WhatsApp templates facilitate streamlined communication by helping businesses curate predefined, personalized messages. You can send WhatsApp Messages using MoEngage and use the templates that are already approved or whitelisted (directly or by the WhatsApp Service Provider or BSP) by WhatsApp in the MoEngage Platform.
This feature enables you to
- Improve business efficiency
- Establish automated notifications
- Foster better customer engagement across WhatsApp
- Help enhance brand trust.
Use Cases
The following are some use cases for using WhatsApp templates:
- Product showcase: Use a carousel template to showcase a new or exclusive product collection.
- Limited-time offers: Use a timer-based template for limited-time offers, encouraging customers to act quickly.
Add Templates to MoEngage
To add your already approved/whitelisted WhatsApp templates in MoEngage:
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Information Ensure that you have access to all the approved WhatsApp templates before adding templates to MoEngage. You can access the templates from the BSP Dashboards. |
- In the MoEngage dashboard, navigate to Settings > WhatsApp > Approved templates tab.
- Click + Template.
- On the Add template page, in the Settings section, fill in the fields as suggested below:
Field Description Name Enter the template name exactly as it appears on the BSP side. The name can have up to 100 characters.
Service Provider Choose the service provider from the dropdown (or your BSP) with which you want to send this templated message. Note that WhatsApp templates are approved at the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) level, which can belong to only one BSP. Select the BSP that is compatible with your template
Sender Profile
Choose the sender profile with which this template is approved. You can select multiple sender profiles if they are from the same BSP and are under the same WABA.
Language Select the language for the template content. This value determines the language of your templateand should match the language specified on the BSP/WSP side. Category Select the category type from the dropdown. WhatsApp allows sending messages that belong to one of the following categories:
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- Marketing
- Utility
- Authentication
Template Type This field is visible only if you have selected the Category field as Marketing. Select the template type from the dropdown menu. info Information
The Carousel, Limited Time Offer, Coupon Code WhatsApp templates, and up to 10 buttons are supported only for GupShup, Karix & Infobip.
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- On the Add template page, in the Content section, fill in the fields as suggested below:
Field Description Header Configure the header for your WhatsApp template. This field is optional.
Body Configure the body of the template. You can enter up to 1024 characters. Ensure that the body of the template clearly communicates the objective to your audience.
Carousel Content
You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template.
Media Type Select the type of media you want to display on the carousel card. You can select either an Image or a Video. You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template. Image Type Upon selecting the media type as image, you can further select the image type as static or dynamic. You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template. Image Source Specify the image source by either uploading the image directly from your device or linking to an external image source. You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template. Link to image You can view this field if the Image Source field is set as a Link. You can specify the URL where the image is hosted.
Video Type Upon selecting the media type as video, you can further select the video type as static or dynamic. You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template.
Video Source Specify the video source by either uploading the video directly from your device or linking to an external video source. You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template. Link to video You can view this field if the Video Source field is set as a Link. You can specify the URL where the video is hosted. Card Body You can add up to 10 cards showcasing the content within each card, such as text or media. If you have multiple cards, you can navigate among the cards by using the forward and backward navigation buttons. You can view this section when the Category field is set as the Carousel template.
Footer Configure the footer for your WhatsApp template. This field is optional. You can view it when the Category field is set as Simple Default Template. Button(s) You can add CTA buttons in this section. When the Category field is set as Carousel Template, you can add 2 buttons overall.
Field Description Header Configure the header for your WhatsApp template. This field is optional.
Body Configure the body of the template. You can enter up to 1024 characters. Ensure that the body of the template clearly communicates the objective to your audience.
Footer
Configure the footer for your WhatsApp template. This field is optional.
Button(s) You can add CTA buttons in this section. If the Category field is set as Simple Default Template, you can add 10 buttons overall. You can either add 2 Navigation CTA, 1 Add a call CTA, and 1 Coupon Code CTA with 6 quick reply buttons or up to 10 quick reply buttons.
You can click See More Options to see all the buttons where more than 3 buttons are added.Field Description Header
Configure the header for your WhatsApp template. This field is optional.
Offer Details Specify a brief and precise description of the offer you are promoting.
Offer Valid for Limited Time
Select this checkbox if the offer is available for a limited period. When selected, the system prompts you to set the expiration date while creating a campaign. If not selected, the offer will not have any time restriction.
Body Configure the body of the template. You can enter up to 1024 characters. Ensure that the body of the template clearly communicates the objective to your audience. Footer Configure the footer for your WhatsApp template. This field is optional.
Button(s) You can add CTA buttons in this section. If the Offer Valid for Limited Time checkbox is selected, adding a Coupon Code CTA becomes mandatory, and this button will be displayed as the first action in the template. As supported by WhatsApp, you can configure selective fields as:
Static: Static fields are fixed on the Template level. For example, static images can be used to send the same image in all messages to target users across all campaigns where this template is used.
Dynamic: Dynamic fields are flexible and can be configured during campaign creation. A dynamic image can be used to personalize for each campaign or each user in that campaign.
Dynamic Link Tracking: Dynamic link tracking allows you to track clicks on buttons with Navigation as an action. This is available only for Navigation buttons and for Gupshup as a provider.
Headers
Headers are optional and can be of the following types:
- Text (up to 60 characters, can include 1 placeholder)
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Image
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Video
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Document
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Location
The non-text header can be static or dynamic. They can use a fixed image or document link or personalized image/document for every user. Dynamic fields will be available for configuration at the time of campaign creation. For more information, refer to Image Personalization.
