WhatsApp templates

Every WhatsApp message you send is a template: a message format WhatsApp approved in advance, with variables you fill in for each recipient. You need at least one approved template before you can send.

What a template contains#

Formatting such as *bold*, _italic_, and ~strikethrough~ works in the body, as in any WhatsApp chat.

Create a template#

1. Open the template form

   Open Messaging → WhatsApp, go to the Templates tab, and select Create template.

2. Describe the template

   Choose the WhatsApp account of the number that will send it, then enter a Template name, a Category (utility or marketing), and a Language.

3. Write the content

   Write the Body, and optionally a Header and Footer. Select Add variable to insert {{1}}, {{2}}, and so on where a value changes for each recipient. The preview shows the message as customers will see it.

4. Give examples

   Enter a realistic example for each variable, such as Amina for a name or A-1234 for an order number. WhatsApp uses them to review the template; they are never sent.

5. Submit it for review

   Select Submit for review. The template appears with the status Pending until WhatsApp decides.

To add buttons or named variables, create the template in WhatsApp Manager, then select Sync templates to bring it into Nexiom Connect.

Bring in templates from WhatsApp Manager#

Templates you create or edit in WhatsApp Manager appear in Nexiom Connect when you select Sync templates on the Templates tab. Each template keeps its WhatsApp status, and templates deleted in WhatsApp Manager can no longer be sent.

Review and approval#

WhatsApp reviews every new template, and every edit to an existing one. Most reviews take a few minutes; some take up to 24 hours. You don't need to refresh anything: the status changes in the dashboard as soon as WhatsApp decides.

When an approved template is edited in WhatsApp Manager, it can't be sent until WhatsApp approves the new version. Sending a template that is not approved returns 422 with the code whatsapp_template_not_approved.

Get approved the first time#

• Say who you are and why you are writing. "Hi {{1}}, your Acme order {{2}} has shipped" is clear; "Hi {{1}}, check this out" is not.
• Match the category to the content. A shipping update with a discount code is a marketing template.
• Give realistic examples for every variable, never placeholder text like test or xxx.
• Don't start or end the body with a variable, and number variables in order without gaps: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}.
• Avoid too many variables for the amount of text. A body that is mostly variables looks like a way to send free-form messages, and is rejected.
• Don't ask for sensitive data such as full card numbers or passwords.

Template IDs and languages#

Each template name and language pair has its own Template ID, starting with wat_. Find it on the template's page, under Details. You choose the language of a message by choosing the Template ID: order_update in English and in French are two IDs.

A template belongs to one WhatsApp Business Account, so you can only send it from the sender of that account. Sending it from another sender returns 404 with the code whatsapp_template_not_found.

Variables#

When you send, give a value for every variable of the template's header and body, in template.variables.header and template.variables.body. Every value is a string of up to 1,024 characters. A missing or empty value, or a variable the template doesn't have, is refused with 400.

Templates created in Nexiom Connect use numbered variables. Use the numbers as keys:

{
  "template": {
    "id": "wat_example",
    "variables": {
      "body": {
        "1": "Amina",
        "2": "A-1234"
      }
    }
  }
}

Templates from WhatsApp Manager can also use named variables, such as {{first_name}}. Use the names as keys:

{
  "template": {
    "id": "wat_example",
    "variables": {
      "header": {
        "order_number": "A-1234"
      },
      "body": {
        "first_name": "Amina",
        "delivery_date": "Thursday"
      }
    }
  }
}

A template without variables needs no variables field. The template's page lists its variables under Variables, with the part each one belongs to.

What you can send#

A template with content that can't be sent yet still syncs. Its page explains why it can't be sent, and sending it returns 422 with the code whatsapp_template_not_supported.

Next steps#