How to work with WABA templates in chats

Knowledge Base

Knowledge Base

How to work with WABA templates in chats

When a WhatsApp Business API (WABA) template passes moderation, it can be sent to customers.

Contents

When to send a WABA template
How to send a WABA template
How to fill in variables
How to send out templates automatically

When to send a WABA template

WABA templates are used to send the first message. But it's not just about the very first message to a new customer.

Sending a first message via a WABA channel means sending a message outside the customer service window.

Customer service window is a 24-hour session that starts when you receive an incoming message. If you haven't received any incoming messages from a contact in the last 24 hours, you don't have an open customer service window.

To send a message outside the customer service window, you need a WABA template. Sending a regular message is not allowed.

If you send a customer a WABA template and they don't reply, the customer service window will not open. WABA templates are the only way to reach a customer until they send you an incoming message.

A WABA template is required to message a customer who hasn't sent any incoming messages in the last 24 hours

After receiving an incoming message, you can send both regular messages and templates for 24 hours.

How to send a WABA template

Important to know before sending a template

Sending a template will result in a charge to your balance. This includes universal templates, which we automatically submit for approval.

There are a couple of exceptions, but they only apply within an active customer service window:

Utility templates (like alerts, reminders, and customer inquiries) are free when sent within an active customer service window;
Here's a feature of our service: WABA templates containing only text or text with quick reply buttons, regardless of their category, are also free. We send them as regular messages, so Meta doesn't charge for the template.

The cost depends on the template category. To see which category a template belongs to, go to "Templates" → WABA Templates → click the "pencil" icon next to the desired template.

To send a WABA template from Wazzup chat, go to the dialog and select a template from the list by pressing the "/" button.

If there are variables in the template, fill in the fields — otherwise you will not be able to send the template. If you want to leave the variable field empty, put a space.

You can also start a correspondence with any text: not necessarily one that you have agreed with Facebook. To do this, type a message and send it — it will leave with an empty WABA template.

How to fill in variables

Everything is simple — just enter the text. But take into account the features that affect the view of the message in the chat.

Variables are needed to tailor the message to different clients. They are not designed for a large amount of text, so variables cannot be indented. This means that it will not be possible to make a large text convenient for the client.

If you add hyphens or tab characters, they will disappear after the template is sent. Therefore, it is better to make the text in variables shorter, and after the client's response, send the expanded text in regular messages.

How to send out templates automatically

WABA templates can be sent out automatically, but it is important not to bore the client. If he considers the message to be spam, he can complain about it. If there are many complaints from different clients about one message, Meta will block your template.

To send out the template, you will need CRM tools: Salesbot in Kommo and Business Processes or Robots in Bitrix24.

👉 Kommo: how to send a WABA template via Salesbot

👉 Bitrix24: how to send a WABA template via Business Processes

👉 Bitrix24: how to send a WABA template via Robot