WhatsApp message templates explained: categories, approval and avoiding rejection
Template messages are how you start conversations with customers. Get the category right, follow the formatting rules, and you will sail through Meta review instead of getting rejected.
WaDesk Team
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May 31, 2026
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1 min read
Outside the 24-hour customer service window, you can only message customers with a pre-approved template. Templates are reviewed by Meta, so quality matters.
The three categories
- Marketing — promotions, offers, announcements.
- Utility — order updates, receipts, appointment reminders.
- Authentication — one-time passcodes.
Picking the wrong category is the #1 reason for rejection. An order update is utility, not marketing.
Rules that get templates rejected
- Placeholder abuse — starting or ending with a
{{1}}variable, or two variables in a row. - Spammy language — "guaranteed", "100%", "act now".
- Broken or shortened URLs and grammatical errors.
Tips to pass first time
Write like a human, add sample values for every variable, and keep marketing opt-out friendly. WaDesk lints templates before you submit so you catch these issues before Meta does.
#message templates
#approval
#ban prevention