# Templates

WhatsApp message templates are pre-approved messages that let you contact customers outside the 24-hour messaging window. Use them for appointment reminders, order updates, and starting new conversations.

## Why templates?

WhatsApp only allows businesses to send free-form messages within 24 hours of a customer's last message. After that, you must use an approved template.

Templates are useful for:

* Starting new conversations with customers
* Re-engaging after the 24-hour window closes
* Sending notifications and reminders
* Appointment confirmations

## Create a template in Meta

Templates must be created and approved in Meta Business Manager before you can use them in Missive.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open WhatsApp Manager**

1. Log in to [Meta Business Manager](https://business.facebook.com/)
2. Navigate to your WhatsApp Business Account
3. Go to **WhatsApp Manager** > **Message Templates**
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create template**

Click **Create Template** and fill in:

* **Category:** Choose what type of message this is
* **Language:** Select the language
* **Name:** Internal name for the template
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add content**

Build your template with:

* **Header (optional):** Text, image, video, or document
* **Body:** Main message text
* **Footer (optional):** Small text at the bottom
* **Buttons (optional):** Call-to-action or quick reply buttons

Use positional variables like `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, `{{3}}` for personalization.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Important:** WhatsApp templates require positional variables (`{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, etc.), not named variables like `{{Name}}` or `{{customer_name}}`. Using named variables will cause errors when sending templates from Missive.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Submit for approval**

Review your template and submit it to WhatsApp for approval. This usually takes a few hours to a day.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Approval tips:**

* Keep templates professional and clear
* Avoid promotional language in transactional templates
* Follow WhatsApp's [template guidelines](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/guidelines/)
  {% endhint %}
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Use in Missive**

Once approved, templates automatically sync to Missive and are ready to use.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Send a template in Missive

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open the template picker**

**For new conversations:**

1. Click the new message button
2. Select **New WhatsApp Message**
3. Enter the recipient's phone number
4. Click the template icon in the composer

**For existing conversations:**

1. Open the conversation
2. Click the template icon in the composer
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select a template**

Choose the template you want to send from the list.

<figure><img src="https://3242897856-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F1If7JwIQhfz5wGM9LiIU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-36e5e3b3194aa7e1949eaa8dd6aa04cd9b79b151%2Ffeatures-whatsapp-templates.png?alt=media" alt="Template selection" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Fill in variables**

If your template has variables, enter values for each one. Preview how the message will appear.

<figure><img src="https://3242897856-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F1If7JwIQhfz5wGM9LiIU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-32c499abebb4c5883ad0c7d937c71ef2e2178d75%2Ffeatures-values.png?alt=media" alt="Template variables" width="514"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Send**

Review your message and click **Send Template**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Auto-fill variables

Missive can automatically fill these variables when contact data is available:

| Variable              | Value                   |
| --------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `{{recipient.name}}`  | Contact's full name     |
| `{{recipient.email}}` | Contact's email address |
| `{{recipient.phone}}` | Contact's phone number  |
| `{{user.name}}`       | Your full name          |
| `{{user.email}}`      | Your email address      |

Other variables must be filled in manually when sending.


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