Templates
Create and manage WhatsApp message templates in Missive.
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.
Open WhatsApp Manager
Log in to Meta Business Manager
Navigate to your WhatsApp Business Account
Go to WhatsApp Manager > Message Templates
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
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 variables like {{1}}, {{2}} or named variables like {{customer_name}} for personalization.
Submit for approval
Review your template and submit it to WhatsApp for approval. This usually takes a few hours to a day.
Approval tips:
Keep templates professional and clear
Avoid promotional language in transactional templates
Follow WhatsApp's template guidelines
Use in Missive
Once approved, templates automatically sync to Missive and are ready to use.
Send a template in Missive
Open the template picker
For new conversations:
Click the new message button
Select New WhatsApp Message
Enter the recipient's phone number
Click the template icon in the composer
For existing conversations:
Open the conversation
Click the template icon in the composer
Select a template
Choose the template you want to send from the list.
Fill in variables
If your template has variables, enter values for each one. Preview how the message will appear.
Send
Review your message and click Send Template.
Auto-fill variables
Missive can automatically fill these variables when contact data is available:
{{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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