Table of Contents

Creating Templates

Neelke Stadler Updated by Neelke Stadler

With Turn.io, it’s easy to create message templates and send them for approval by WhatsApp.

Let’s take a look at how this is done:

Content > Templates section

  1. Step 1: Log in to your Turn.io account and navigate to the “Content” tab on the left-hand side. 
  2. Step 2: Click on the “Templates” tab at the top of the page.
  1. Step 3: Click on the “Add template” button top right.

Template details

  1. Step 4: Complete template details such as category, name and language.

Select the Category, based on Meta's guidelines. Categories are pre-defined by WhatsApp.

Read the article dedicated to the Category option:

Meta will validate the category you indicated per the contents of the template and their guidelines. We will then create the template and set its status, based on the outcome of the validation process.

a. When you create a template and we approve it, you can request a review up to 60 days from the creation date.

b. For utility templates we may update to marketing, you can request a review up to 60 days from the date we updated the category.

  • Give your template a descriptive name.
The template name can only contain lowercase letters, numbers and underscores. No other characters or empty spaces are allowed. Names need to be unique per language.
  • Select the language. The language you select must match the content of your template.

Message details

  1. Step 5: Complete the message details such as header, body, footer and buttons. The preview on the right will help you visualise the template.
  • Header - this is optional. You have three options:
    • None. When you don't want to use a header.
    • Text. Think of it as a heading or title for your template that will be displayed in bold. You can use one placeholder variable to personalise a text header.
    • Media. Select this option if you want to send an image, video or document with your template. We have a separate article on how to add media to a template.
What is a placeholder variable?
Placeholder variables allow you to personalise a template when you send it.

For example in the message "Hi {{1}}! We look forward to chatting to you on WhatsApp." the placeholder is the {{1}} and you can fill in the user's name when you send it.
  • Body - all templates need to have body content. This is the main part of the message. You can use multiple placeholder variables to personalise the body.
Placeholders should always start with {{1}}. If you add multiple placeholders they need to follow consecutive ordering – in other words, placeholder {{1}} must be followed by placeholder {{2}}, which must be followed by placeholder {{3}}, and so forth. You will be prompted to complete placeholders when you send the template.

Make sure the body contains no newlines, tabs or more than four consecutive spaces, and that it meets WhatsApp’s length restrictions (a maximum of 1,024 characters is allowed).

  • Footer - this is optional. You can add a short line of text at the bottom of your message template.

Calling (optional)

  1. Step 7: You can add A Call Permission Request template requests consent from the recipient for your business to initiate a call with them. make sure to have the content of the message related to this request.

Add buttons (optional)

  1. Step 6: You can add buttons - this is optional. Buttons allow users to respond without having to type. This makes it faster to reply and eliminate typos.

WhatsApp allows you to add buttons to templates. There are three types of buttons available:

  • Call to Action: You can select between visiting a website or calling a phone number.
  • Quick Reply: You can add up to three quick reply buttons.
  • Voice Call: You can add it to Calling templates.
Call to Action: Visit a Website

Give your users a fast and easy way to go to a specific website. When clicking the button the browser on the user's phone will open and direct them to the URL. You can choose between using a static or a dynamic URL type.

A static URL will take all users to the same website, e.g. to our Learn page on the Turn.io website.

A dynamic URL can be tailored to the engagement. You can add one placeholder at the end of the URL. A dynamic URL will enable you to direct users to specific sections on a website, e.g. to a specific article on Learn that answers the specific query.

Call to Action: Call a Phone Number

Give your users a fast and easy way to call you. When clicking the button the dail pad on the user's phone will open and they can call you directly.

Quick Reply

You can add up to 3 buttons with short replies that the user can select as a response. This makes it faster for the user to reply and eliminate any spelling errors or typos. (Yay!🥳)

Buttons are a great way to make templates interactive and prompt the user to respond.

Voice Call

You can choose Voice call button type and add up to three buttons:

Add sample content

  1. Step 7: WhatsApp needs to be clear on what content goes into a specific parameter, especially for media templates. To help them understand what you will send to your users you need to provide sample content for each placeholder variable.
Submit and wait for approval feedback
  1. Step 8: Submit your template.

Your templates will show in the “Templates” section of Turn.io. Depending on where your templates are in the approval process, they’ll have one of the following labels: “pending”, “rejected” or “approved”.

Well done! 🙌 Templates are the only way in which to initiate conversations with users after the 24-hour window period has lapsed, which is why we encourage you to set them up as early as possible.

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