WhatsApp templates

WhatsApp templates are pre-approved messages used when you need to start a conversation, restart a conversation outside the 24-hour customer-service window, or send a WhatsApp campaign. Templates are reviewed by Meta. Vocily helps you build the template, validate common formatting issues before submission, preview the message, and keep the local template list synced with Meta.

When templates are used

Use templates for:

Starting a new one-to-one WhatsApp conversation.
Restarting a thread after the 24-hour customer-service window closes.
Sending WhatsApp campaigns to contacts or groups.
Sending structured updates such as appointment reminders, account updates, and authentication codes.

Inside the 24-hour customer-service window, operators can send non-template text replies from Monitoring. Outside that window, WhatsApp requires an approved template.

Template ownership

Templates belong to the WhatsApp Business Account that owns them. In Vocily, the operator experience stays phone-number-first: when you choose a WhatsApp number, Vocily only shows templates that can be sent from that number’s connected account. This prevents using a template from one WhatsApp Business Account with a number from another account.

Open Templates

Open WhatsApp → Manage → Templates. The Templates view shows the templates synced into Vocily. From this page, you can:

Create a template.
Preview an existing template.
Edit a template when Meta allows the template state to be edited.
Duplicate a template into a new submission.
Delete a template from Meta when deletion is allowed.
Refresh templates from Meta.

Template rows can include name, category, language, status, quality, last synced time, and the message components Meta returned.

Create a template

Select Create template from the Templates view. The builder opens as a full-page experience with three checkpoints:

Setup — define the template identity, choose the category and category path, then set language and label.
Content — write the message and configure header, body, footer, buttons, and delivery validity.
Review — inspect validation issues, preview the message, and submit it to Meta.

The builder also has a sticky WhatsApp-style preview on the right. The preview replaces variables with the sample values you enter, so you can review the message the way a customer will see it.

Setup fields

The Setup checkpoint is where the path branches. Choose the category first, then choose the available path inside that category. The fields and validation in later steps change based on this choice.

Field	What it controls
Template name	The stable Meta template name. Use lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores only, such as `appointment_reminder_v1`. The name is disabled while editing because Meta treats name + language as the template identity.
Category	The Meta category for review, policy behavior, and template pricing: Marketing, Utility, or Authentication. Meta can recategorize a submitted template if the content better matches another category.
Category path	The available build path inside the selected category, such as Custom Message or Copy Code. Disabled paths can appear in the picker for context, but they cannot be selected or submitted from this builder.
Language	The template language in Meta locale format, such as `en_US`, `hi`, or `pt_BR`. Language is disabled while editing because it is part of the template identity.
Template labels	A short use-case label, usually two or three words, such as `appointment reminder` or `order update`. The builder requires this so the submission is clearly described before review.

What each category means

Category	Choose it when	Avoid using it for	In Vocily
Marketing	You want to promote, re-engage, announce, upsell, invite, or send an offer. This includes newsletters, product launches, coupons, and messages meant to drive interest.	Service updates, verification codes, or messages that should be treated as required account communication.	Marketing templates can include optional buttons, CTA buttons, or Marketing Opt-Out buttons. Marketing sends are also checked against marketing opt-out state.
Utility	You are sending information connected to a customer action or relationship, such as appointment reminders, booking updates, order updates, ticket updates, account alerts, or operational notifications.	Promotions, offers, general engagement, or verification-code login use cases.	Utility templates use the Custom Message path. The builder validation requires at least one button and can show the message validity period controls.
Authentication	You are sending a verification code or login/security code that helps a customer access an account or complete an authentication step.	Marketing copy, service updates, long explanations, or anything unrelated to the code.	Authentication templates use the Copy Code path. Keep the message short, code-focused, and non-promotional.

Meta reviews the submitted content and can place the template in a different category if the copy better matches another category.

Available category paths

Category	Path shown in Vocily	Availability	Use it for
Marketing	Custom Message	Enabled	Promotions, offers, product announcements, and engagement messages.
Marketing	Product Message, Carousel, Limited time offer, Flow	Disabled	These can appear in the picker, but are not configurable from this builder.
Utility	Custom Message	Enabled	Account updates, order updates, ticket updates, appointment reminders, alerts, and important information.
Utility	Flow	Disabled	This can appear in the picker, but is not configurable from this builder.
Authentication	Copy Code	Enabled	Verification-code messages that help customers access their accounts.
Authentication	Autofill, Zero-Tap	Disabled	These can appear in the picker, but are not configurable from this builder.

