Message templates
A template is a message you write once, send to Meta (WhatsApp's owner) for review, and then reuse. WhatsApp only lets a business start a conversation, or message someone after a 24-hour gap, with an approved template. You'll find them under Automation → Templates in the left sidebar.
Who can use this page
Only admins see the Templates page. Agents can still send approved templates from the inbox. See Team members and roles.
When do I need a template?
WhatsApp has a 24-hour window. Each time a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens for that chat.
| Situation | What you can send |
|---|---|
| The customer wrote to you in the last 24 hours | Anything: normal text, photos, files, buttons. No template needed. |
| The customer last wrote more than 24 hours ago | Only an approved template. |
| You're messaging someone for the first time | Only an approved template. |
| You're sending a broadcast to many people | Usually a template. A "Regular message" broadcast only reaches people who wrote in the last 24 hours. |
So you need templates for things like order updates, appointment reminders, offers, follow-ups and broadcasts. Once the customer replies to your template, the window opens and your team can chat normally again.
Where are templates used in KiliChat?
- Broadcasts: send one template to many contacts.
- Sequences: drip follow-ups over days.
- Flows: the Template step reaches customers even after 24 hours.
- The inbox: the Template button in the reply box, when the 24-hour window is closed. See the inbox guide.
- The API: your own systems can send templates.
What does a template go through?
Every template has a status. You can filter by status with the tabs at the top of the page.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Saved in KiliChat only. Meta hasn't seen it. You can still edit it. |
| In review | Sent to Meta. Wait for their decision. |
| Approved | Ready to use everywhere. |
| Rejected | Meta said no, or stopped the template (for example it was paused). The reason shows in red on the card. You can edit and send it again. |
The four boxes at the top of the page count your Approved, In review, Drafts and Rejected templates.
How do I make my first template?
- Click Ready-made to start from one of our examples, or New template to start from scratch.
- Fill in the name, category, language and message. See Create a template.
- Click Save draft.
- On the template's card, click Submit. You'll see "Sent to Meta for review".
- Wait for the status to change to Approved. See Approval and rejection.
Can I use templates I already made in Meta's WhatsApp Manager?
Yes. Click Sync from Meta at the top of the Templates page. KiliChat copies in every template from your WhatsApp Business account, with its status and quality rating.
A few templates use features KiliChat can't send yet, such as named variables ({{customer_name}} instead of {{1}}), a location header or a changing text header. After syncing you'll see "Can't send yet:" with their names. Those templates are marked Rejected with the reason "Uses features this app can't send yet", so nobody picks them by mistake.
TIP
If you change or approve templates in Meta's WhatsApp Manager, click Sync from Meta again to bring KiliChat up to date.
Does it cost anything to create a template?
No. Creating and reviewing templates is free. Meta charges when a template message is delivered, and bills your business directly. See What do broadcasts cost?.
Pages in this section
- Template categories: marketing, utility and authentication
- Create a template: name, language, message, variables and examples
- Headers: text, image, video, document and location
- Buttons: quick reply, website, call and copy code
- Carousel templates
- Limited-time offer templates
- Ready-made templates
- Approval and rejection
- Quality, editing and deleting
- Sending values: the file, link ending or code used when sending