Overview

A template is a pre-approved message structure you can send at any time, regardless of whether a 24h session is open. Meta approves templates per category, language, and content. Until a template is approved, you cannot use it.

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Category

Every template has exactly one category. Meta prices and enforces each one independently: Meta can reclassify a template post-approval based on content heuristics and user signals. The ApifyCloud console flags this with a category change indicator on the template list and detail view.

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Structure

A template is assembled from:

• Header (optional): TEXT, IMAGE, VIDEO, DOCUMENT, or LOCATION. Text headers allow one variable.
• Body (required): the main content, plain text with optional variables ({{1}}, {{2}}, … or named like {{first_name}}).
• Footer (optional): a short trailing line (no variables).
• Buttons (optional): up to the Meta-allowed count, mixing allowed types.

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Variables and personalisation

Template bodies and many button types accept variables — placeholders you fill in at send time so the same template personalises per recipient. Two naming styles, both supported:

• Indexed: {{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}, …
• Named: {{first_name}}, {{order_id}}, {{amount}}, …

Pick one style per template and stay consistent. Named variables are easier to read in complex templates; indexed ones are more compact for short messages.

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Where variables can appear

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Filling variables at send time

• Campaign: the wizard maps each variable to a column of the contact list (or a constant)
• Direct message (Messages tab): the composer asks for each variable’s value
• Flow: the Template node maps variables to flow variables or contact attributes
• Public API: variable values are passed in the request body

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Sample values for Meta’s review

When submitting a template, you must provide sample values for every variable. Meta uses them to render the template during review — so use realistic examples (Ana, A-10042, $1,250), not placeholders like FIRSTNAME or the literal {{1}}. Sample values don’t affect actual sends; they’re only for review.

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Languages

Templates are language-scoped. en, es, pt_BR, es_AR, fr, de — Meta supports ~90 locales. A single template name can exist in multiple languages; each language is submitted and approved separately.

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Button types

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Call Permission Request (CPR) flag

A template can be flagged as a CPR (is_cpr = true) if it has at least one VOICE_CALL button. Sending a CPR template to a user asks for their permission for your business to call them inside WhatsApp. Rules:

• CPR requires at least one VOICE_CALL button
• CPR is mutually exclusive with most other flags and with PHONE_NUMBER buttons
• Only templates in approved status and flagged as CPR can be selected as the CPR template in a Call Permission Request

The CPR toggle appears in the template editor only when the template has at least one VOICE_CALL button.

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Status lifecycle

Only approved templates are selectable for sending. The picker shows all statuses but disables non-approved entries with a reason. Full walkthrough of approval, pausing, disabled, and archival: Approval flow.

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Edit restrictions post-approval

Meta is strict about what you can change once a template is approved: The console disables fields you can’t edit and explains why.

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Limits

Meta enforces per-template edit rate limits. When you reach them, the template editor surfaces the remaining quota and blocks further edits until the window rolls over — so you don’t burn an edit on a typo.

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Sync

Templates stay in sync whether you authored them in ApifyCloud or in your provider’s dashboard — approval status, rejection reasons, category changes, and new templates flow both ways automatically.

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What’s next