WABA template categories

When creating a template, you need to specify a category. It depends on it how much a new correspondence with a client will cost.

There are requirements for templates of each category. If suddenly your message, according to Facebook, fits more into another category, it will be changed.

When checking the status of a template, pay attention to the category. So you’ll notice if Facebook changes it and you’ll know exactly how much it costs to use the template.

Let’s figure out what the template should be in each category.

Marketing

This category includes

1. All Selling Items:

• announcements about promotions and new products;
• personal recommendations;
• brand news etc.

2. General information about the company. For example, address or contacts.

3. Questions and call-to-action templates. Since buttons encourage customers to press something, and questions to answer, such templates usually end up in “Marketing”. Even if it’s not about marketing ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Template examples:

Dear {contactName}! You’ve recently purchased {phoneModel} from us. We are glad to announce that this month you have a 20% discount on the headset and cases!

Thank you for your visit! Rate the work of the master from 1 to 10. In response, send only a number

• For some templates in this category, we recommend adding an unsubscribe button. So the client is less likely to send the template to spam.
• You can send no more than 2 marketing templates in a row during one 24–hour session:

If you send 2 templates in a row and the client never responds, then you will be able to send a new template only in the next session. But if the client responds to you, you can send new templates to the current session.

Alerts, reminders, questions for customers

This is where notifications that you will only send to customers on current transactions fall. For example:

• order status messages;
• payment messages;
• record reminders.

It should be clear from the template that you are communicating with a client on a certain deal, order, or request.

And remember — no call to action. In this category, you can only notify. If you ask for a reaction, click a button or ask a question, the message will most likely be sent to “Marketing”.

One Time Passwords

In this category, only templates with codes for confirming transactions, logging into your account, and so on.

For these templates you need:

• use pre-installed WhatsApp message templates that include disclaimers and code expiration warnings,
• set up a button for copying a one-time password,
• get rid of URL, media and emoji. The maximum code length is 15 characters.

This category is displayed in your account, but we do not currently support it. If you need templates with the OTP category, write to our help desk. So we will know that there is a demand for the category.

It is impossible to say exactly which category the message will fall into.

The category of the active template cannot be changed. But if you don’t agree with Facebook’s decision, you can do this:

1. Change the text and create a new template with it. It will not be possible to approve the same text.

2. Submit this template for moderation with the category you want.

Remove the previous template, in which Facebook changed the category, or leave it just in case. It is not required to use it.