Proven techniques for creating WhatsApp templates that get approved on the first try and perform well.
Two different audiences judge every template you write: Meta's reviewers, who decide if it sends at all, and your customers, who decide whether to reply or block. A great template passes both. The mechanics of building and submitting templates are covered in the templates guide; this article is about writing them well.
Pick the honest category. The single biggest rejection cause is promotional content submitted as Utility. If the message exists to sell, it's Marketing; if it exists because the customer did something (ordered, booked, paid), it's Utility.
Give variables context. Reviewers see your template with placeholders, so the text around each variable must make its meaning obvious:
{{1}} {{2}} is readyHi {{1}}, your order #{{2}} is ready for pickupKeep the structure clean. Number variables in sequence ({{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}), never start or end the body with a bare variable, and skip the tricks reviewers are trained to reject: heavy caps, stacked emoji, URL shorteners.
Name templates for the audit trail. order_shipped_v2 tells you what it is a year later; template_final_new2 doesn't.
Approval is the entry fee; the real goal is a reply.
Lead with the reason for the message. The first line shows in the notification preview: "Your order has shipped" earns the tap, "Dear valued customer" doesn't.
One message, one job. A template announcing a sale, introducing a product, and asking for feedback does none of them well. Split it.
Make the next step a tap. Buttons outperform "reply YES if interested." Use a quick reply for conversations and a URL button to your storefront or checkout link for purchases.
Personalize past the name. "Hi Amina, the sneakers you asked about are back in stock" reads like service. "Hi Amina, check out our new arrivals!" reads like advertising. Same variable count, different outcome.
Respect the medium's intimacy. WhatsApp templates land between messages from family and friends. Messages that respect that (short, relevant, occasional) keep opt-outs low and your quality rating high.
Meta scores your number by how recipients react. Templates influence it more than anything else you send: