Effective June 1, 2023 all the business initiated conversations will be charged based on the new template categories. We will be informing our users of this change in conversation pricing with new rates soon.


:::info
Effective June 1, 2023 all the business initiated conversations will be charged based on the new template categories. We will be informing our users of this change in conversation pricing with new rates soon.

:::

Message Templates are message formats for common reusable messages a business may want to send. Businesses must use Message Templates for sending notifications to customers.

This allows a business to send just the template identifier along with the appropriate parameters instead of the full message content.

This also allows businesses to send well-organized messages to serial customers including media (file/audio/video), customized contents for each customer base on parameters, and having buttons in messages.

Template Messages must be approved before sending them.

**Present Scenario**

At present while creating a message template we need to select a category before submitting the template for review. The different options in Category section at present to choose from are

Account Update, Alert Update, Appointment update, Auto reply etc.

 ![](https://brainfish-storage-prod.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/89bf6e1f-2201-41c2-b229-35494ad335e9/9f6ea336-9187-4f08-b9e7-7ff9e01bf475/migrated?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAUPPN5IL3QLQZLDSU%2F20250509%2Fus-east-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250509T023421Z&X-Amz-Expires=3000&X-Amz-Signature=3c1c4b8e2c53d876c2e96409946a13fb1deda55e2dad05376b14cd0d232c9864&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment)

**New Scenario**

Starting April 1st 2023 the message template approval will require category validation using new categories(this was made compulsory by META). And the new category options will be:

* **Utility conversations** - Facilitate a specific, agreed-upon request or transaction or update to a customer about an ongoing transaction, including post-purchase notifications and recurring billing statements
* **Authentication conversations** - Enable businesses to authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges)
* **Marketing conversations** - Include promotions or offers, informational updates, or invitations for customers to respond / take action. Any conversation that does not qualify as utility or authentication is a marketing conversation.

So now when creating a template the following category should be shown as below.

 ![](https://brainfish-storage-prod.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/89bf6e1f-2201-41c2-b229-35494ad335e9/e2daedf1-07a9-430e-a1fa-44062ca66b01/migrated?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAUPPN5IL3QLQZLDSU%2F20250509%2Fus-east-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250509T023421Z&X-Amz-Expires=3000&X-Amz-Signature=eda38315c82e27d9e635b1adfb23532dbd480114e5e153db9ce26ad238b257c6&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment)

Meta has conveyed that while template submission, the WhatsApp Manager will now validate a template's category as part of the creation or editing process and warn you if the submission will be rejected for categorisation.

**For example:**  If for existing templates someone had selected the ‘Utility’ category, but if META thinks that the relevant category should be ‘Marketing’ then users can see this error in **WhatsApp Manager**.

 ![](https://brainfish-storage-prod.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/89bf6e1f-2201-41c2-b229-35494ad335e9/59f4a26d-fa00-4359-9e20-3cd60608538e/migrated?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAUPPN5IL3QLQZLDSU%2F20250509%2Fus-east-2%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20250509T023421Z&X-Amz-Expires=3000&X-Amz-Signature=f4c2943ea024947117c9e8d600ba42815b12ff9a0b578ebbadfead4f475b6d02&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&response-content-disposition=attachment)


:::info
This ‘Category does-not match’ pop up will also be displayed while template submission from WATI account. It will be displayed only when there is a category mismatch, otherwise the pop up wont get displayed.

:::


:::info
As conveyed by Facebook earlier they have started the migration of all old templates created before April 1st 2023 to the new categories that has been introduced. These category change of templates will now be reflected in your WATI account. Old templates will appear at the top if the categories are updated for them.

:::




What is a template message?

Triggering the AI Support Agent (KnowBot) from a Chatbot flow

AI Support Agent (KnowBot)

AI Support Agent (KnowBot) advanced settings

​AI Support Agent (KnowBot)

Whatsapp Flows

Custom Attributes for Whatsapp Flows

How to create a Rule for keywords

How to create an automation rule?

Learn more about Triggers

Learn more about Actions in Rules

Learn more about Filters in Rules

How to Automatically Assign a Chat to the Last Assignee

Rule-based Automation

CTWA Feature Highlights on WATI

Crash course in CTWA - all you need to know to get started!

Are your CTWA ads giving you good conversions? Track this in Wati with 4 easy steps

Wati and Google CTM Ads

General FAQs: CTWA

Click To Whatsapp Ads

How to manage notifications and sound?

How to change language for WATI?

How to change my timezone in WATI?

Personalize your account

How to add team and assign user to team?

Detail Access Menu of each Roles

How to view, search and delete users?

How to force logout a specific user from all active sessions?

Manage your Users

How to add a single contact?

How to add attributes to a contact?

How to import contacts to Wati?

How can I edit a contact?

How do I remove contacts?

How do I search and sort contacts?

How to add an attribute in bulk to a list of contacts?

How to delete contact attribute in bulk?