Changing the category resets the selected path to the default enabled path for that category. For example, choosing Authentication selects Copy Code, while choosing Marketing or Utility selects Custom Message. See WhatsApp pricing and charges for Vocily’s current template rates by category.

Category paths

Use this section before filling the Content checkpoint. It explains what each enabled category path asks you to configure.

Path	Fields you configure	Important behavior
Marketing → Custom Message	Header, body, footer, optional buttons, optional marketing opt-out buttons.	Buttons are optional. If you add Marketing Opt-Out buttons, Vocily asks you to acknowledge that your business is responsible for stopping marketing messages when customers opt out.
Utility → Custom Message	Header, body, footer, buttons, optional message validity period.	Utility templates are for service updates. The builder validation requires at least one button before submission.
Authentication → Copy Code	Verification-code body, optional header/footer fields if you keep them, sample value for the code variable, optional message validity period.	The preview shows a Copy code action. Review the validation panel before submission and fix any required fields it flags.

The builder only submits enabled category paths. Disabled paths are shown so teams can understand the broader Meta template family; those paths are coming soon.

Content fields

The Content checkpoint builds the Meta components array: header, body, footer, buttons, and optional message validity. The common fields are below, followed by the fields that change by template path.

Field group	Marketing Custom Message	Utility Custom Message	Authentication Copy Code
Header	Optional. None, Text, Image, Video, or Document.	Optional. None, Text, Image, Video, or Document.	Optional in this builder. Keep it simple for verification-code messages.
Body	Required. Promotional or engagement message text.	Required. Service-update message text.	Required. Verification-code text, usually with the code variable such as `{{1}}`.
Footer	Optional. Useful for opt-out or compliance copy.	Optional. Useful for short context.	Optional. Keep it short if used.
Buttons	Optional Quick Reply, CTA, or Marketing Opt-Out mode.	Required by builder validation; use Quick Reply or CTA.	The preview shows Copy code. Use Review to resolve any button validation shown by the builder.
Message validity period	Not shown.	Shown. Optional custom validity from 1 to 30 days.	Shown. Optional custom validity from 1 to 30 days.

Marketing category fields

Use this path for promotional or engagement messages.

Field	How to fill it
Header	Optional. Choose None if you do not want a title or media header. If you keep Text selected, enter header text before continuing.
Body	Required. Write the marketing message, offer, announcement, or engagement copy. Include variables only where you will provide values at send time.
Footer	Optional. Commonly used for short opt-out or compliance copy.
Buttons	Optional. Choose one mode: Quick Reply, Call to action, or Marketing Opt-Out.
Marketing Opt-Out acknowledgement	Required only when you add Marketing Opt-Out buttons. It confirms that your business is responsible for honoring opt-outs.

Utility category fields

Use this path for service updates that are tied to an existing customer action, account, ticket, order, booking, or alert.

Field	How to fill it
Header	Optional. Choose None, Text, Image, Video, or Document. If you use media, upload the file and wait for Ready.
Body	Required. Write the service-update message. Keep the reason for the update clear so Meta can review the template correctly.
Footer	Optional. Use short supporting context only.
Buttons	Required by the builder validation. Use Quick Reply for simple responses or Call to action for URL/phone actions.
Message validity period	Optional. Enable it only when you want Meta to stop delivery attempts before the standard 30-day period.

Authentication category fields

Use this path for verification-code messages.

Field	How to fill it
Body	Required. Keep the message focused on the code, usually with a code variable such as `{{1}}`.
Variable sample input	Required when the body has a variable. Use a realistic sample code such as `123456` so the preview and Meta review are clear.
Header	Optional in this builder. For verification-code messages, prefer no header or a very short text header.
Footer	Optional. Keep it short and non-promotional.
Copy code action	Shown in the preview for the Authentication path.
Message validity period	Optional. Use it when the code should expire before the standard delivery window.

Headers are optional. Set Header type to one of:

Header type	What it does
None	Sends the template without a header.
Text	Adds a short text header above the body.
Image	Adds an image media header.
Video	Adds a video media header.
Document	Adds a document media header.

For a Text header:

Maximum length is 60 characters.
Only one variable is supported.
If you use a variable, provide a sample value so Meta can review the template.

