Message templates and approval
WhatsApp only lets you reply freely for 24 hours after a customer writes to you. To start a conversation outside that window — a booking reminder, a review request, a broadcast — you need a template WhatsApp has approved in advance.
It is the rule that keeps business numbers from being used for spam, and it is why your first template matters more than it looks.
What needs a template
| You are doing this | Needs a template? |
|---|---|
| Replying within 24 hours of their message | No |
| Booking confirmations and reminders | Yes |
| Review requests | Yes |
| Broadcasts to a tag or segment | Yes |
Getting approved first time
Most rejections are not about wording — they are a mismatch between the category you picked and what the message actually does. A booking reminder is a utility message; a discount offer is marketing. Pick the one that matches.
Beyond that:
- Write it as you would say it. Reviewers read it as a real message.
- Fill every variable with a realistic example.
{{1}}with the example "Thandi" reads as a message;{{1}}with "xxx" reads as a placeholder. - Avoid promises about results. "Get 30% more bookings" will not clear.
- Skip the shouting. ALL CAPS and rows of exclamation marks read as spam.
Approval usually takes a few minutes to a few hours. Chatty shows the status on the template, and the surfaces that need it stay marked SET UP until one is approved.
If a template is rejected
The rejection reason appears on the template in Chatty. Edit and resubmit — a rejection does not count against your number. If the reason is unclear, send us the template name and we will look at it with you.