How WhatsApp template approval works, and the mistakes that make sends fail

To start a conversation on WhatsApp, or to message someone whose 24-hour customer service window has closed, a business has to use a message template that Meta has approved. Broadcasts, reminders, order updates and one-time passwords are all templates.

Categories

Every template has one of three categories, and the category decides the price:

• Marketing: promotions, offers, announcements, re-engagement.
• Utility: updates about something the customer already did, such as an order, booking or account change.
• Authentication: one-time passcodes.

Meta checks the category during review and can change it. A "utility" template that contains a promotion will be treated as marketing. Pick the honest category up front.

What a template contains

• An optional header: text, an image, a video, a document or a location.
• A body with the message text. Variables are written as {{1}}, {{2}} and so on, and are filled in per recipient when you send.
• An optional footer.
• Optional buttons: quick replies, a website link or a phone number.

How review works on Fliok

1. 1Create the template on the Templates page (or through the REST API), with sample values for any variables.
2. 2If it has an image or video header, Fliok uploads the sample to Meta for you; Meta requires a sample file for review.
3. 3Submit it. Meta reviews it and the result (approved, rejected or still pending) is synced back to Fliok automatically.

Review timing is Meta’s, not ours. It is often quick, but it can take longer. In our experience, templates can sit in review until the business behind the account has completed Meta’s business verification, so if everything stays pending for days, check that first in Meta Business Manager.

Meta can also pause or disable an approved template if recipients block or report it, so quality still matters after approval.

Why templates get rejected

Meta publishes its own guidance; the most common problems are:

• A variable at the very start or end of the body, or several variables with little text around them.
• Missing sample values for the variables.
• The wrong category for the content.
• Content that breaks WhatsApp’s commerce or business policies.
• Near-duplicates of a template you already have.

Why an approved template still fails

These are errors we have run into on live numbers, and what Fliok now does about them:

• 131008, a required parameter is missing. A variable was sent empty, for example a blank name from a website form. Fliok now refuses a send with a blank template variable and returns a clear error, instead of letting Meta fail it.
• 132012, parameter format mismatch. A template with an image, video or document header needs that media on every send, not only at approval time. Fliok checks for header media before sending and refuses a send without it.
• 132001, template does not exist. The name or language code sent does not match an approved template, for example sending "en" when it was approved as "en_US". Send the exact name and language that were approved.

Where to start

The WhatsApp template examples page has 18 drafts across marketing, utility and authentication. They are drafts, not pre-approved templates: copy one, adapt it to your business and submit it to Meta from your dashboard.