For a media header:

Upload the media file from the builder.
Image headers accept JPEG or PNG files.
Video headers accept MP4 files.
Document headers accept PDF files.
Wait until the upload shows Ready before submitting.

For an Image header, the image uploaded during template creation is saved as the default media for that template. To edit it, open WhatsApp → Campaigns → Templates and choose Action → Replace header media. The uploaded file is used for the template’s initial Meta submission and review. Replacing the image later with Action → Replace header media does not require template approval again.

Body

The body is required and is the main WhatsApp message.

Field	What it controls
Variable format	Choose Numbered variables for `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, and so on, or Named variables for names such as `{{first_name}}`.
Body editor	Write the template message in the selected language. The body can be up to 1024 characters.
Variable sample inputs	Each variable used in the body gets an inline sample-value field below the editor. Samples are required before submission.

The body editor supports WhatsApp-style formatting:

Formatting	How to write it
Bold	`text`
Italic	`_text_`
Strikethrough	`~text~`
Inline code	`text`
Monospace block	```text```
Bulleted list	Start a line with `-`
Numbered list	Start a line with `1.`
Quote	Start a line with `>`
Emoji	Use the emoji picker or your keyboard.

Variable rules:

Numbered variables must be sequential: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}.
Numbered mode does not allow named variables.
Named variables must start with a lowercase letter and can include lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores.
Variables should not be adjacent.
The body should not start or end with a variable.
Add enough fixed text around variables so Meta can understand the message during review.

Footers are optional and work best for short compliance or opt-out copy.

Rule	Limit
Maximum length	60 characters
Variables	Not supported

Use the footer for simple lines such as opt-out reminders or brief context. Put the main message in the body, not the footer.

Buttons

Buttons are configured from the Buttons card in the Content checkpoint. What you can use depends on the path you chose in Setup:

Path	Button behavior
Marketing → Custom Message	Buttons are optional. You can choose Quick Reply, Call to action, or Marketing Opt-Out mode.
Utility → Custom Message	The builder validation requires at least one button. Use Quick Reply or Call to action.
Authentication → Copy Code	The preview shows a Copy code action for the customer. If Review flags a button issue, follow the validation message before submitting.

You cannot mix quick replies, call-to-action buttons, and marketing opt-out buttons in the same template. Choose one button mode.

Quick Reply

Use Quick Reply when the customer should tap a simple response.

Field	What it controls
Quick reply text	The label shown on the button. Each quick reply can be up to 25 characters.

Rules:

You can add up to 10 quick reply buttons.
Each quick reply needs text.

Call to action

Use Add CTA when the button should open a URL or call a phone number.

Field	What it controls
CTA type	Choose URL or Phone.
Button text	The label shown on the button, such as `View details` or `Call us`. Maximum 25 characters.
URL	The link opened by a URL button. Dynamic URLs can include a variable, such as `https://example.com/orders/{{1}}`.
Phone number	The number called by a Phone button. Use E.164 format, such as `+14155550100`.

Rules:

CTA buttons support at most 2 URL buttons.
CTA buttons support at most 1 phone button.
A URL button needs a URL.
A phone button needs a valid E.164 phone number.

Marketing Opt-Out

Marketing templates can use Marketing Opt-Out buttons.

Field	What it controls
Opt-In Button	The positive response button, such as `Of course`. Maximum 25 characters.
Opt-Out Button	The opt-out response button, such as `Stop promotions`. Maximum 25 characters.
Acknowledgement checkbox	Confirms that your business understands it is responsible for stopping marketing messages to customers who opt out.

Vocily also tracks marketing opt-outs by phone number. Marketing templates and campaigns should not be sent to contacts who have opted out.

Copy Code

Authentication templates use the Copy Code category path.

Field	What it controls
Body code variable	The verification code placeholder in the body, usually `{{1}}`.
Sample value	The example code shown in preview and sent to Meta for review. Use a realistic 3- to 8-digit sample such as `123456`.
Copy code action	The action shown in the preview for Authentication templates. The customer uses it to copy the code from the message.

Keep Authentication copy short and focused on the code. Do not use marketing language in an Authentication template.

Message validity period

In Vocily, the Message validity period section appears for Utility and Authentication templates. Meta calls this time-to-live, or TTL. It controls how long WhatsApp keeps retrying delivery if the message cannot be delivered right away.

