Glossary term
WhatsApp Message Template
A WhatsApp message template is a Meta-approved message format with placeholders filled in per recipient, and it is the only way to reach a customer on the WhatsApp Business Platform once the service window has closed or when you start the conversation.
What is a WhatsApp message template?
A WhatsApp message template is a fixed message format submitted to Meta for review before it can be used. It has a body with variables and can add a media or document header, a short footer and interactive buttons. On the WhatsApp Business Platform, templates are the only message type that can be sent to a user outside the customer service window, so a business needs one whenever it speaks first: an appointment reminder, a delivery update, a follow-up on a quote nobody has answered, or a promotion to an opted-in list. Variables let a single template serve thousands of people. They are written as numbered placeholders such as {{1}} and {{2}}, or as named ones such as {{first_name}}, and replaced with each recipient's values at send time. Meta's documentation says review can take up to 24 hours.
Example of a utility template for a shipment: 'Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} left our Jeddah warehouse today and should reach you by {{3}}. Reply here if the address needs changing.' At send time {{1}} becomes the customer's first name, {{2}} the order number and {{3}} the expected date.
Template categories and why they matter
| Category | Purpose | Examples | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions, offers and re-engagement | Seasonal sale, invitation to a store opening | Charged when delivered, even inside the customer service window |
| Utility | Updates about an existing order, booking or account | Order confirmation, appointment reminder, shipping update | Free when delivered inside an open customer service window; charged outside it |
| Authentication | Verifying a user's identity | One-time passcode | Charged when delivered |
- Choose the category by what the message really does. A promotional offer stays marketing even if it opens with the customer's name or an order number.
- Keep variables few and obvious, and write the fixed text so it still reads well when a variable's value is short.
- If your audience reads both Arabic and English, prepare one version per language instead of a single mixed message.
- Watch each template's quality rating. Recurring negative feedback or low read rates can get a template paused, and a paused template cannot be sent.
In Naffes CRM
Templates are not written or submitted for review in Naffes CRM. They are created in Twilio's Content Template Builder, approved by Meta, and then imported. Under Settings > Integrations > Channels > WhatsApp templates, an admin clicks Sync from Twilio to import every approved template at once, or registers a single one by its Content SID (it starts with HX), and can deactivate any template reps should not use.
| Where | How the template is used |
|---|---|
| Inbox conversation | When the 24-hour window has closed, the composer steers the rep to pick a template and fill its variables |
| Contact or deal page | The rep sends a template from the customer's record, with its variables |
| Workflows | A 'Send WhatsApp template' step fills variables from record data such as {{contact.first_name}} |
| Campaigns | A WhatsApp broadcast to a saved audience; you can test several templates as A/B variants, which split the audience evenly |
| Sequences | A WhatsApp-template step inside a follow-up sequence for a contact |
Where templates are written: templates cannot be created, edited or submitted for Meta approval inside Naffes. Change the text in Twilio, get it approved, then import it again.
Templates also drive automation, so see workflow automation and sales sequence, and campaigns if you plan a broadcast.
Questions
Questions 2
Do I need a template to reply to a customer who messaged me today?
No. While the customer service window is open, meaning within 24 hours of the customer's last message or call, you can reply with free-form text and media. Templates are needed after the window closes, or when you are the one starting the conversation.
How long does template approval take?
Meta's documentation says review can take up to 24 hours, so get the template approved before the campaign date or before activating a workflow that depends on it, then import it into Naffes.