Manage your Contacts

Introduction to Team Inbox Analytics

Overview section

Team Inbox scheduled report

Operator Performance chart

Analytics and Reporting

How to enable Catalog feature for your Wati WhatsApp API number

How to send Catalog messages via Keyword action

How to use Wati Chatbot builder to send Catalog Messages

What are sets & How to create sets in your catalog

How to trigger a reply message once the “View sent cart” catalog message is sent from customer

How to use Sync button for Catalog feature

How to collect customer order details from Catalog orders using Google sheets

Orders page to display Catalog orders

How to collect online payment for catalog orders using Razorpay payment gateway

How to enable Auto Checkout and collect payment for my Catalog order?

What are item variants in a catalog

How to add variants for items when Catalog created using Google Sheet

How to set up a checkout flow for catalog orders using Wati Chatbot builder

Mandatory fields & specifications required to be added to product items when creating catalog

Catalog

How Long until My Template is Approved?

How do I increase the expiry time of chats?

What is the difference between template message and session message?

What are actions in Template Messages Page?

What are template formatting rules?

Template Category Guidelines

What is the max numbers of template message submission?

What are the supported languages for template update?

Could I attach a PDF or image into a template message?

How to avoid template message rejection?

How to add buttons with template messages?

How to export and import template messages from one environment to a new environment?

How do I check and add credit to send broadcast template message

How to create and submit template messages in WATI?

Are non-transactional messages allowed with WhatsApp Business APIs?

How to use interactive messages?

How to get Opt-in for WhatsApp Messaging?

Template Message Guidelines

How to add buttons to templates?

How to trigger a chatbot with template?

Troubleshoot template message rejection

How to create a carousel template

What are limited time offer templates?

Understanding Meta’s Latest Updates on Template Approval

Template Messages

What and how to add a Default Action?

Setting working hours

Default Action

What is a Reply Material?

How do I add a Reply Material?

How to use the Sequence feature?

Reply Material

What and how to access Chatbot Builder?

How to build a chatbot?

How to use Questions for Chatbot builder?

How to use Conditions for Chatbot Builder

Advance Chatbot Builder: Setup Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Advance chatbot builder: Setup Assign User / Assign Team

Advance Chatbot builder: Update Attribute

Advance chatbot builder: Webhook

What features are available in advance chatbot builder

Advance Chatbot Builder: Template

How to collect data with Google sheets in Chatbots

Chatbot Builder: What is a node and how many types of node?

Export and Import of Chatbots

Advance Chatbot Builder: Time Delay

How to create list message & message with reply button?

Advanced Chatbot Builder: Trigger Chatbot

Why is my chatbot not working?

How to test a chatbot?

Automatic chat assignment (Round Robin assignment)

How to use Fallback Message

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How to build a Chatbot

Steps to trigger a chatbot in Wati

Chatbot

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What is Keyword Action?

Keyword Action

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How to make a Backward Chatbot?

Automation

Building your WATI chatbot

Tips to send personalized media content broadcast to each number

How to send message to someone who is not in the Contact List?

Is there a limit of broadcast messages?

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What is a Broadcast History?

Where can I see Broadcast Statistics?

How can I search and filter Broadcasts?

How to Troubleshoot Common Errors? 

How to allow users to Opt-Out or Unsubscribe from Broadcasts?

Messaging limit for Click-to-WhatsApp Ads (CTWA)

How to easily broadcast to a subset of your Shopify customers on Wati?

How can I send catalog messages?

How can I use coupon codes?

"Message Undeliverable" when sending template messages

How can I enable click tracking for my templates?

Why is Meta/Wati restricting my messages?

General FAQs: Broadcasts

Broadcast

How to add contact to Favorite?

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How to use quick replies/canned replies?

How to search and filter chats?

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WATI Account running Slow

Copy Conversation URL

Supported media types & sizes on WATI

Understanding Different Chat Statuses

Multi-channel Team Inbox

Phone number masking in Team Inbox

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How to start a new Chat?

How to Transcribe Audio Messages (Beta)

Team Inbox

Export Chats from Wati

WATI and its Features

How to Use a Phone Number Previously Registered With WhatsApp Business

How to Update the Connected Phone Number and Business Portfolio

How to Connect Your WhatsApp Number to Wati

Getting Free WhatsApp Business Phone Numbers from Meta

How to Reconnect your Phone Number to Wati

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Migrating Your WhatsApp Business Account from Another BSP to Wati

Connecting Your WhatsApp Phone Number to Facebook and Instagram

Creating a QR Code for Your WhatsApp Number

Choosing the Right Phone Number for WhatsApp

Phone Number Guide: Everything You Need To Know

Manage Multiple WhatsApp Numbers in a Single Wati Account

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How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) in Wati

Is Wati GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) Compliant?

Wati Security and Data Management

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How to Create your First Chatbot

Creating Your Wati Account

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Managing Notifications and Sounds in Wati

How to Configure Auto replies and OOO messages

How to Create Your First Template Message

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Introduction to the Team Inbox

Marketing Messages Lite (MM Lite): All you need to Know

Getting Started

Steps to Complete Facebook Business Verification

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How to Apply for Official WhatsApp Business Account (Blue Tick Verification)

A Deep Dive into WhatsApp Manager: What You Should Know

WhatsApp Business Account (WABA): Everything You Need To Know

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