Summary: ◀▼
Use WhatsApp template messages to reply outside the 24-hour window after a customer has started a WhatsApp ticket. You can create template messages with variables or media, submit them for Meta approval, then activate or deactivate approved templates in Admin Center. If a template is rejected, you can edit it, appeal, or create a new one.
If you want your agents to bypass the 24-hour rule by WhatsApp, they can send pre-approved WhatsApp template messages to your end users, as long as end users have already reached out to your business by opening a ticket via WhatsApp.
Before you can set this up, you must have at least one phone number connected to the WhatsApp Business API. If you haven't already done so, complete the process to add WhatsApp channels to the Zendesk Agent workspace.
This article covers the following topics:
About the 24-hour rule
The starting point for the 24-hour window is when a message from the end user is received in the WhatsApp channel. It’s not when the message was received by Support and the ticket was created, for example. If an agent fails to reply within the 24-hour window, the composer is blocked from that conversation, and they can’t send a reply until the end user sends another message, reopening the 24-hour window. You can, however, use a template provided by an admin to communicate with the end user, which can encourage them to respond. The 24-hour window restarts every time the end user sends a message.
Messages sent automatically through the auto-responder meet the criteria for WhatsApp's 24-hour response times.
Creating and submitting WhatsApp template messages via the WhatsApp business account UI
After you've connected your phone number to the WhatsApp Business API, you can create and submit WhatsApp template messages within the WhatsApp Business account UI. For more information about the process, see Create message templates for your WhatsApp Business account in the Meta documentation.
If you submit a WhatsApp template message with a variable, parameter, and/or media, you must submit the actual content as a sample, otherwise WhatsApp will reject it.
“Hi {{1}},
Welcome to the {{2}}, we wish you a great stay. If you need anything, feel free to reach out to {{3}} and they’ll be happy to assist you.
Have a great day,”In this example, the variables are:
{{1}} The end user name
{{2}} The hotel name
{{3}} The team name
Working with WhatsApp templates in Admin Center
After your templates are approved by Meta, they’ll appear on the WhatsApp templates page in Admin Center, where you can activate (make available to agents) and deactivate (hide from agents) them as needed.
To open and manage templates in Admin Center
- In Admin Center,
click
Channels in the sidebar, then select Outbound > WhatsApp
templates. The WhatsApp templates page opens, displaying all
Meta-approved templates:
- On this page, you can:
- Filter the templates list: Click Filter to display templates based on Category, Language, Account, or Status.
- Sort the templates list: Click a column name to list the templates in alphabetical order based on that column.
You can also activate and deactivate templates.
To change a template's activation status
- Select the template you want to update.
- Click the options menu icon (
). - Select Activate or Deactivate, as needed.
- Click Save.
Troubleshooting WhatsApp templates
WhatsApp rejected my WhatsApp template
To find out why your template was rejected, click the template. Depending on the reason for rejection, you can either edit the body, the variable, and the media of your WhatsApp template message, or appeal the decision. However, if your template keeps being rejected, you must create a new one with a new name and content. For more information, see Message template guidelines in the Meta for developers documentation.