Creating a WhatsApp template

WhatsApp only lets a business start a conversation (or write after the 24-hour window) with a template Meta has approved. You write templates in OmniBrand's template builder, and Meta reviews each one before it can be sent.

Where to find them

Open WhatsApp and the Templates tab (/app/whatsapp/templates). Each template is listed once by its name, with one line per language. A line shows the language, the status, Quality: medium or Quality: low when customers block or report it, a coming category change (for example Becomes Marketing on 1 Oct 2026) and when a broadcast or the inbox last used it (Used 3 days ago, Used today, Never used).

• WhatsApp number: with more than one number, pick one or All numbers. Templates belong to the WhatsApp Business Account, so numbers on the same account share their templates; with All numbers each account is a group headed On followed by its numbers.
• Search: part of the name (with or without underscores) or words in the message.
• Status: Needs attention (rejected, paused, disabled, medium or low quality, or about to become Marketing), Approved, In review, Rejected, Paused, Disabled or deleted or Draft.
• Category and Language narrow the list further. Clear filters shows everything again.
• Refresh from WhatsApp reads the list from Meta now (it is refreshed every 15 minutes anyway), for example after creating a template in WhatsApp Manager. Templates made there show Made in WhatsApp Manager.

Step by step: create one

1. Press New template (Owners, Admins and Editors; see Roles and tasks).
2. Write the template in the builder and press Submit for review. Every step and field is explained in Building a WhatsApp template step by step.
3. It shows In review. Meta decides within 24 hours, usually in minutes, and the status changes to Approved or Rejected by itself.
4. Once approved, press Use in broadcast on the template: the new-broadcast steps open on its number with the template already picked. You can also pick it on the Number & template step of a WhatsApp broadcast; there, Create template opens the builder in a new tab and the broadcast's template list refreshes when you come back.

The template page

Press a template's name or one of its language lines to open its page:

• The phone preview, as customers will see it (sample values in place of the variables).
• Details: WhatsApp number, Category (with You chose when Meta changed the category you picked), Quality, Created, Submitted to Meta, Approved, Last used, Message validity (how long WhatsApp keeps trying to deliver to a phone that is off; "Meta's default" when you did not set one, see Building a WhatsApp template step by step) and, for an approved template, Edits in the last 30 days (Meta allows 10, one a day).
• History: every step with its date and who or what caused it: by a teammate, from Meta, or seen on WhatsApp (found by the 15-minute refresh). Above it, Results shows how the template did in your broadcasts and, with template insights on, Meta's own numbers (Broadcast results).
• A coloured box at the top when there is something to do: rejected, paused, becoming Marketing, flagged for low quality, disabled or in review. What each template status means explains each one.

The buttons at the top:

• Edit opens it in the builder (Open in builder when it can't be changed, for example while it is in review). A rejected template shows Fix and resubmit instead.
• Unpause on a paused template, Use in broadcast on an approved one.
• Duplicate makes a draft copy. Add language asks for a language and makes a draft copy in it, opened in the builder.
• Delete asks first. A draft is only removed from OmniBrand. A template Meta has is deleted at Meta too, in this language only, unless you tick Also delete every other language of its name. Meta will not accept the name of a deleted approved template again for 30 days, and broadcasts can no longer send it.

Try with a contact (approved templates; Owner, Admin and Editor) shows what one person would get from this template in a broadcast:

1. Under Try with a contact, search for a contact by name, phone, handle or e-mail and press Choose.
2. The Simulation box shows their message on the phone, filled with their own details through the template's variable sources and fallbacks, and the badge Sends, Waits, Over the cap, Skipped (a value missing for them, with the variable) or Left out (said STOP, no marketing consent, a US number, no WhatsApp number). Values lists what fills each variable. Nothing is sent.
3. Send test sends that message to your test numbers (WhatsApp broadcasts explains the test limits). Choose another contact starts again.

A variable with no source and no fallback in the template shows under Fix these before you create the broadcast: a broadcast has to say what fills it (or give it a fallback in the builder).

Several at once

1. Tick the box in front of each language line to remove, or Select all shown above the list.
2. Press Delete in the bar at the bottom (Clear selection undoes the ticks).
3. The confirmation says how many are drafts, how many are deleted at Meta, and which names Meta locks for 30 days. Press Delete.

The menu at the end of each line (⋯) has the same actions for that language: Open, Edit (or Fix and resubmit), Use in broadcast, Duplicate, Add language and Delete.

If something goes wrong

• No templates on this number yet → press New template.
• No templates match → press Clear filters.
• No WhatsApp number connected → connect one on Accounts.
• A template made in WhatsApp Manager is missing → press Refresh from WhatsApp.
• A template opens but can't be changed → it is in review, disabled, archived or deleted, or you don't have the Manage WhatsApp templates task. The note at the top of the builder says which.
• Use in broadcast is missing → only approved templates can be sent, and starting a broadcast needs the Owner, Admin or Editor role.
• After a delete, a message says some were not deleted → the reason follows it. Usually Meta has not returned the template's id yet: press Refresh from WhatsApp and delete again.
• A template was rejected → see My WhatsApp template was rejected.

Related

• Building a WhatsApp template step by step
• What each template status means
• WhatsApp template rules
• WhatsApp broadcasts
• Replying on each channel