When your company uses Official WhatsApp, the only way to start or resume a conversation after 24 hours is by sending a template. Templates are pre-approved message templates evaluated by WhatsApp (Meta).

The pre-approval requirement exists to ensure that sent content is not spam. Meta analyzes each template before releasing it, which protects customers from unwanted messages and maintains a reliable WhatsApp user experience.

🔗 Don't know what the customer service window is? Read this article.

There are three categories, and each serves a different purpose:

Marketing

Used to engage or re-engage customers: promotions, offers, news, invitations to interact with the company again.

• Requires prior customer consent (opt-in) to be sent
• It is the category with the highest content flexibility — and also the highest cost per message
• Examples: discount coupon, product launch, seasonal campaign

Utility

Used to follow up on a transaction or request that the customer has already initiated.

• Has no promotional purpose — it is always information related to something the customer already expected to receive
• Lower cost per message than marketing
• Examples: order confirmation, delivery status update, appointment reminder

Authentication

Used exclusively to verify customer identity during a login process or transaction.

• Usually sends a verification code (OTP)
• Has stricter formatting rules than other categories for security reasons
• Examples: access code, two-step verification

How Meta Decides the Right Category

Every template undergoes Meta approval before it can be used, and it is during this process that the category is validated. It is worth emphasizing: selecting the wrong category to pay less (for example, sending a promotional campaign under utility) is a practice that Meta identifies and may penalize with account restrictions.

This approval and categorization process is handled exclusively by Meta. No messaging platform — including Poli — participates in this review or has the authority to change the category, cost, or approval timeframe of a template.

Why This Matters When Setting Up Your Communication

Choosing the right category isn't just about cost — it ensures that your message reaches the customer without getting blocked during approval and helps your account maintain a good quality rating with Meta.

How Much Does Each Template Cost?

Meta provides an official calculator on its website to help you check in real time the cost of each template category based on your company's region.

Official source: Meta documentation on message templates