By QuickMessage Team · Last updated October 21, 2026
Quick answer
Every WhatsApp Business API template must be a marketing, utility or authentication template, and Meta reviews it, usually within 24 hours. The body can be up to 1,024 characters, the header and footer up to 60, with up to 10 buttons. After approval, each template gets a quality rating: if it falls to low quality, Meta pauses it for 3 hours, then 6 hours, and disables it the third time. Meta can also move a template to a different category if its content does not match.
Templates are the only way to start a conversation on the WhatsApp Business API, so the rules around them decide whether your order updates, OTPs and campaigns actually reach customers. This guide covers the rules Meta applies before and after approval: character limits, variables, how many templates you can have, quality ratings, pausing and category changes.
Looking for ready-made examples instead? See our WhatsApp message templates with examples. Got a rejection? Read template rejection reasons and fixes.
The three template categories
Marketing
Offers, announcements, product launches, re-engagement and anything with promotional intent.
Utility
Updates about something the customer already did: order confirmations, delivery alerts, payment reminders. Must contain no promotional or persuasive content.
Authentication
One-time passwords for login, sign-up or account recovery, sent in Meta's fixed format with a button to copy or autofill the code.
Meta checks the category you choose against the content. A template that mixes utility and marketing content, for example an order update with a discount code, is treated as marketing. The category also sets the price: on QuickMessage a marketing message costs ₹0.96 and a utility or authentication message ₹0.18 (see pricing).
Template parts and character limits
| Part | Limit |
|---|---|
| Header (text) | 60 characters, with at most 1 variable |
| Header (media) | Image, video or document |
| Body | 1,024 characters, multiple variables allowed |
| Footer | 60 characters |
| Buttons (total) | Up to 10 |
| Quick reply buttons | Up to 10, label up to 25 characters |
| URL buttons | Up to 2, label up to 25 characters |
| Phone number button | 1, label up to 25 characters |
| Copy code button | 1, the copied code up to 20 characters |
Source: Meta's template components documentation.
Rules for variables
- Positional variables are numbered in order, starting from {{1}}. This is the default format.
- Named variables must be unique and use only lowercase letters and underscores, for example {{order_id}}.
- Every variable needs a sample value when you submit the template, so the reviewer can see what the message will look like.
- Keep enough fixed text around variables. A template that is mostly variables, or that starts or ends with one, is a common reason for rejection.
How approval works
Templates are reviewed automatically when you create or edit them, and review can take up to 24 hours. Only templates with an approved (Active) status can be sent. In WhatsApp Manager you will see these statuses:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| In review | Meta is checking it, usually within 24 hours. |
| Rejected | Fix the issue and submit again, or appeal. |
| Active | Approved and ready to send, shown with its quality rating. |
| Paused | Temporarily blocked after low quality. Cannot be sent. |
| Disabled | Blocked after repeated low quality. Edit and resubmit it. |
| Appeal requested | You have asked Meta to review a decision again. |
How many templates you can have
- 250 templates per WhatsApp account if your business portfolio is not verified.
- Up to 6,000 templates once your business is verified and at least one phone number has an approved display name.
- 100 new templates per hour at most, per account.
Template quality rating
After approval, Meta rates each template based on how customers respond to it: usage, feedback and engagement, including how often it is read.
Quality pending
Every new template starts here.
High
Customers engage well.
Medium
Warning sign, often low read rates.
Low
At risk of being paused.
Why templates get paused or disabled
When a template reaches low quality, Meta pauses it to protect customers:
- First time: paused for 3 hours.
- Second time: paused for 6 hours.
- Third time: disabled.
A paused template cannot be sent; send attempts are rejected and are not charged. A disabled template can be edited and submitted again for approval. Source: Meta's template pausing documentation.
When Meta changes a template's category
Meta regularly reviews approved templates and updates the category of any that do not match the guidelines. The most common change is utility to marketing, which also raises the price per message.
- Meta gives 1 day's notice by email and webhook before moving a utility template to marketing. Businesses that have been warned before may get no advance notice.
- You have 60 days to appeal a category change, through WhatsApp Manager and Business Support Home.
- The simplest prevention: keep transactional updates free of offers, discounts and calls to buy.
Limits on marketing templates per customer
Meta also limits how many marketing templates a single person receives, to keep WhatsApp useful for users. If a marketing template is held back for this reason, the API returns error 131049 ("to maintain healthy ecosystem engagement"); utility, authentication and service messages are not affected. Wait at least a day before trying that customer again, and read our guide to WhatsApp error 131049.
Checklist for templates that get approved and stay healthy
- Choose the category that honestly matches the content; never hide an offer inside a utility template.
- Write clear, specific text with sample values for every variable.
- Add a quick reply such as "Stop offers" to marketing templates so unhappy customers opt out instead of blocking you.
- Send marketing only to people who opted in, and segment your list instead of messaging everyone.
- Watch quality ratings weekly and rewrite any template that drops to medium.
- Use the right language code; Meta does not translate templates for you.
Frequently asked questions
How long does WhatsApp template approval take?
Meta reviews templates automatically when you create or edit them, and review can take up to 24 hours.
What is the character limit for a WhatsApp template?
The body can have up to 1,024 characters. A text header and the footer can each have up to 60 characters, and button labels up to 25.
Why was my WhatsApp template paused?
Its quality rating fell to low, which happens when customers give negative feedback or rarely read it. Meta pauses it for 3 hours the first time, 6 hours the second time and disables it the third time.
Can Meta change my template from utility to marketing?
Yes. Meta reviews approved templates and moves those that do not match the utility guidelines to marketing, usually with one day's notice. You can appeal within 60 days.
How many templates can I create?
Up to 250 per WhatsApp account before business verification, and up to 6,000 after verification with an approved display name. You can create at most 100 templates per hour.
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