Guidelines for utility, authentication and marketing templates

Utility templates

Utility templates relate to a specific, agreed-upon transaction and accomplish one of the following: Confirm, suspend, or change a transaction or subscription.

Any template that has a mix of utility and marketing content will be classified as a marketing template.

Definition	Examples
Confirm or suspend an existing transaction	"Your order #0021 is confirmed" "Thank you for your reservation! See you next week" "Your payment was received! We hope you enjoy the concert!" "Thank you for visiting the doctor, here is your treatment plan" "Your order has been canceled; your refund will be processed in 7-10 days"
Change or update a transaction	"You have successfully checked in! Here’s your boarding pass for your flight" "Your order has shipped! It will be delivered on Friday" "Reminder: Your appointment is at 1pm on Tuesday" "Your password was changed" "Your profile was updated"
Account, billing, or payment notification	"Here is the monthly statement you requested" "Your payment was accepted” / "Your payment failed" Reminder: your payment is due on Tuesday" "Here is your low-balance warning for account ending in -XXXX" "Your pre-paid balance is low; click here to top up"

Authentication templates

These requirements will apply to authentication templates starting May 29, 2023.

Authentication templates enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes (usually 4-8 digit alphanumeric codes), potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).

Authentication templates are our most restricted. Businesses must use WhatsApp’s preset authentication message templates, which includes optional add-ons like security disclaimers and expiry warnings. In addition, authentication templates must configure a one-time password button (copy code or one-tap).

URLs, media, and emojis are not allowed for authentication template content or parameters. Additional length restrictions of 15 characters also apply to parameters.

Definition	Examples
Provide an authentication code to the user	"{{1}} is your verification code." "{{1}} is your verification code. For your security, do not share this code." "{{1}} is your verification code. This code expires in 15 minutes."

Marketing templates

Marketing templates are our most flexible – they do not relate to a specific, agreed-upon transaction and instead may relate to the business and/or its products/services. These templates may include promotions or offers; welcoming / closing messages; updates, invitations or recommendations; or requests to respond or complete a new transaction.

Any template that has a mix of utility and marketing content will be classified as a marketing template.

Definition	Examples
Promotions or offers	"If you buy 2 or more coffees, you’ll get $5 off!" "Thanks for your order! Use code SAVE20 for 20% off your next order! "Your pre-paid balance is low; click here to top up! Get a 10% bonus with code EXTRA10" "Hey members join us tonight for this event"
Welcoming or closing messages	"This is Vinny’s Bakery and we are now on WhatsApp!" "Hello, welcome to our profile on WhatsApp!" "I'm sorry for the delay, my name is XX, how can I help you?" "Thank you, have a good day" "A question for you - how much time are you spending doing your hair?"
Updates, invitations, newsletters, or recommendations	"Our store has moved. Come and check us out!" "We will be closed next Monday for the holiday" "Good news! The product you saved is back in stock." "Join us for our upcoming holiday gala!" "Here are this month’s coupons – happy shopping!" "We think you will love this – check out our new ice cream flavor"
Requests to respond or complete a new transaction	"Thank you for your order. We’d love your feedback. Please click here." "Forgot something? We kept your items, click to check out" "Your application is waiting for you. Click here to complete" "You missed your recent appointment, tap here to rebook."