Template Approval Process

All WhatsApp templates must be approved by Meta before they can be used to send messages. This guide explains the approval process, common rejection reasons, and how to track template status.

Approval Workflow

Submitting for Approval

Via Dashboard

Go to Senders > Select sender > Templates tab
Find the template with “Draft” status
Click the … menu and select Submit for Approval
The status will change to “Pending”

Via API

// Submit a draft template for approval
await zavu.templates.submit({
  templateId: 'tmpl_abc123',
});

# Submit a draft template for approval
client.templates.submit(template_id="tmpl_abc123")

# Submit a draft template for approval
client.templates.submit(template_id: "tmpl_abc123")

// Submit a draft template for approval
_, err := client.Templates.Submit(context.TODO(), "tmpl_abc123", zavudev.TemplateSubmitParams{})

// Submit a draft template for approval
$client->templates->submit('tmpl_abc123');

curl -X POST https://api.zavu.dev/v1/templates/tmpl_abc123/submit \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ZAVU_API_KEY"

Template Status

Status	Description	Can Send?
`draft`	Not yet submitted to Meta	No
`pending`	Submitted, awaiting Meta review	No
`approved`	Approved by Meta	Yes
`rejected`	Rejected by Meta	No

Approval Timeline

Typical review time: 24-48 hours
Complex templates: Up to 72 hours
Peak periods: May take longer during high volume

Meta reviews templates for compliance with their Business Messaging Policy. Ensure your templates follow these guidelines before submitting.

Tracking Status Changes

Webhooks

Configure webhooks to receive real-time notifications when template status changes:

{
  "id": "evt_1702000000000_abc123",
  "type": "template.status_changed",
  "timestamp": 1702000000000,
  "senderId": "sender_xyz",
  "projectId": "proj_abc",
  "data": {
    "templateId": "tmpl_123",
    "name": "order_confirmation",
    "previousStatus": "pending",
    "currentStatus": "approved",
    "rejectionReason": null
  }
}

Enable the webhook event:

Go to Senders > Select sender > Webhooks tab
Add template.status_changed to your webhook events

Polling

Check template status via API:

const template = await zavu.templates.get({
  templateId: 'tmpl_abc123'
});

console.log('Status:', template.whatsappStatus);
if (template.rejectionReason) {
  console.log('Rejection reason:', template.rejectionReason);
}

Common Rejection Reasons

Content Policy Violations

Templates that violate Meta’s policies will be rejected. Common violations include:

Misleading content
Prohibited products/services
Spammy language
Missing opt-out information for marketing

Formatting Issues

Issue	Solution
Invalid variable format	Use `{{1}}`, `{{2}}` format
Too many variables	Limit to 10 variables per component
Variable in wrong position	Variables can’t be at start of template
Button URL without variable	Dynamic URLs must include variables

Category Mismatch

Templates may be rejected if the category doesn’t match the content:

UTILITY templates shouldn’t contain promotional content
MARKETING templates need clear opt-out language
AUTHENTICATION templates should only contain OTP/verification content

Language Issues

Template body must match the declared language
Special characters may cause issues in some languages
Emojis should be used sparingly

Fixing Rejected Templates

When a template is rejected:

Check the rejection reason in the dashboard or API response
Edit the template to fix the issues
Resubmit for approval

// Update a rejected template
await zavu.templates.update({
  templateId: 'tmpl_abc123',
  body: 'Updated message content that addresses the rejection reason'
});

// Resubmit for approval
await zavu.templates.submit({
  templateId: 'tmpl_abc123',
});

Editing an approved template will reset its status to “draft” and require re-approval.

Best Practices for Approval

Be Clear and Specific

Vague templates are more likely to be rejected. Be specific about the purpose.

Match Category to Content

Ensure your template category accurately reflects the message type.

Avoid Promotional Language in UTILITY

UTILITY templates should be purely transactional without marketing content.

Include Opt-Out for MARKETING

Marketing templates should include clear unsubscribe instructions.

Template Examples

Good UTILITY Template

Hi {{1}}, your order #{{2}} has shipped!

Tracking number: {{3}}
Estimated delivery: {{4}}

Track your package: https://example.com/track/{{2}}

Good MARKETING Template

Hi {{1}}!

We have a special offer just for you: {{2}}% off your next purchase!

Use code: {{3}}
Valid until: {{4}}

Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Good AUTHENTICATION Template

Your verification code is {{1}}.

This code expires in 10 minutes. Do not share this code with anyone.

Rate Limits

Action	Limit
Submit templates	100/minute
Templates per WABA	250 total

Getting Started

Concepts

Guides

Template Approval Process

Approval Workflow

Submitting for Approval

Via Dashboard

Via API

Template Status

Approval Timeline

Tracking Status Changes

Webhooks

Polling

Common Rejection Reasons

Content Policy Violations

Formatting Issues

Category Mismatch

Language Issues

Fixing Rejected Templates

Best Practices for Approval

Be Clear and Specific

Match Category to Content

Avoid Promotional Language in UTILITY

Include Opt-Out for MARKETING

Template Examples

Good UTILITY Template

Good MARKETING Template

Good AUTHENTICATION Template

Rate Limits

Next Steps

Send Template Messages

Configure Webhooks

​Approval Workflow

​Submitting for Approval

​Via Dashboard

​Via API

​Template Status

​Approval Timeline

​Tracking Status Changes

​Webhooks

​Polling

​Common Rejection Reasons

​Content Policy Violations

​Formatting Issues

​Category Mismatch

​Language Issues

​Fixing Rejected Templates

​Best Practices for Approval

Be Clear and Specific

Match Category to Content

Avoid Promotional Language in UTILITY

Include Opt-Out for MARKETING

​Template Examples

​Good UTILITY Template

​Good MARKETING Template

​Good AUTHENTICATION Template

​Rate Limits

​Next Steps

Send Template Messages

Configure Webhooks

Approval Workflow

Submitting for Approval

Via Dashboard

Via API

Template Status

Approval Timeline

Tracking Status Changes

Webhooks

Polling

Common Rejection Reasons

Content Policy Violations

Formatting Issues

Category Mismatch

Language Issues

Fixing Rejected Templates

Best Practices for Approval

Template Examples

Good UTILITY Template

Good MARKETING Template

Good AUTHENTICATION Template

Rate Limits

Next Steps