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WhatsApp requires pre-approved message templates any time you initiate a conversation with a contact or send a marketing message outside of an active service window. Switchbord syncs your approved templates from Meta so you can use them in the inbox, campaigns, and journeys — without leaving the platform.

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Why templates exist

WhatsApp enforces a 24-hour service window from the last inbound message. Inside that window, you can send freeform messages. Outside it — or when starting a brand-new conversation — you must use an approved template. Meta reviews every template before it can be sent, which protects users from spam and ensures message quality.
Templates bypass the service-window restriction entirely. A contact does not need an open conversation for you to send a template message.

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Template categories

Meta requires you to classify each template when you create it:
CategoryUse case
MarketingPromotions, offers, announcements
UtilityTransactional updates, order confirmations, alerts
AuthenticationOne-time passcodes and verification messages
The category affects pricing and which contacts you can reach. Marketing templates are subject to Meta’s per-user frequency caps.

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Template components

Every template is made up of optional sections:
  • Header — a short title. Can be plain text, an image, or a document attachment.
  • Body — the main message text. Supports variable placeholders like {{1}}, {{2}} that you fill in at send time.
  • Footer — a short line of secondary text displayed below the body.
  • Buttons — up to two call-to-action buttons (link to a URL or dial a phone number) or up to three quick-reply buttons.
Keep your body text concise. Meta reviewers look for clear, non-deceptive language. Vague or promotional-sounding bodies in utility templates are a common rejection reason.

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Creating a template in Meta

You create and submit templates in Meta’s Business Manager, not in Switchbord. Switchbord reads your approved templates from Meta and makes them available for sending.
1

Open Meta Business Manager

Go to business.facebook.com and navigate to WhatsApp Manager > Message Templates.
2

Create the template

Click Create template, choose a category, and give it a name. Template names must be lowercase with underscores — for example, order_confirmation.
3

Build the components

Add your header, body, footer, and buttons. Use {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. in the body wherever you want dynamic values at send time. Provide sample values — Meta requires them to review variable placeholders.
4

Submit for review

Click Submit. Meta typically reviews templates within 24–48 hours. You’ll receive a notification when the status changes to Approved.
Rejected templates cannot be edited and resubmitted with the same name. If Meta rejects your template, create a new one with a revised name and content.

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Syncing templates to Switchbord

Once Meta approves a template, Switchbord fetches it during the next sync cycle. To trigger a manual sync, navigate to Templates in the sidebar and click Sync templates. Approved templates appear in the list with a green Approved status badge.
Only templates with Approved status in Meta are available for sending. Templates in Pending, Rejected, or Paused states will not appear as sendable options.

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Send eligibility

Before Switchbord queues a template message, it validates three conditions:
  1. Template is approved — the template must have an approved status in your synced template list.
  2. Contact is not opted out — contacts with unsubscribed or blocked subscriber status never receive messages.
  3. Phone number is valid — the contact’s phone number must be in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567).
If any condition fails, the message is not queued and the reason is recorded in the delivery log.

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Using templates in the inbox

When a conversation is outside the 24-hour service window, the message composer switches to template-only mode. You’ll see a notice indicating the window is closed.
1

Click Use template

In the conversation composer, click Use template to open the template picker.
2

Select a template

Browse or search the list of approved templates. A preview renders on the right as you select.
3

Fill in variable values

If the template body contains placeholders like {{1}}, enter the corresponding value for each one. Switchbord validates that all required variables are provided before enabling the send button.
4

Send

Click Send. Switchbord submits the template message to Meta and records the outbound entry in the conversation thread.
Variable values are not saved between sends. If you frequently send the same template with the same values, consider building a journey to automate it.