WhatsApp templates
Create and manage the WhatsApp message templates your campaigns send. Covers categories, languages, variables, headers and footers, and approval status.
View as MarkdownWhatsApp requires that any message you send to open a conversation use a pre-approved message template. Templates are the building block of Outbound campaigns: a campaign picks a template, fills in its variables per recipient, and sends it.
Open an agent → Outbound → the Templates manager. Here you create, edit, and delete the templates available to campaigns.
Anatomy of a template
Each template has a few defining fields:
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Name | A lowercase identifier (letters, numbers, underscores), e.g. order_shipped. |
| Category | How WhatsApp classifies the message: marketing, utility, or authentication. |
| Language | The template language code, e.g. en_US. |
| Body | The message text, with {{1}} / {{name}} placeholders for variables. |
| Header | An optional header (text or media) shown above the body. |
| Footer | An optional short line of text below the body. |
| Status | approved, pending, or rejected — only approved templates can be sent. |
Template categories
WhatsApp routes and prices messages by category, and the category affects what content is allowed:
| Category | Use it for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions and re-engagement. | Sales, product launches, win-back offers. |
| Utility | Transactional updates tied to an action the customer took. | Order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders. |
| Authentication | One-time passcodes and verification. | Login OTPs, password resets. |
Choosing the accurate category improves approval odds and deliverability. Don't label a promotion as utility — WhatsApp may reject or reclassify it.
Create a template
- 1Open the Templates managerIn the Outbound tab, switch to Templates and click New template.
- 2Set name, category, and languageUse a clear lowercase name. Choose the category that matches the message and the language code your customers read.
- 3Write the body with variablesAdd the message text and insert {{1}}, {{2}}, … (or named placeholders) wherever content should be personalized per recipient.
- 4Add a header or footer (optional)Headers can carry a title or media; footers are a short trailing line such as an opt-out note.
- 5SaveBookbag counts the variables and stores the template so campaigns can use it.
Hi {{1}}, good news — your order {{2}} is on its way!
Expected delivery: {{3}}. Reply here with any questions.Variables
Placeholders in the body are detected automatically and counted. When a campaign uses the template, each variable is mapped to a contact field, a custom attribute, or a static value and rendered per recipient. See Outbound campaigns → Personalization.
Use sequential placeholders ({{1}}, {{2}}, {{3}}) and make sure every one maps to a real value at send time. Unmapped placeholders render literally, which looks broken to the customer.
Approval status
In production, WhatsApp reviews templates before they can be sent, so a template moves through pending → approved (or rejected). Only approved templates can be selected in a campaign — attempting to send an unapproved template is blocked.
Templates you create in Bookbag are available to campaigns immediately for design and simulation; real sends require the template to be approved on your WhatsApp account.
Editing and deleting
- Edit a template to change its body, category, language, header, or footer. Changing the body re-counts variables.
- Delete a template you no longer use. Existing campaigns keep a snapshot of the template text they sent, so deleting a template doesn't alter past campaigns.