Business-initiated messages on the WhatsApp Business Platform must use approved templates. Each template belongs to a category, which affects pricing and rules.
The categories
| Category | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions and offers | Festive sale, new arrivals, abandoned cart offer |
| Utility | Updates about an existing transaction or account | Order confirmation, delivery update, appointment reminder, payment receipt |
| Authentication | One-time passwords | Login OTP, verification code |
Why it matters
- Categories are priced differently; marketing usually costs more than utility.
- Meta reviews templates and may recategorise them if the content does not match.
- Mixing promotions into utility templates can lead to rejection or recategorisation.
Choosing correctly
Ask: is this message about something the customer already did, or am I promoting something? If promoting, it is marketing.
Write templates
Adapt examples from our WhatsApp message templates, and estimate costs with our broadcast cost calculator.
Read WhatsApp message templates and why templates get rejected.
Want the full picture? This article is part of WhatsApp marketing: the complete guide, our in-depth guide with everything in one place.
