as an offer to customers who opted in. - To send a one-time code for signing in. Inside the 24-hour window you don't need one: any reply, including an AI agent's, is a normal message. See [the WhatsApp 24-hour window, explained](https://heykiko.io/blog/whatsapp-24-hour-window). ## The three categories WhatsApp template categories, what each is for and an example | Category | What it's for | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | Utility | Something the customer did or asked for: an order, a booking, their account | “Your appointment on Tue 12 Nov at 3:00 PM is confirmed. Reply here to change it.” | | Marketing | Anything promotional: offers, news, invitations, and anything unclear | “20% off all sofas this weekend. Reply to book a showroom visit.” | | Authentication | One-time passcodes to sign in, with a copy-code button; no links, media or emojis | “123456 is your verification code.” | Meta prices each category differently and by the customer's country, and marketing usually costs the most. [Meta: template categorization](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-categorization) · [Meta: pricing](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing) > A template that mixes the two, such as an order update with a discount added, counts as marketing. Keep updates and offers in separate templates. ## What a template can contain Parts of a WhatsApp template and Meta's limits for each | Part | Limit | | --- | --- | | Header (optional) | Text up to 60 characters, or an image, video or document | | Body (required) | Up to 1,024 characters, with variables such as the customer's name | | Footer (optional) | Up to 60 characters | | Buttons (optional) | Up to 10 in all: quick replies, up to 2 website links, 1 phone number, 1 copy-code | Variables are written as {{1}} or {{customer_name}} and filled in when you send. Meta asks for an example value for each when you submit, so reviewers can see what a real message looks like. [Meta: template components](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/message-templates/components) ## How approval works 1. **Write it**: A name in lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, a language, a category, and the parts above. 2. **Submit it**: Meta reviews it, usually within 24 hours. Only an approved template can be sent. 3. **Fix and resubmit if rejected**: Common causes are promotional wording in a utility template, missing variable examples, and content against WhatsApp's policies. 4. **Watch its quality**: Meta rates each template from how it's used and how customers react. A template rated low can be paused or disabled, typically after repeated negative feedback or few people reading it. Meta also re-checks approved templates. A utility template that reads as marketing can be moved to marketing, normally with a day's notice, and you have 60 days to ask for a review. [Meta: message templates](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/message-templates) ## How many templates you can have - 250 templates per WhatsApp account while your business isn't verified. - Up to 6,000 once your business is verified and its display name approved. - No more than 100 new templates an hour. One template can have versions in several languages under the same name. ## Templates that pass review, and work - Lead with the reason you're writing: the booking, the order, the account. - Keep utility templates free of offers, discounts and “check out our new…”. - Give every variable a realistic example. - Add a quick-reply button, so the customer can answer with a tap, and your AI agent can take it from there. - Send marketing only to people who opted in, and not too often: low engagement lowers a template's quality rating. ## In HeyKiko You write WhatsApp templates in HeyKiko with a text, image, video or document header, a body with variables, a footer and quick-reply, link or phone buttons, submit them to Meta from there and send yourself a test. When a customer replies to a template, the reply goes to your agent, who carries on the conversation inside the new 24-hour window. > HeyKiko doesn't support authentication templates or carousels: for one-time codes, use your sign-in provider. See the [WhatsApp AI chatbot](https://heykiko.io/channels/whatsapp-ai-chatbot), or try HeyKiko free for 14 days. ## Sources Checked on 5 November 2026. We make HeyKiko, which this guide uses as its example; Meta’s rules apply to every tool. - [Meta: message templates](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/message-templates) - [Meta: template components](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/business-management-api/message-templates/components) - [Meta: template categorization](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-categorization) - [Meta: WhatsApp Business Platform pricing](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/pricing) ## Questions people ask ### What is a WhatsApp template message? A message a business writes in advance and Meta approves. It's the only kind of message a business can send to a customer outside the 24-hour customer service window. ### What are the WhatsApp template categories? Marketing (offers and anything promotional), utility (updates about something the customer did or asked for) and authentication (one-time passcodes). Each is priced differently, by the customer's country. ### How long does WhatsApp template approval take? Meta's review can take up to 24 hours. Only approved templates can be sent. ### Why was my utility template changed to marketing? Meta re-checks approved templates, and one with promotional or unclear content is treated as marketing. You normally get a day's notice and have 60 days to request a review. ### How many WhatsApp templates can a business have? 250 per WhatsApp account while the business isn't verified, and up to 6,000 once it's verified with an approved display name. ### Can I add buttons to a WhatsApp template? Yes, up to 10 in all: quick replies, up to two website links, one phone number and one copy-code button. ### Do I need a template to reply to a customer? Not within 24 hours of their last message: any reply works then. You need a template only to message them after the window has closed, or to start a conversation. ## Related - [The WhatsApp 24-hour window, explained](https://heykiko.io/blog/whatsapp-24-hour-window) - [WhatsApp API cost calculator](https://heykiko.io/tools/whatsapp-api-cost-calculator) - [WhatsApp Business app vs API](https://heykiko.io/blog/whatsapp-business-app-vs-api) - [WhatsApp AI chatbot](https://heykiko.io/channels/whatsapp-ai-chatbot) - [All guides](https://heykiko.io/blog)