What is a Message Template?

On the WhatsApp channel, the response window for a customer's message is limited to 24 hours. To reply to a customer whose last message is older than 24 hours, or to proactively initiate a conversation with a customer (even if they've never messaged you on WhatsApp before), you must use a Message Template. More generally, a Message Template is essential for initiating any conversation with a customer.

These templates are pre-approved messages that are billed by Meta.

The Message Template can be divided into 3 categories:

• Utility Templates
  • These templates are designed to track user actions or requests. This could be, for example, a confirmation message, order or delivery updates, account updates or alerts (e.g. payment reminders), or customer satisfaction surveys. 
• Marketing Templates
  • These templates are used to drive a wide range of goals, from building brand awareness to stimulating sales and re-engaging customers. Examples include announcements of new products, services, or features, targeted promotions or offers, cart abandonment reminders.
• Authentication Templates
  • These templates enable you to authenticate users, typically by sending one-time passcodes. They can be used at various stages of a login or verification process (account verification, account recovery, etc.).

Rules

1. You must have explicit consent (opt-in) from customers before sending them messages: explicit opt-in for marketing models, implicit for utility or authentication models. Refer to the detailed rules in this Meta article for full guidance: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/overview/getting-opt-in/ .

2. From your customer's perspective, always ensure your messages arrive at the right time, are expected, and are highly relevant.

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

Create a Message Template

In Alcmeon, you can create your Message Templates without needing to access your Meta Business Portfolio or requiring special Meta permissions. Everything happens within Alcmeon!

To begin, go to the "Settings / Message Templates" section. Here, you'll find a list of all your existing Templates along with their Meta approval status.

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

The "Sync with Meta" button allows you to retrieve the very latest approval status for all your Message Templates.

Defining your Model

Choose :

• Your Model Name: Use only lowercase alphanumeric characters and the underscore character. Maximum 512 characters.
• One or more languages: This is crucial for providing multi-language support. You can define the same template in various languages.
• WhatsApp Account: Select the specific WhatsApp account that will be used to send this Template.
• Your Model's category: Incorrect categorization may lead to rejection or Meta reassigning it to the correct category.
• Usage : This setting determines where within Alcmeon this Template can be used. You can choose to make it accessible only to advisors from their Inbox, or only from your Bot Editor, or both.

Header (optional)

You can choose to add a text or multimedia header that appears above your Template's main text message. This header can be either an image, video, or attached file.

For a multimedia header, you can force usage, meaning that you can require your advisors or bot scenario to use the exact file you upload here every time this template is sent. Alternatively, you can allow advisors or your bot to choose a different file each time the Template is used. In this case, the file you upload during template creation serves purely as an example for Meta's approval process.

Limited Time Offer (optional)

If you selected "scenario only" usage for your template, you have the option to make it a time-limited template. When this box is checked, the template's content (and any buttons) will disappear for the recipient after a specific duration, which you can configure directly within your bot scenario. You can also add optional text to this section. When using the time-limited mode, you cannot add a text header, but a multimedia header is still possible. Adding a footer will not be possible. 

Body (required)

This is the content text of your message. It can include any alphanumeric characters, along with emojis, special characters, and links to websites or mobile apps.

Please ensure your message body does not contain tab characters or more than four consecutive spaces, as Meta will reject templates with these formatting issues.

Additionally, you can insert "variables" in the format {{1}}, {{2}} etc. These act as placeholders ("holes") in your text that need to be filled in by advisors in the Inbox or by your bot in the scenario.

If you use these variables, you must provide the following:

• An internal label used within Alcmeon to help you identify what the variable represents (e.g., "customer_name," "product_link").
• An example of what this variable could contain. This example is crucial for Meta's approval process for the template (e.g., "John Doe" or “https://alcmeon.ai”)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 for your template, WhatsApp does not allow the addition of a footer.

Buttons (optional)

You can add interactive buttons, with a maximum of 10 buttons per 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.”

These buttons will appear grouped by their type, but you have the flexibility to order these button groups as you see fit. There are four primary button types: "Coupon," "URL," "Phone Number," and "Quick Reply."

“Coupon” button

• This button simplifies the process for your customer to copy a promotional code you provide, which they can then paste for use on your website or mobile app.
• The button's wording is imposed by WhatsApp and will always display as: "Copy the offer code."
• You must fill in the content of this button with your specific promotional code.
• A Template can contain only one "Coupon" button.

“URL” button

• This clickable button opens a specific URL when pressed.
• The wording is free.
• When the URL is “ static ” it remains the same every time the template is sent by an advisor or bot.
• You can also make the URL “ dynamic ” by ending it with “{{1}}”.
  • This is especially useful for linking to specific product pages, as it avoids needing a separate template for each product.
  • When using a dynamic URL, advisors in the inbox or your bot scenario will need to fill in the variable part of the URL.
  • You must provide a valid example of a full URL to Meta for the Template to be approved.
• Choose a "Link Label" for this button. This internal label allows you to track click statistics across all links sharing the same label on all your channels. You must create this "Link Label" in your Alcmeon settings before you can select it here.
• A Template can contain a maximum of one or two "URL" buttons.

“Phone number” button

• This clickable button allows your customer to initiate a call to a pre-configured phone number directly from WhatsApp.
• The wording is free.
• The phone number is flexible.
• A Template can contain only one “Phone Number” button.

“Quick Reply” button

• This clickable button 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 you create your Message Template in Alcmeon, it's automatically submitted to Meta for their review and approval.

Initially, your Template will show a "Pending" status, indicating it's awaiting Meta's decision.

If Meta approves it, the status will change to "Active," and you can then use it to send messages to your customers.

If Meta rejects your Template, its status will become "Rejected." In this case, you can edit the Template to make necessary revisions (see below) and resubmit it for approval, which will set its status back to “Pending.”

Edit a Template

You can modify your templates though with certain limitations: You cannot change its name, the WhatsApp account it is linked to, nor add or remove a language. For all other elements, the template is fully editable.

Keep in mind that you can only edit an approved template once every 24 hours, and no more than 10 times per 30 days. However, if a template is rejected or paused, you can edit it without these restrictions.

Delete a Model

You can delete a Model but please be aware that this action is irreversible.

Additionally, once a template is deleted, its name cannot be reused for 30 days.