What is a Message Template?

On the WhatsApp channel, the response window for a customer message is limited to 24 hours. To respond to a customer whose last message is more than 24 hours old, you need to use a Message Template. These Templates are also used to proactively contact a customer, even if they've never sent you a message on WhatsApp. More generally, a Message Template is used to initiate a conversation with a customer.

Templates are pre-approved posts billed by Meta.

They are divided into 3 categories:

• Utility models
  • Allows you to track user actions or requests. This could be, for example, a confirmation of acceptance, order or delivery management, account updates or alerts (e.g., payment reminders), or even a satisfaction survey.
• Marketing models
  • Achieves a wide range of goals, from awareness-raising to sales stimulation and customer retargeting. Examples include announcements of new products, services, or features, targeted promotions or offers, or even cart abandonment reminders.
• Authentication models
  • Allows users to be authenticated using one-time codes, possibly at multiple stages of the login process (e.g. account verification, account recovery, etc.).

Rules

1. You must ensure that you have the consent of the customers to whom you send these messages: explicit opt-in for marketing models, implicit for utility or authentication models. See the detailed rules in this Meta article: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/overview/getting-opt-in/ .

2. Make sure you send messages that from your customer's perspective will arrive at the right time and will be expected and relevant .

3. Your messages must comply with local laws and the WhatsApp Commerce Policy . For example (but not limited to) businesses cannot send threatening messages, data collection messages, quizzes or contests, or services prohibited by WhatsApp (medicines, gambling, alcohol, etc.).

Create a Message Template

In Alcmeon, you can create your Message Templates without accessing your Meta Business Portfolio, therefore without needing special permissions on it: everything happens in Alcmeon!

Go to the “Settings / Message Templates” section to find the list of your Templates and the Meta approval status.

To create a Template, click on the “Add new template” button.

The “Sync with Meta” button allows you to get the latest approval status of your Message Templates.

Defining your Model

Choose :

• Your Model Name : Only lowercase alphanumeric characters and the underscore (_) character are accepted. Maximum 512 characters.
• One or more languages : this is what will allow you to decline the same Model in several languages since in the following interface a tab per language will be displayed.
• WhatsApp Account : The WhatsApp account that will send this Template
• Your Model's category : If you don't choose correctly, Meta may reject it or force the correct category.
• Usage : Choose who in Alcmeon can use this Template. You can choose to make it accessible only to advisors from their Inbox , or only from your Bot Editor , or both.

Header (optional)

Above your Template's text message, you can add a text or multimedia header (image, video, or attached file).

For a multimedia header, you can force your advisors or your bot scenario to use the file you upload here; or on the contrary let them choose a different file each time they use this Template, and in this case the file you upload here serves only as an example for Meta's approval of this Template.

Limited time offer (optional)

If you chose a “scenario” only use above, you can check the box to make your Template a time-limited template : its content (and buttons) will disappear for the client who receives it after a certain time that you can configure in your bot scenario. You can also add text (optional). If you choose this time-limited mode, you will not be able to add a text header, but a multimedia header is still possible; you will also not be able to add a footer.

Body (required)

This is the text of your message . It can contain any alphanumeric characters, including emojis or special characters and links to a website or mobile app.

Please note that it must not contain tab characters or more than 4 consecutive spaces, otherwise it will be rejected by Meta.

Additionally, you can add “variables” in the form of {{1}}, {{2}} which are “holes” in your text and will need to be filled in by the advisors in the inbox or by the bot in your scenario.

If you use these variables, you must provide:

• a label used internally in Alcmeon to identify what this variable corresponds to, for example “customer_name” or “product_link”
• an example of what this variable could contain, for Meta to approve the Model for, for example, “John Doe” or “https://alcmeon.ai”

Footer (optional)

You can also add a footer to your template, for example as a signature.

Note: If you chose the “Limited Time Offer” option, WhatsApp does not allow adding a footer to the Template.

Buttons (optional)

You can add up to 10 buttons to your Template.

They appear to your customers grouped by type, but you can order these button groups as you see fit. The four button types are “Coupon,” “URL,” “Phone Number,” and “Quick Reply.”

“Coupon” button

• This button makes it easier for your customer to copy and paste the promotional code you provide to use on your website or mobile app.
• The wording is imposed by WhatsApp: “Copy the offer code”.
• Fill in the contents of this button with your promotional code.
• A Template can only contain one “Coupon” button.

“URL” button

• This button is clickable and opens the URL that is set.
• The wording is free.
• The URL can be “ static ”, that is, always the same when an advisor or bot sends this Model.
• You can also opt for a “ dynamic ” URL by ending it with “{{1}}”.
  • This is particularly useful for product sheet URLs for example, because it allows you to not determine in advance which product you want to integrate into the Template.
  • The advisor using this Template will need to complete the end of your URL, and in the bot editor you will need to do the same for use in a scenario.
  • You will need to provide a valid example of a full URL to Meta for validation of your Template.
• Also choose a "Link Label" label that will allow you to track click statistics on all links with the same "Label" across all your channels. You must first create your Label before you can choose it on this page.
• A Template can only contain one or two “URL” buttons.

“Phone number” button

• This button is clickable and allows your customer to call the configured phone number.
• The wording is free.
• The phone number is free.
• A Template can only contain one “Phone Number” button.

“Quick Reply” button

• This button is clickable and allows the customer to continue the bot scenario, or when sent by an advisor, simply allows sending a message with the text predefined by this button.
• The wording is free.
• A Template can contain up to 10 “Quick Reply” buttons.

Example :

Meta Verification Process

Once your Model is created, it is automatically submitted to Meta for verification and approval.

Initially, your Model is in “ Pending ” status which means that it is waiting for Meta’s decision.

If it is validated by Meta, its status will become “ Active ”: you can use it to send it to your customers.

If Meta has rejected your template, its status is now “ Rejected ” and you can edit it to resubmit it (see below) which will put it back in “Pending” status.

Edit a Template

You can modify your Template to a certain extent: you cannot change its name, the WhatsApp account it is linked to, nor add or remove a language; for the rest, everything is editable.

Please note that Meta allows you to edit the same approved template only once per 24 hours, and no more than 10 times per 30 days. However, rejected or paused templates can be edited without restrictions.

Delete a Model

You can delete a Model. This action is irreversible.

Please note that a deleted template name cannot be reused within 30 days.