Templates
Build and manage the pre-approved messages you need to reach customers outside the 24-hour window.
A template is a message format approved by WhatsApp in advance. Templates are the only way to message a customer more than 24 hours after their last message — which makes them the backbone of campaigns and re-engagement.
Creating a Template
Click Create Templates. A new template is built one step at a time, with a phone preview on the right that updates as you type.
Start — choose what to start from:
- Meta's library — wording Meta has already written. See below.
- RateUp starters — our own ready-made templates, which you can edit freely.
- Start from scratch — a blank message. The only way to make a Marketing template.
Setup — enter a Template Name (lower-case letters and underscores only; customers never see it) and pick the WhatsApp number it belongs to. A starter or blank template also asks for the Category, Language and Template type.
Message and Buttons — write the header, body, footer and buttons. Every field is described in the template editor.
Review — check the summary, click Change on any row to fix it, then Submit to Meta.
You can't skip ahead: Continue stays disabled until the current step is complete, and the reason shows beside it in red, for example "Pick the WhatsApp number it's sent from". A step you have already finished can be reopened from the progress bar. If you go back to Start and pick something else, the later steps lock again because the template begins afresh.
Save as draft is on every step after Start. It keeps the template in RateUp without sending
anything to Meta. Ctrl/Cmd + S does the same.
Start From Meta's Library
Meta's template library holds ready-written messages for common updates: deliveries, appointments, payments, one-time codes. Meta wrote the wording to its own rules, so these templates are usually approved quickly. Some are Pre-approved by Meta and can be sent as soon as they are created.
| Control | Does |
|---|---|
| Search | Searches the library: delivery, payment, appointment… |
| Number picker | Which of your WhatsApp numbers to browse with. The library can differ between business accounts |
| Category | All, Utility or Authentication |
| Topic | Narrows to one use, such as Order management or Event reminder. The count is how many templates match |
| Load more | Fetches the next page of the library |
The library has Utility and Authentication templates only. For a promotion, use Start from scratch.
Picking a library template changes the steps to Start → Setup → Details → Review:
Setup — the name is filled in from the template, and you can change it. Category and Language are locked: "Set by the library entry you picked."
Details — Meta's wording is shown locked. Fill in what it needs from you:
- Where the buttons go — the link a button opens, or the phone number it calls (with the
country code). End a link with
{{1}}to add a different value on every send, such as an order number, then give an Example value for{{1}}. - Fixed text — some templates ask for text that becomes a permanent part of the message, such as your business name. Never put a customer's details here.
Review — the Source row shows the library template you started from. Click Create template.
Change Meta's wording
Click Customize the wording on Details to turn the library template into an ordinary one. Its text, links and phone numbers carry over into the Message and Buttons steps, where you can change anything. It then goes through Meta's full review like any template you write yourself, and a pre-approved template loses that status.
A draft saved from a library pick is also kept as an ordinary template, so it gets the full review when you submit it.
Review and Submit
| Button | Shown | Does |
|---|---|---|
| Submit to Meta | A new template | Sends it to Meta for review |
| Create template | A library template you have not customised | Creates it on your account from Meta's library |
| Save & resubmit | Editing an existing template | Saves your edit and sends it back to Meta for review |
Meta reviews a new template "usually within minutes and at most 24 hours". Its status shows on the Templates page.
Message Structure
| Part | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Header | Optional title, image, video or document |
| Body | The message itself — supports bold, italic, strikethrough and monospace |
| Footer | Optional small print |
| Buttons | Optional actions |
Variables
Insert {{1}}, {{2}} and so on to personalise a template — a name, an order number, a date.
Click Add Variable where you want it. The next free placeholder — {{1}}, then {{2}} — is
inserted at the cursor.
Fill in its row under Sample values. Meta reviews the template with these examples and rejects it if any are missing. Real values are filled in on each send.
Variables are positional. Reordering your text without reordering the values breaks every send — always preview before submitting.
Button Types
| Type | Does |
|---|---|
| Quick Reply Buttons | Sends a canned reply back to you |
| Call-To-Action Buttons | Visit a Website or Call phone number |
| Catalog Buttons | Opens your product catalog |
| Authentication Buttons | One-time password flows — Copy offer code, code expiration |
| RateUp Interactive Buttons | Opens a RateUp Web Survey or a Flow |
Rules the editor enforces:
- A maximum of 12 buttons
- Only one authentication button
- Flow and catalog (MPM) buttons are exclusive — remove one to add the other
Approval
Submitted templates are reviewed by WhatsApp. Until approved, a template cannot be sent.
Common rejection causes:
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Missing variable examples | Fill in an example for every variable |
| Promotional content in a utility category | Pick the right category |
| Vague or misleading wording | Say plainly what the message is |
| Wrong language selected | Match the language to the content |
Get templates approved before the campaign you need them for. Approval is not instant, and a rejection means starting the wait again.
Managing Templates
| Action | Notes |
|---|---|
| Preview | See the rendered message before submitting |
| Edit | Change a draft |
| Create Draft | Copy an existing template as a starting point |
| Sync | Pull the latest approval status from WhatsApp |
| View analytics | Sends, reads, button clicks and cost from Meta — see Template Analytics |
| Delete | Removes the template |
| Filter by Teams | Narrow the list to one team's templates |
Related Pages
- Template Editor — every field and rule in the editor
- Template Analytics — how each template performs
- Campaigns — sending a template to many people
- Sending Templates — sending one from a conversation
- Flows