Setup
Templates
A template is a message Meta has approved in advance. You need one to start any conversation, which makes this the piece most likely to hold up a campaign.
Why they exist
WhatsApp does not let a business message someone out of the blue in its own words. You send an approved template, and only after the person replies can you write freely. Meta reviews every template before it can be used.
Getting your templates in
Press Sync on the Templates page. Sendrix pulls everything from your business account, including templates made elsewhere. Sync again whenever you add one in Meta, or when something has been approved.
Creating one
New template builds it and submits it to Meta in one step. Approval usually takes a few minutes, sometimes up to a day.
| Part | Notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores. Cannot be changed later. |
| Category | Marketing for promotions. Utility for order updates and receipts. |
| Header | Optional. Text, or an image, video, or document. |
| Body | The message. Up to 1024 characters. |
| Footer | Optional. Up to 60 characters, no variables. |
| Buttons | Up to three. Quick replies, or links. |
Variables
Write {{1}}, {{2}} and so on where a value should go. Meta needs an example for each before it will review the template.
Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has shipped.
Track it any time from your account.When you build the campaign you map each numbered slot to a contact field or a fixed value.
Status
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| APPROVED | Ready to use. |
| PENDING | With Meta. Sync again shortly. |
| REJECTED | Meta refused it. Edit in Meta and resubmit. |
| PAUSED | Too many people marked it as spam. It recovers, or is disabled. |
Why templates get rejected
- Promotional wording submitted under the Utility category.
- Variables with no example values.
- A variable at the very start or end of the body.
- Spelling mistakes, or a link that does not resolve.
What Sendrix cannot send yet
These sync so you can see them, and are marked unusable rather than failing during a campaign.
- Named variables, as above.
- Carousel, limited time offer, and coupon templates.
- Copy code, one time password, and flow buttons.
- Location headers.
Media headers
A template with an image, video, or document header needs a sample file when you create it, and the real file when you build the campaign. Meta accepts JPEG and PNG images, MP4 video, and PDF documents.
Uploading a sample needs an App ID on the sender. Numbers connected through Facebook have one already. If a template sample is refused for a workspace set up earlier, contact support.