Create and submit a template
A template is a message Meta approves in advance so you can use it to start conversations. If you have not read Why templates have to be approved, start there — it explains the categories, which is the one choice here you cannot casually change.
Before you start
- A connected number. Templates belong to a specific number, so pick the right one.
- If you want a picture or PDF at the top, have the file ready, or already in your media library.
Steps
- Open Templates and click New template.
- Number — which of your numbers this template is for.
- Template name — internal only; customers never see it. Lowercase letters,
numbers and underscores. Name it for what it does:
order_shipped, nottemplate_3_final. - Language — the language you are actually writing in. Meta checks this.
- Category — Marketing, Utility or Authentication. Choose honestly; see the category guide.
- Build the message (below), watching the live preview on the right.
- Submit to Meta.
The template appears in your list as Pending. Most come back approved within minutes.
Building the message
Header — optional
One of:
- Text — a single short line. Can hold one variable.
- Image, video or document — good for product shots, receipts and tickets. You upload a sample now; the real file is chosen per send.
Body — required
The message itself. This is where variables go.
Write it as a person, not as a system. "Hi Priya, your order is on its way" reads better and gets blocked less than "DEAR CUSTOMER YOUR ORDER STATUS HAS BEEN UPDATED".
Footer — optional
Small grey text at the bottom. Best used for the thing you want on every message: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe."
Buttons — optional
Up to three, of these kinds:
- Visit website — opens a link. The end of the URL can be a variable, so each recipient gets their own order or booking page.
- Call — dials a number you specify.
- Quick reply — the customer taps and their tap comes back to you as a reply, which opens a 24-hour window. Cheap and effective: "Yes, confirm" / "Reschedule".
Variables
A variable is a blank in the body, written {{1}}, {{2}}, numbered in order:
Hi
{{1}}, your order{{2}}will arrive on{{3}}.
For each one you must supply a sample value — a realistic example. Meta reads the
template with the samples filled in, so {{1}} = Priya gets approved where {{1}} =
xxx may not.
Rules worth knowing before you get rejected:
- The body cannot start or end with a variable.
- No two variables side by side.
- Number them in sequence with no gaps.
You fill in the real values when you send — see Personalise each message.
Let the AI write it
If you would rather not draft from scratch, describe the message you want in plain words, pick a tone and a language, and Wap2b drafts the template for you — it can generate a header and footer too.
Read what it produces before submitting. It is a starting point, and it does not know your business.
Carousel templates
For showing several products in one message, a carousel gives you swipeable cards, each with its own image and buttons. Build the cards in the same form. Useful for catalogue-style marketing; overkill for anything transactional.
If something goes wrong
- "Template name already exists". Names are unique per number. Add a version suffix, or edit the existing one.
- The submit button will not enable. A required field is empty — usually a sample value for a variable, or the body itself.
- It was rejected. See Why was my template rejected?
- Wap2b blocked it before Meta saw it. Our own check found something likely to be read as misleading. The message explains what; fixing it is faster than arguing with a Meta rejection.
- It is approved but not in the broadcast picker. Broadcasts only offer templates approved for the selected number. Check you picked the right one.