How do I get a WhatsApp template approved?

WhatsApp template approval is mostly automatic. You submit a template, Meta's systems check its content and category, and you get a decision within 24 hours. Meta says reviews use automated systems and manual review, and templates with spam, scam-like content or policy violations are rejected. Only templates with an approved status can be sent.

The approval process

1. Create the template in WhatsApp Manager, through the API or in your provider's builder: name, category, language, header, body, footer and buttons.
2. Add a sample for every variable. Samples are required and show the reviewer what a real message looks like.
3. Submit. Meta says a decision can take up to 24 hours. You are notified in WhatsApp Manager, by email to your admins and by webhook.
4. Approved: the template shows as active with quality pending, and you can send it. Rejected: read the reason, fix and resubmit, or appeal with a sample.

Pick the right category

Choose marketing for anything promotional, utility only for non-promotional updates tied to the customer's own order, booking or account, and authentication only for one-time passcodes. If you submit a promotional message as utility, Meta approves it as marketing, which costs more. Meta also re-checks approved templates over time and can move a utility template to marketing, normally with one day's notice. You cannot edit the category of an approved template; request a review in WhatsApp Manager within 60 days or create a new one.

Common rejection reasons and fixes

Problem	Fix
Mismatched braces, such as {1} or {{1}	Write {{1}}, or a named variable like {{first_name}} in lowercase with underscores
Special characters such as #, $ or % in a variable	Keep symbols in the fixed text, not inside the variable
Variables out of sequence: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{4}}	Number them in order
Message starts or ends with a variable	Put words before the first and after the last variable
Too many variables for the length	Add real words around them
Body and footer identical to an existing template	Change the wording
Asking for sensitive details, or threatening language	Remove it; for example, ask for the last four digits instead of a full card number

After approval: quality and pausing

Approval is not the end. Each template earns a quality rating from how people respond. If many recipients block or report it, the rating drops, and a template at the lowest rating is paused: 3 hours the first time, 6 hours the second, and disabled the third time. Send templates only to opted-in contacts, keep them short and relevant, and test new marketing templates on your most engaged contacts first.

How salestrack helps

salestrack's guided template builder, part of WhatsApp broadcasts, asks for sample values, shows a phone preview and flags common rejection reasons before you submit to Meta. If a template is rejected, paused or disabled, Why was my WhatsApp template rejected? shows where to find the reason and how to resubmit. Meta makes every approval decision.