My template application has been rejected

If your Whatsapp template has been rejected, we will explore the following possibilities to help you troubleshoot:

• Your use case is not allowed.

• There is an issue with the format.

• Your template contains potentially abusive or threatening content.

• Some tips & tricks to help you.

Your use case is not allowed

The inclusion of certain words or phrases may make the template sound intrusive or promotional, even though the content of your template may be fine. If your template is rejected, we'd advise you to think about how your template sounds when reading it out loud. Below are some examples of templates that will be rejected:

Cold call messages:

• “Is now a good time to talk?”

• “Thank you for your interest, can we speak now?”

• “I tried contacting you but you weren't available. When are you free?”

Sending a survey or poll to collect unrelated data from users, if an order didn’t take place beforehand:

• “Hi, we're interested in knowing how you feel about certain food groups. Do you mind participating in a survey?”

Bear in mind that certain business verticals are not permitted on WhatsApp. You can read more info here: What are the use cases for WhatsApp Business?

There is an issue with the format

• Templates with spelling mistakes will be rejected.

• Make sure to use parameters like {{1}}, {{2}}, etc., and include the correct number of curly brackets: 2 on the left side of the number and 2 on the right side of the number. Find out more about formatting in the ​WhatsApp Business API Guidelines.

• We do not approve templates with ​floating parameters​ (i.e., lines with just parameters and no texts). Please surround the parameters with information, so it's clear as to what will be inserted. In the example below, we're referring to {{3}} and {{4}} as the ​floating parameters.

--
TICKET NO: {{1}}
PASSENGER NAME: {{2}}
--
{{3}} - {{4}}
--

Your template contains potentially abusive or threatening content

• Templates that threaten customers with a legal course of action will be rejected.

• Templates that threaten to add customers to a WhatsApp group with their friends and family to shame them if they don't pay back their loans will be rejected.

Some tips & tricks to help you

• Make the purpose of your template clear in your template name. Instead of using a name like "template_014," use "bus_ticket_details".

• Remember that someone outside of your business will be reviewing your templates. Providing more clarity gives reviewers more context around how the template will be used.

• If you are submitting a template to re-open the 24-hour window, we advise starting with some mention of the previous thread. Examples:

  • “I'm sorry that I wasn't able to respond to your concerns yesterday but I’m happy to assist you now. If you’d like to continue this discussion, please reply with ‘yes’”.

  • “I was able to do some follow-up based on our previous conversation, and I’ve found the answer to your question about our refund policy. If you’d like to continue our conversation, please say ‘yes’”.