Field	What it controls
Set custom validity period	Enables a custom delivery retry window for the template.
Validity days	The retry window shown in the builder. Meta validates the final TTL by category when the template is submitted.

If you do not set a custom validity period, Meta applies the category default. Meta recommends setting Authentication TTL close to the actual code expiration time so a customer does not receive a code after it is no longer usable.

Review and submit

The Review checkpoint shows:

Whether the template is ready to submit.
Any validation issues that still need attention.
Name.
Language.
Category.
Selected category path.
Variable count.
Button count.
Marketing compliance reminders for Marketing templates.

If there are validation issues, select the issue to jump back to the section that needs attention. When the template is ready, select Submit to Meta. Vocily sends the template name, language, category, variable format, optional validity period, and components to Meta. Meta remains the final authority for approval, category, quality, pauses, and rejection. After submission, the template usually appears as pending until Meta finishes review.

Edit, duplicate, and delete templates

Existing templates can be managed from the Templates view.

Action	What it does
Preview	Opens the WhatsApp-style preview for the selected template.
Edit	Opens the builder for a template that Meta allows to be edited. Name and language stay locked.
Duplicate	Copies the selected template into a new submission. The copied name is normalized into a new name, such as adding `_copy`.
Delete	Deletes the template from Meta when deletion is allowed.
Refresh	Syncs template state from Meta into Vocily.

When editing, Vocily sends the updated category, variable format, optional validity period, and components to Meta. Meta can reject an update even if the builder validation passes.

Status and quality

Template status comes from Meta and is shown in Vocily after sync or webhook updates.

Status	What it means
Pending	Submitted to Meta and waiting for review.
Approved	Approved by Meta and available for sending.
Rejected	Rejected by Meta. Review the reason, duplicate or edit where allowed, and submit a corrected version.
Paused	Temporarily paused by Meta, commonly because of quality or policy signals.
Disabled	Disabled by Meta. It cannot be sent.

Quality score also comes from Meta. It helps you understand how customers are responding to the template. Low-quality templates can be paused or disabled by Meta.

Sync and lifecycle updates

Vocily syncs templates from Meta and receives template lifecycle updates from Meta. These updates keep the local template list aligned when Meta approves, rejects, pauses, reinstates, recategorizes, changes quality score, or changes template components. If a template was changed in Meta and the Vocily list has not updated yet, select Refresh from the Templates view.

Use templates

Approved templates can be used in:

Monitoring and inbox for one-to-one replies outside the 24-hour customer-service window.
WhatsApp campaigns for outbound sends to groups.

If the template has variables, provide values at send time. If the template has an image header, Vocily uses the saved default image. You can replace it from WhatsApp → Campaigns → Templates → Action → Replace header media before sending.

What’s next

Add audiences in Contacts and groups.
Send templates at scale in WhatsApp campaigns.
Use templates one-to-one in Monitoring and inbox.

Get Started

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Test

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Integrations

WhatsApp

Account & Workspace

WhatsApp templates

When templates are used

Template ownership

Open Templates

Create a template

Setup fields

What each category means

Available category paths

Category paths

Content fields

Marketing category fields

Utility category fields

Authentication category fields

Header

Body

Footer

Buttons

Quick Reply

Call to action

Marketing Opt-Out

Copy Code

Message validity period

Review and submit

Edit, duplicate, and delete templates

Status and quality

Sync and lifecycle updates

Use templates

What’s next

​When templates are used

​Template ownership

​Open Templates

​Create a template

​Setup fields

​What each category means

​Available category paths

​Category paths

​Content fields

​Marketing category fields

​Utility category fields

​Authentication category fields

​Header

​Body

​Footer

​Buttons

​Quick Reply

​Call to action

​Marketing Opt-Out

​Copy Code

​Message validity period

​Review and submit

​Edit, duplicate, and delete templates

​Status and quality

​Sync and lifecycle updates

​Use templates

​What’s next

When templates are used

Template ownership

Open Templates

Create a template

Setup fields

What each category means

Available category paths

Category paths

Content fields

Marketing category fields

Utility category fields

Authentication category fields

Header

Body

Footer

Buttons

Quick Reply

Call to action

Marketing Opt-Out

Copy Code

Message validity period

Review and submit

Edit, duplicate, and delete templates

Status and quality

Sync and lifecycle updates

Use templates

What’s next