WhatsApp message template approval: create, submit and fix a rejection
Once a customer writes to you, you can reply freely. But if you want to start the conversation, or too much time has passed since the last message, you need a pre-approved template. During setup the Chatinbox team writes your first templates with you and submits them for approval; the panel lists approved templates. Meta approves them.
If you start the conversation, or more than 24 hours have passed since the customer's last message, you need a pre-approved template. During setup the Chatinbox team writes your first templates with you and submits them for approval; the panel lists approved templates. Meta approves them. If a template is rejected, or you need a new one after setup, write to the support team. Give the template name and the rejection reason.
What you provide
- What the message is for
- The details that change (name, date, amount)
- When it should be sent
What Chatinbox handles
- Working out the right category and wording with you
- Setting up variables within the rules
- The three template categories and when each applies
- The most common reasons for rejection
- How to fix a rejected template
Three categories
Service notice
- Appointment reminder
- Order and shipping updates
- Payment and invoice notices
Authentication
- One-time codes
- Account verification messages
Marketing
- Campaigns and discounts
- New service announcements
- Win-back messages
The category is not a free choice: trying to send promotional content under a service notice is one of the most common reasons for rejection. Meta can also reclassify a template itself.
Step by step
Be clear about the purpose
What does the message tell the customer — a reminder, a campaign, a code? The category follows from that answer.
The text is written and the variables placed
Details that change, such as name, date or amount, go in as placeholders. A message cannot begin or end with a variable, and variables are numbered in order.
It is submitted for approval
During setup the Chatinbox team submits the first templates with you, and Meta takes them into review.
Meta decidesWatch the result
A template is approved, rejected, or sent to manual review. Review is usually quick; wording that raises a policy question can take longer.
If rejected, write to the support team
Write to the support team with the template name and Meta's rejection reason. Sending the same text again unchanged does not work.
Write to the support teamMost common rejection reasons
Coming from the text
- Promotional content filed under a service notice
- Variables written incorrectly or out of order
- A message that starts or ends with a variable
- Text so generic that its purpose is unclear
Coming from policy
- Restricted products and services
- Templates paused after customer complaints
- Misleading or pressuring wording
Let's write your first templates together
In a 15 minute call we work out which of your messages need a template.
Meta's template rules and category definitions can change. This page was checked on 4 October 2026.
