Two Categories of Messages
WhatsApp messages fall into two categories based on how conversations are initiated:
Template Messages (Business-Initiated)
Template messages are pre-approved message formats that you submit to Meta for review. They are required to start a new conversation with a customer or to message a customer outside the 24-hour conversation window.
Templates have three categories, each with different billing rates:
Category | Use Cases | Examples |
Marketing | Promotions, offers, updates | "Hi ##{{1}}, our spring sale starts tomorrow! Get 20% off with code SPRING20." |
Utility | Transaction updates, alerts | "Your order ##{{1}} has shipped. Track it here: ##{{2}}" |
Authentication | OTP, verification codes | "Your verification code is ##{{1}}. It expires in 10 minutes." |
Templates support variable substitution using ##{{1}}, ##{{2}}, etc. They can include headers (text, image, video, or document), body text, footers, and buttons (quick reply or call-to-action).
Free-form Messages (Session Messages)
Free-form messages can be sent only within a 24-hour window after the customer last messaged you. These create "Service" conversations and support rich content types:
Text — Plain text up to 4,096 characters
Image — JPEG, PNG (with optional caption up to 1,024 characters)
Video — MP4 (with optional caption)
Document — PDF, DOC, etc. (with optional caption and filename)
Audio — OGG, MP3, etc.
Sticker — WebP format
Location — GPS coordinates with name and address
Contacts — Contact cards (1–257 per message)
Interactive — Quick reply buttons, CTA URL buttons, list messages
When to Use Which
Scenario | Message Type |
Customer hasn't messaged you yet | Template (required) |
24-hour window has expired | Template (required) |
Customer messaged within last 24 hours | Free-form or Template (your choice) |
Sending OTP or verification code | Authentication Template |
Sending order update or receipt | Utility Template |
Sending promotion or offer | Marketing Template |
Responding to a customer's question | Free-form (within 24hr window) |