Send a WhatsApp template automatically from a workflow

What you need first

• A connected Twilio account with an approved WhatsApp sender. WhatsApp in Naffes runs through your workspace's own Twilio account, and the sender is registered in Twilio. See the Twilio integration.
• Imported, approved templates. Templates are written and submitted in Twilio's Content Template Builder, approved by Meta, then imported by an admin under Settings → Integrations → Channels → WhatsApp Templates (how to import them). Naffes cannot author or submit templates.
• Starter or a higher plan, since the step lives inside workflows.

Steps

1. 1

   Open or create a workflow

   Go to Tools → Workflows, open an existing workflow or click New workflow.

2. 2

   Pick and narrow the trigger

   Choose an event such as Deal stage changed, Contact created or Message received (WhatsApp / SMS). Under Only run when, name the target stage or channel so the message does not go out on every change.

3. 3

   Add Send WhatsApp template

   From the WhatsApp group in the Steps palette, add Send WhatsApp template and choose from Pick a WhatsApp template…. Each template is listed with its name and language, so pick the Arabic or English version your audience needs.

4. 4

   Fill the variables

   Each template variable gets its own field. Enter a fixed value or a merge tag filled on every run, such as {{contact.first_name}}. The Preview shows the template body with whatever you typed into each variable: merge tags appear as written and are replaced with the customer's data only at run time, and an empty variable shows its sample value, if there is one, or {{1}}.

5. 5

   Test, then go live

   Save, then click Test run to see what each step would do without sending anything. Saving activates a Draft workflow, so use Pause until your test is done.

Example: a quote follow-up two days later

1. Trigger: Quote sent to the customer.
2. A Wait of 2 with the unit set to days (a bare number means minutes).
3. Send WhatsApp template with a quote follow-up template carrying two variables: {{contact.first_name}} and {{deal.name}}.

The follow-up lands on time even if the customer has not written in the past 24 hours, because an approved template is delivered outside the window. For the workflow basics, see building and activating a workflow.

Troubleshooting

• The picker says there are no active approved templates: they have not been imported yet, or Meta has not approved them. Import is manual, so run it again after each new approval.
• A message shows Failed: open the conversation in the inbox. For common WhatsApp failures, such as a number not on WhatsApp or Meta's marketing-message cap, a plain-language explanation appears next to the message.
• Large batches arrive slowly: sends are paced at 20 WhatsApp messages a minute per workspace by default. The run pauses at the limit and resumes without dropping a message.
• You want free text instead of a template: the Send WhatsApp message step sends free text, but it only arrives inside the 24-hour window. The message triggers can filter on whether the window is open.

Questions

Sources

1. Meta for Developers: WhatsApp customer service windowAccessed 2026-09-28
2. Twilio Docs: Create templates with the Content Template BuilderAccessed 2026-09-28