Here are supported media types, media formats, and file sizes that MoEngage supports:
Content-Type Supported Format and file size Image The supported image types are
JPG,JPEG,PNG. The maximum file size is 5MB.Document The supported document type is
PDF. The maximum document size is 5MB.Video The supported file types are
MP4,3GPP. The maximum file size is 15MB. - After configuration, click Save.
Template Management
To manage all your WhatsApp Templates, go to the MoEngage Dashboard > Settings > WhatsApp > Approved Templates. After you add a template, you can manage your templates depending on if they are in use or not by a campaign.
| Template Usage | Allowed Template Actions |
|---|---|
| Template not being used inside any campaign | View, Edit, Duplicate, Delete |
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Template being used inside any campaign |
View, Duplicate |
Sync Templates from Vendors to MoEngage
MoEngage enables you to sync templates from configured partners to the MoEngage platform. Syncing templates will automatically retrieve all updated templates from the partner portals since the last update time.
To sync templates:
- Go to MoEngage Dashboard > Settings > WhatsApp > Approved templates.
- Click Sync Template in the top right of the Approved templates tab.
After the sync is complete, one of the following messages is displayed:
- Sync successful: All templates from connectors are synced to MoEngage successfully. You can see the summary of successful changes and also view the templates based on last updated time.
- Sync failure: Templates sync from connectors to MoEngage failed. You can see the reasons for the unsuccessful sync.
- Mixed sync results: Templates sync from connectors to MoEngage is partially successful. For templates that are synced successfully, you can see the summary of successful changes; for templates that failed to sync, you can see the reasons for failures.
The following is the list of statuses after template sync:
| Status | Description | Next Possible Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Created | The template you created on the vendor portal is submitted for approval, but Meta is yet to approve it. Meta can approve or reject the template. |
Validate whether your template is approved by Meta.
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| Approved | The template you created on the vendor portal is approved by Meta. | You can use the approved template to create WhatsApp campaigns. |
| Rejected | The template you created on the vendor portal is rejected by Meta. |
You cannot use the rejected template to create WhatsApp campaigns. When you edit a rejected template in MoEngage and save it, it will move to the Manually approved state. If the template is not exactly the same as the template on the vendor portal and you create WhatsApp campaigns using this template, the campaign creation will fail because of template mismatch. You must:
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| Suspended |
After the initial sync of templates from the vendor portal to MoEngage, during subsequent sync:
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Click the ellipses icon
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| Manually approved |
When you edit a template in MoEngage and save it, it will move to the Manually approved state. If the template is not exactly the same as the template on the vendor portal and you create WhatsApp campaigns using this template, the campaign creation will fail because of template mismatch. |
You must update the template in MoEngage to ensure that the content matches the content in the template in the vendor portal exactly. |
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Note
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For more information about issues and resolutions associated with the WhatsApp campaign feature, see Common Errors in WhatsApp Campaigns.
Manage WhatsApp Template Suspension Alerts
When syncing WhatsApp templates from your vendor to MoEngage, templates can carry various statuses: Created, Approved, Rejected, or Suspended.
A template enters a Suspended status when there is a content mismatch between the vendor dashboard and MoEngage. To ensure your communication remains uninterrupted, MoEngage provides real-time alerts to notify you the moment a template suspension occurs.
Why Set Up Suspension Alerts?
Previously, users might not have been aware when a template moved to a suspended state, leading to failed campaigns. With these alerts, you can:
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Identify Impacted Campaigns: Immediately see which active campaigns are using the suspended template.
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Minimize Downtime: Take swift action to fix the template at the vendor level or swap it in your MoEngage campaigns.
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Receive Multi-Channel Notifications: Get alerts where your team already works (Slack, Teams, Email, or Webhooks).
Configuring Suspension Alerts
To create an alert for WhatsApp template suspensions:
- On the left navigation menu in the MoEngage dashboard, go to Settings > Reports and Alerts > Alert Management.
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On the Alert management page, click +Create alert.
- On the Create alert page, enter the following details:
- Alert name: Provide a name for the alert.
- Create Alerts On: Select WhatsApp Template Suspension from the list.
- Send Alert On: Select the notification channels through which the alert should be sent
- Add alert destination: Configure external destinations to receive alerts via Slack, MS Teams, or a custom Webhook.
- Members: Add the members who should receive this alert.
- Click Create to create the alert. MoEngage now monitors all template syncs and triggers a notification if any template status changes to Suspended.
Understanding the Alert Notification
When a template is suspended, the alert provides the following essential information:
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Template Details: Includes Template Name, Language, and Sender/Provider name.
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Timestamp: The exact time of suspension, displayed in your App Time Zone (e.g., New York Time).
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Active Campaign Visibility: A list of all campaigns currently utilizing the suspended template. This includes:
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One-time Scheduled campaigns
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Periodic campaigns
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Event-triggered campaigns
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Flows
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Information ASAP campaigns that have already finished sending will not be listed, as the alert focuses on currently active/future-dated impacts. |
Handling Template Failures
If a campaign attempts to send using a template that has been suspended, the campaign logs will reflect a failure reason: Failed to send due to template was suspended.
If you encounter this error within a campaign, MoEngage provides a direct shortcut from the campaign interface to Create an Alert, ensuring you are notified of future occurrences for that specific template.
Next Step
After your templates are approved and synced, you can create your first WhatsApp campaign in MoEngage. For more information, refer to Create a WhatsApp Campaign.