WhatsApp Message Template Examples: 40 Business Message Templates to Copy
Real WhatsApp template samples for orders, shipping, appointments, payments, verification codes, and promotions. Written the way Meta approves them, with variables in place and a clear note on which ones actually deliver to US numbers.
Every sample below uses Meta's numbered variable format.
Anatomy of a template
UtilityShort answer: a WhatsApp message template is a pre-written message you submit to Meta for approval, with variables like {{1}} and {{2}} standing in for the details you fill at send time. You need one because a template is the only way to start a conversation with someone who has not messaged you first. Templates fall into three categories, and the category decides both what you pay and whether the message arrives: utility templates cover things the customer asked for, such as order and appointment updates, authentication templates carry one-time codes, and marketing templates promote something. The 40 samples below are grouped that way. One warning if your customers are American: marketing templates do not currently reach US phone numbers, while utility and authentication templates do.
Last updated July 2026.
How WhatsApp template variables work
Meta uses numbered placeholders wrapped in double curly braces. The first variable in the message is {{1}}, the second is {{2}}, and so on, counted in the order they appear. When you send, you pass a value for each one and WhatsApp substitutes it. So a template body of "Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has shipped" sent with the values Sarah and A-4471 arrives as "Hi Sarah, your order A-4471 has shipped."
A few rules save you a rejection. A template cannot start or end with a variable, and you cannot put two variables next to each other with nothing between them, because Meta cannot tell what the message is supposed to say. Always write real words around your placeholders. Give a sample value for every variable when you submit, since reviewers read the filled-in version, not the skeleton.
Beyond the body, a template can carry an optional header (text, image, document, or video), a footer, and buttons. Buttons are where a lot of the value sits: a quick-reply button lets the customer respond with a tap, and a call-to-action button can open a URL or dial a phone number. Approval usually takes minutes to a few hours, though Meta allows itself up to 24 hours. If you want the mechanics in full, see WhatsApp message templates.
Utility template examples
Utility templates relate to a transaction the customer already has with you: an order, a booking, an account, a payment. They are the workhorses, they are cheaper than marketing templates, and they are free when delivered inside an open customer service window. Crucially for American businesses, they still reach US numbers.
Order confirmation
Shipping notification
Out for delivery
Delivery confirmation
Appointment reminder
Appointment confirmation
Payment receipt
Payment reminder
Failed payment
Subscription renewal
Booking cancellation
Account update
Support ticket update
Back in stock
Refund processed
Service disruption
These are the templates that keep working for US audiences, so if you sell to Americans, build your WhatsApp program around them. An order or delivery flow like this is exactly what a WhatsApp ecommerce setup automates, and reminders like the ones above are the core of WhatsApp appointment reminders.
Authentication template examples
Authentication templates carry one-time passcodes and verification links. Meta treats them as their own category with their own rate, and they are deliberately plain: no marketing, no upsell, no links other than the verification itself. They also reach US numbers.
One-time passcode
Login verification
Password reset
Transaction verification
Account recovery
Two-factor setup
Keep authentication templates boring on purpose. Adding a promotion or a tracking link to a passcode message is one of the faster ways to get a template rejected or a category reassigned, and a reassigned category can quietly change what you pay.
Marketing template examples
Marketing templates promote, offer, invite, or re-engage. They are the most expensive category, and they need genuine opt-in. Read the warning before you write one: since April 1, 2025, Meta has not delivered marketing-category templates to US phone numbers, and they fail with error 131049. There is still no resume date as of July 2026. These samples work for audiences outside the United States, and they are worth writing now if you sell internationally.
Welcome and opt-in confirmation
New product launch
Seasonal offer
Abandoned cart
Win-back
Event invitation
Webinar reminder
Loyalty reward
Restock announcement
Referral invite
Price drop
Feedback request
Notice the opt-out line in most of these. WhatsApp expects marketing messages to go only to people who opted in, and to make leaving easy. Skipping that is how numbers get blocked, reported, and eventually banned. The WhatsApp bulk messaging rules page covers the opt-in requirements in detail.
