WhatsApp template rejected: how to find the reason and fix it

WhatsApp template rejected: where to find the reason

Meta tells you why a template was rejected in three places: WhatsApp Manager, Business Support Home and an email to your Meta Business Suite admins.

• WhatsApp Manager: hover over the suitcase icon (Account tools) and click Message templates. The template shows the status Rejected.
• Business Support Home: go to Account Overview, click View my accounts, select your business, then your WhatsApp Business account, then Rejected message templates.
• Email: Meta sends the decision and the reason to your admins.

Apps connected to your account receive the decision as a webhook with a reason code. If a tool shows you a code instead of a sentence, this is what it means:

Common reasons WhatsApp templates are rejected

WhatsApp templates are usually rejected for badly formatted variables, content that breaks WhatsApp policy, or duplicate wording, which are the reasons Meta lists in its template review guide. Meta’s component limits and sample rules catch the rest. Check your template against each of these five points.

1. Variable formatting

Variables are the placeholders Meta replaces with real values when the message is sent. Meta rejects templates when:

• a variable is missing a brace or has mismatched curly braces;
• a variable contains special characters such as #, $ or %;
• numbered variables are out of sequence, for example {{1}}, {{2}}, {{5}}, {{4}};
• there are too many variables for the length of the message;
• the message starts or ends with a variable.

Whapi shows variables by name, such as {{customer_first_name}}. If you write named variables yourself, Meta requires lowercase letters and underscores inside double braces.

2. Content that breaks WhatsApp policy

Meta rejects templates whose content breaks the WhatsApp Business or Commerce policies, including:

• asking customers for sensitive identifiers, such as full card numbers, bank account numbers or national ID numbers, or for documents that contain them (partial identifiers, such as the last 4 digits, are allowed);
• threatening customers, for example with legal action or public shaming;
• selling goods or services that the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy restricts, such as firearms, alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

3. Duplicate templates

A template with the same body and footer wording as one you already have is rejected as a duplicate. The notification in Business Support Home names the existing template and its language. Change the wording or use the existing template.

4. Text that is too long

Every part of a template has a limit. These are the ones that trip people up most:

5. Missing sample values

If a template uses variables, you must include sample values, and a sample image or document for media headers. Samples let the reviewer see the message as the customer will. Write samples that look like real data, such as a first name and an order number, not placeholders like “test”.

Rejected vs fixed: three order template examples

Each example below pairs a template that breaks one of Meta’s rules with a fixed version written with Whapi variables. Meta decides the final category, so the one shown is the likely outcome, not a promise.

{{customer_first_name}} confirm order {{order_number}} now or it will be cancelled and your account blocked. Total: {{total_price}}

Hi {{customer_first_name}}, thanks for your order {{order_number}} from {{store_name}}. Your order total is {{total_price}}. Please confirm your order so we can ship it.

Buttons (quick reply): Confirm Order · Cancel Order

Hi {{customer_first_name}}: {{order_number}}, {{order_items}}, {{total_price}}, {{shipping_address}}. OK?

Hi {{customer_first_name}}, your order {{order_number}} from {{store_name}} is confirmed.

Items: {{order_items}}
Total: {{total_price}}
Delivery address: {{shipping_address}}

We will message you again when your order ships.

Hi {{customer_first_name}}, your order {{order_number}} has shipped. Track it here: {{tracking_url}}. Use code THANKS10 for 10% off your next order!

Hi {{customer_first_name}}, your order {{order_number}} from {{store_name}} has shipped. You can follow the delivery with the button below.

Button (URL): Track order

For ready-made versions of these messages, see our shipping update templates and the full WhatsApp message template library.

How to fix a rejected WhatsApp template and resubmit it

To fix a rejected template, edit the part Meta flagged and submit it again, or appeal if you think the decision is wrong. These steps cover both:

1. 1

   Read the rejection reason

   Open WhatsApp Manager, go to Account tools > Message templates and open the rejected template. Meta also emails the reason to your Meta Business Suite admins and lists it in Business Support Home.

2. 2

   Fix the variables

   Make sure every variable has matching double curly braces, contains no special characters such as #, $ or %, and is not at the very start or end of the message. Keep numbered variables in order, and add text if you have many variables in a short message.

3. 3

   Remove anything that breaks WhatsApp policy

   Delete requests for full card numbers, bank account numbers or national ID numbers, threats of legal action or public shaming, and anything that breaks the WhatsApp Commerce Policy.

4. 4

   Match the content to the category

   A Utility template must be about the customer’s own order or account and contain no promotion. If the message includes an offer, a discount code or product suggestions, submit it as Marketing or remove the promotional part.

5. 5

   Add sample values

   Give a realistic example for every variable, such as a first name and an order number. Meta requires samples for templates with variables, and they help reviewers see the final message.

6. 6

   Resubmit or appeal

   Edit the template and submit it again. Rejected templates can be edited any number of times. If you believe the rejection is wrong, file an appeal with a sample instead.

7. 7

   Wait for the decision

   Meta says an approval decision can take up to 24 hours, and appeals are decided within 24 hours. You get a WhatsApp Manager notification and an email when it is done.

If the template belongs to a Whapi flow, edit the message in the flow builder, where a live preview shows the WhatsApp message with your variables. Like any new or edited template, it goes to Meta for review and starts sending once Meta approves it.

When Meta approves your template as Marketing instead

A template submitted as Utility that Meta reads as Marketing is approved as Marketing, not rejected. Meta made this the default on April 9, 2025. Utility templates must be non-promotional and about the customer’s own order, account or request. Anything that mixes an order update with an offer, a discount or a product suggestion is Marketing. Our utility vs marketing templates guide walks through the rules with examples.

The category matters because Meta charges Marketing at a higher rate than Utility in every market. This is what an order message approved as Marketing adds per 1,000 sends:

If you think Meta got the category wrong, you can request a category review within 60 days. In WhatsApp Manager, open Message Templates, click Go to Business Support on the banner, choose Template Category Updates, select the templates and click Request Review.

When an approved template stops sending

An approved template can still be paused or disabled if customers react badly to it. Meta rates each approved template on feedback and read rates. A template that reaches low quality is paused for 3 hours the first time, 6 hours the second time, and disabled the third time. These are the errors you’ll see when you send a template that isn’t usable:

Edit and template limits to know before you resubmit

Meta limits how often you can edit a template and how many you can have, so plan your fixes. The limits that apply to most stores:

• Only templates with an Approved, Rejected or Paused status can be edited. Wait until a review finishes.
• Rejected and paused templates can be edited an unlimited number of times.
• Approved templates can be edited up to 10 times in 30 days, or once in 24 hours.
• Meta’s template management rules say the category of an approved template can’t be edited, so create a new template in the right category instead.
• Template names use lowercase letters, numbers and underscores only, up to 512 characters.
• Each language is a separate template, and each one counts toward your limit.
• Each WhatsApp Business account can hold 250 templates if your business portfolio is unverified, and up to 6,000 once it is verified and a number has an approved display name. See Meta business verification for WhatsApp.

For other errors, from payment problems to undeliverable numbers, see the WhatsApp Business API troubleshooting hub.