WhatsApp template builder

Write a WhatsApp Business API template, see it the way your customer will, and check it against Meta's rules before you submit. Copy the result as JSON or a ready curl command.

Your template

Template name

Lowercase with underscores, like order_shipped.

Language

Preview

Your message appears here.

10:24

Checks (7 of 9)

Name uses only lowercase letters, numbers and underscores
Message is between 1 and 1,024 characters (0)
Variables are numbered {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}} with no gaps
Message does not start or end with a variable
No two variables side by side
Every variable has a sample value for Meta's review
Header is up to 60 characters, with at most one variable
Footer is up to 60 characters, with no variables
Buttons: up to 10, at most 2 website and 1 phone, labels up to 25 characters

Passing these avoids the most common rejections. Meta still reviews the wording, and marketing language in a utility template gets it moved to marketing.

For the API

{
  "name": "template_name",
  "language": "en",
  "category": "MARKETING",
  "components": [
    {
      "type": "BODY",
      "text": ""
    }
  ]
}

How to use it

1
Write the template
Pick a category and language, then add a header, your message with variables, a footer and buttons.
2
Fix what the checks flag
Each rule turns green when it passes. Add sample values for every variable.
3
Submit it to Meta
Paste the text into WhatsApp Manager, or send the JSON to the Graph API.

What is a WhatsApp template?

On the WhatsApp Business API, you can reply to a customer without a template for 24 hours after they last wrote to you. Outside that window, or to start a conversation, you must send a template: a message Meta has reviewed and approved in advance.

Templates come in three categories, and Meta charges a different rate for each:

Marketing: offers, announcements, reminders to buy. The most expensive.
Utility: updates about something the customer did, like an order, booking or payment.
Authentication: one-time passcodes, with fixed wording from Meta.

See what each costs in your country with the pricing calculator.

How to get it approved

Pick the honest category. A utility template with a discount in it gets moved to marketing.
Give variables real context. "Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has shipped" passes. A message that is mostly variables does not.
Add realistic samples. Reviewers read the sample values, so make them look like the real thing.
No variable at the very start or end of the message.
Make it easy to stop. A footer like "Reply STOP to stop these messages" helps on marketing templates.

Questions

Something else? Ask us.

Does this submit the template to Meta?

No. It writes and checks the template. Submit it in WhatsApp Manager, or send the JSON to the Graph API with your WhatsApp Business Account ID and access token.

How long does template approval take?

Meta reviews most templates within minutes, and some take up to 24 hours. You get the result in WhatsApp Manager and through the API.

What are the length limits?

The message can be up to 1,024 characters, the header and footer up to 60 each, and button labels up to 25. A template can have up to 10 buttons, with at most 2 website buttons.

Can I use named variables like {{first_name}}?

Meta supports named variables through the API too. This builder uses numbered ones, {{1}} and {{2}}, which work everywhere, including WhatsApp Manager.

Can I send templates from ChatGPT or Claude?

Yes, with WhatSync Business. Connect your Business number, and your AI app can submit templates to Meta and send approved ones to customers who opted in. See WhatsApp Business API.

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Create and send templates from your AI

WhatSync Business connects the WhatsApp Business API to ChatGPT, Claude and your own code. Ask your AI to draft a template, submit it, and send it once Meta approves.

WhatsApp Business API What is WhatSync