WhatsApp Messaging Types and Guidelines
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Over 100 billion WhatsApp messages are sent every day, but what types of messages can you send and receive on WhatsApp Business API? And what guidelines, policies, and restrictions do you need to know?
In this article, we’ll cover message types, template guidelines, types of templates, and WhatsApp’s commerce policy for WhatsApp Business API.
Message Types
There are two types of WhatsApp messages:
Session messages
Template messages
Both types only allow for one-to-one messaging, not bulk sendings.
Session Messages
Session messages are customer-initiated conversations. They are often related to customer service in which customers have questions or need to resolve issues using a one-to-one private conversation. A message from the end user will trigger the customer service window to be opened and will stay open for 24 hours if the customer responds to the template message. Messages outside of the 24-hour customer service window and are not in a template message will not be delivered to the end-user.
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Template Messages
Template messages are business-initiated messages and can be sent any time to deliver important notifications during your customers’ journeys. You can also reopen a customer care window within 24 hours with a template message. It’s important to remember that in order to send template messages, you must get an opt-in from each customer.
A template message is connected to a predefined and approved template in the WhatsApp Business Manager. Template messages can be related to customer care or notifications but are not allowed to be marketing or promotional in nature. Read more in WhatsApp’s Business Policy.
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Message Features
WhatsApp Business API supports many message features, including two-way conversations:
Media template – A media template message
Text – A simple text message
Images – A message containing an image
Audio – A message containing an audio file
Video – A message containing a video file
Document – A message containing a document file
Location – A message containing a location
Contacts – A message containing one or more contacts
Interactive Messages – A message containing buttons (call-to-action or quickly replies)
Template Guidelines
As previously stated, template messages are required to be created from preapproved templates from the WhatsApp Business Manager. You can choose from 11 message templates across the customer journey. The template can contain:
Text
Rich media (image/audio/video)
Documents
Locations
Contacts
Interactive buttons, like a call-to-action (e.g. call this phone number) or quick-reply options (e.g. yes/no to consent)
A predefined template will specify what type of media and injectable parameters that must exist. The template can then be customized when sending the message by adding custom links to the media and custom input to the injectable parameters.
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WhatsApp Messaging Types and Guidelines
11 December 2020
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Over 100 billion WhatsApp messages are sent every day, but what types of messages can you send and receive on WhatsApp Business API? And what guidelines, policies, and restrictions do you need to know?
In this article, we’ll cover message types, template guidelines, types of templates, and WhatsApp’s commerce policy for WhatsApp Business API.
Message Types
There are two types of WhatsApp messages:
session messages
template messages
Both types only allow for one-to-one messaging, not bulk sendings.
Learn more about WhatsApp Business API.
Session Messages
Session messages are customer-initiated conversations. They are often related to customer service in which customers have questions or need to resolve issues using a one-to-one private conversation. A message from the end user will trigger the customer service window to be opened and will stay open for 24 hours if the customer responds to the template message. Messages outside of the 24-hour customer service window and are not in a template message will not be delivered to the end-user.
Template Messages
Template messages are business-initiated messages and can be sent any time to deliver important notifications during your customers’ journeys. You can also reopen a customer care window within 24 hours with a template message. It’s important to remember that in order to send template messages, you must get an opt-in from each customer.
Learn how to get WhatsApp opt-ins.
A template message is connected to a predefined and approved template in the WhatsApp Business Manager. Template messages can be related to customer care or notifications but are not allowed to be marketing or promotional in nature. Read more in WhatsApp’s Business Policy.
Message Features
WhatsApp Business API supports many message features, including two-way conversations:
Media template – A media template message
Text – A simple text message
Images – A message containing an image
Audio – A message containing an audio file
Video – A message containing a video file
Document – A message containing a document file
Location – A message containing a location
Contacts – A message containing one or more contacts
Interactive Messages – A message containing buttons (call-to-action or quickly replies)
Template Guidelines
As previously stated, template messages are required to be created from preapproved templates from the WhatsApp Business Manager. You can choose from 11 message templates across the customer journey. The template can contain:
Text
Rich media (image/audio/video)
Documents
Locations
Contacts
Interactive buttons, like a call-to-action (e.g. call this phone number) or quick-reply options (e.g. yes/no to consent)
A predefined template will specify what type of media and injectable parameters that must exist. The template can then be customized when sending the message by adding custom links to the media and custom input to the injectable parameters.
Types of Templates
There are 11 types of templates that you can use when reaching out to a customer:
ACCOUNT_UPDATE – Notify recipient of a change to their account settings
PAYMENT_UPDATE – Notify recipient of a payment update for an existing transaction
PERSONAL_FINANCE_UPDATE – Confirm a recipient’s financial activity
SHIPPING_UPDATE – Notify the recipient of a change in shipping status for a product that has already been purchased
RESERVATION_UPDATE – Notify the recipient of updates to an existing reservation
APPOINTMENT_UPDATE – Notify the message recipient of a change to an existing appointment
TRANSPORTATION_UPDATE – Notify the message recipient of updates to an existing transportation reservation
TICKET_UPDATE – Send the message recipient updates or reminders for an event for which a person already has a ticket
ISSUE_RESOLUTION – Notify the message recipient of an update to a customer service issue that was initiated in a Messenger conversation, following a transaction
ALERT – Notify the message recipient of something informational
AUTO_REPLY – An autoreply to a message
Commerce Policy
WhatsApp has specific rules about what can and cannot be sent. Advertising, marketing, and promotional messages are not allowed. When responding to a person who contacts you directly as a result of an advertisement you have placed outside of a WhatsApp chat (a session message), it is permissible to discuss the ad as long as that advertisement does not conflict with the Commerce Policy.
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Furthermore, offers to sell and sales of the following are prohibited:
Illegal, prescription or recreation drugs, including marijuana
Tobacco products and related paraphernalia
Unsafe supplements
Weapons, ammunition or explosives
Animals
Adult items or services
Alcohol
Adult health items
Real money gambling services
Goods, items, or posts that we determine may be or are fraudulent, misleading, deceptive or offensive
Items or products with overtly sexualized positioning
Products or items that facilitate or encourage unauthorized access to digital media
WhatsApp is a communication channel that you don’t want to miss out on with more and more people using it every day. To get started or if you have any questions, contact us.