After Meta approves your WhatsApp message template, you can use it to start or continue conversations with customers in SleekFlow. To create templates, choose a category, or check a template’s status, see Creating and managing WhatsApp message templates in WhatsApp Template Manager.
When do you need to use a message template?
WhatsApp limits what you can send based on the customer service window. The window opens when a customer messages you and stays open for 24 hours after their latest message.
- Within 24 hours of the customer’s latest message: You can send free-form messages or approved templates.
- Outside that window, or when starting a conversation: You must use an approved template.
For example, you need a template to:
- Follow up on an inquiry the next day
- Send an order or delivery update
- Share a promotion with a customer who hasn’t messaged you recently
Note: Sending a template doesn’t reopen the window for free-form messages. The window opens again only when the customer replies.
Marketing templates can fail to deliver for reasons outside your control. For example, Meta limits how many Marketing messages each customer can receive in a day, and it doesn’t deliver Marketing templates to US phone numbers. If your message is about an order, account, or another transaction, use a Utility template instead. Use Authentication templates only to send one-time passcodes or verification codes.
Meta charges for template messages. To learn how pricing works, see WhatsApp pricing article.
Send a WhatsApp message template from Inbox
Go to Inbox and open the customer’s WhatsApp conversation by clicking the 
icon in the left navigation bar. How you open the template selector depends on whether the customer service window is open.
If the 24-hour customer service window is still open
- In the message composer, click the
at the bottom left. - Select Insert message template.
When the 24-hour window has closed
The message composermessage box shows WhatsApp conversation window has ended.
- Click “Send template” to continue
If you use the message opt-in feature, the same area also shows Send an opt-in message, or Enable opt-in template if it isn’t set up yet. To learn how this works, see How Message opt-in works.
Chose and send a template
Both entry points open the same “Choose template” window.
- Find the template you want to send. Browse by category in the sidebar, or search by template title. To narrow the list, use the “Header”, “Labels”, “Button type”, and “Language” filters.
- Hover over or select a template to preview it, including any media and buttons.
- Click “Choose template” to insert template. The template appears in the message composer
Tips:
- To find templates you use often, check “Recently used”, or click the star next to a template to add it to “Starred”. Starred templates are shared across your workspace.
- If a newly approved template doesn’t appear, click the refresh icon at the top right of the window.
Filling in and sending a template
Meta approves the template’s text, buttons and layout, so you can’t change them when you send it. You can only fill in the parts the template asks for.
- Personalized fields: Placeholders in the template, such as a customer name or order number. You need to fill in every one before you can send.
- Media header: If the template has an image, video or document header, you upload the file each time you send.
- Fill in the required personalized fields.
- If the template has a media header, click “Upload image (required)”, “Upload video (required)” or “Upload document (required)”, then upload the file you want to send.
- Check the completed message, then click “Send”.
Notes
- Sending a template doesn’t reopen the window for free-form messages. The window opens again only when the customer replies.
- Media submitted with a template for Meta’s approval is only a sample. Upload the media you want to send each time you use the template.
Send a message template template via Broadcasts
You can also use your approved WhatsApp Carousel templates in Broadcasts to reach a larger audience.
For steps on creating and sending WhatsApp broadcast campaigns, please refer to this article.
Learn more about template types
Each template category has its own purpose, rules and best practices. Use these guides to choose the right template and get the most out of it.
- Guide to using Marketing message templates: For promotional messages such as offers, announcements and campaigns.
- Guide to using WhatsApp Carousel message templates: A type of Marketing template that shows several products or options as cards customers can swipe through.
- Guide to using Utility message templates: For transactional messages such as order updates, receipts and account alerts.