Auto-reply and service message examples
These are different from templates. Once a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens and you can reply with free-form text, no approval needed and no per-message charge. Non-template messages are free. These are the replies to keep on hand.
Greeting message
Away message
Business hours reply
Order status reply
Escalation reply
Closing reply
Because these only work inside the 24-hour window, they are a reply system, not an outreach system. To automate them, see WhatsApp auto reply.
Why WhatsApp templates get rejected
Most rejections come from a short list of avoidable mistakes.
| Mistake | Why it fails | Fix it by |
|---|---|---|
| Variable at the start or end | Meta cannot review a message that is mostly placeholder, so it rejects the structure outright. | Wrapping every variable in real words, as every sample above does. |
| Two variables side by side | Nothing separates them, so the filled message can read as gibberish. | Putting a word, comma, or line of context between them. |
| No sample values supplied | Reviewers read the filled-in version. Empty placeholders look like a broken message. | Adding a realistic example value for every variable at submission. |
| Marketing content in a utility template | Meta reassigns the category, which changes your price and can block US delivery. | Keeping promotions out of transactional messages entirely. |
| Promotions inside an authentication template | Authentication is meant to be plain. Extra links or offers get it rejected. | Sending only the code, the expiry, and a do-not-share warning. |
| Vague or generic wording | A template that could mean anything reads as spam to a reviewer. | Naming the specific thing: the order, the appointment, the invoice. |
| Spelling and formatting errors | Typos and broken formatting are a common quiet rejection reason. | Proofreading, and keeping emoji and capitals restrained. |
| No opt-out on marketing | Marketing without an easy exit drives blocks and reports, which sink your quality rating. | Adding a reply STOP line to marketing templates. |
WhatsApp template examples: common questions
What is a WhatsApp message template? +
A WhatsApp message template is a pre-written message you submit to Meta for approval before you can send it. It uses numbered variables in double curly braces, so one approved template serves thousands of personalized sends. You need a template because it is the only way to message someone who has not written to you first. Once they reply, a 24-hour window opens in which you can send free-form messages instead.
What are the three WhatsApp template categories? +
Utility, authentication, and marketing. Utility templates relate to an existing transaction, such as an order confirmation or an appointment reminder. Authentication templates carry one-time passcodes. Marketing templates promote or re-engage. The category sets your per-message rate and, right now, whether the message reaches a US number at all: marketing templates do not, while utility and authentication templates do.
How do I write a WhatsApp template that gets approved? +
Be specific, pick the right category honestly, and never start or end the message with a variable or place two variables side by side. Supply a realistic sample value for every placeholder, since reviewers read the filled-in message. Keep promotions out of utility and authentication templates. Proofread it. Approval usually lands within minutes to a few hours, though Meta allows itself up to 24 hours.
Can I send WhatsApp marketing templates to US customers? +
No. Meta stopped delivering marketing-category templates to US phone numbers on April 1, 2025, and they fail with error 131049. There is no resume date as of July 2026, and this applies in every tool built on the Cloud API. Utility templates, authentication templates, and replies inside the 24-hour window all still reach US numbers, so American WhatsApp programs are built on transactional messages.
How many variables can a WhatsApp template have? +
There is no small fixed limit that trips up normal messages, but more variables means more ways to fail review. In practice the templates that get approved quickly use two to four variables in the body, each surrounded by real words. If you find yourself needing many placeholders, the message is usually trying to do too much and is better split.
Are WhatsApp template messages free? +
Templates are charged per delivered message, by category and by the recipient's country. Some are free: non-template messages sent inside an open customer service window cost nothing, utility templates delivered inside that open window are free, and every message is free for 72 hours when the chat started from a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action button.
Can I edit a WhatsApp template after it is approved? +
You can edit an approved template, but the edit goes back through review, so the changed version is not immediately sendable. Because of that, it is worth getting the wording right the first time rather than planning to tweak it live. Variables give you the flexibility you usually need without touching the template itself.
Copy a template. Send it to your whole list.
Take any sample above, submit it for approval, upload your contacts, and send one personalized campaign with delivery and read tracking on every message. Built on Meta's official WhatsApp Cloud API. Free for your first 500 messages a month, no card required.
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