WhatsApp marketing messages come in 2 message states and 3 template categories, and each has its own rules on approval, timing and pricing. Meta says WhatsApp has more than 2 billion users worldwide, so the audience is already there. Get this right and your messages land, get read, and stay compliant. Get it wrong and they bounce or, worse, your number takes a hit.
Every business message falls into one of two buckets:
That 24-hour window matters. Outside it, you must use an approved template to start the conversation again.
WhatsApp sorts every template into one of three categories, and each is priced differently.
| Category | Use it for | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions, launches, re-engagement | Sale alerts, new arrivals, cart reminders |
| Utility | Updates tied to a specific action | Order confirmed, out for delivery, payment received |
| Authentication | One-time passcodes | Login OTP, verification codes |
Utility and authentication messages are cheaper than marketing ones, so map each message to the right category honestly. Dressing up a promo as a utility update gets templates rejected.
Want ready-to-use wording? See our WhatsApp marketing examples and templates.
To send template messages to a list, you need the WhatsApp Business API and a platform that handles approvals, variables, and delivery reports. With WaMark you build a template, get it approved, personalise it per contact, and broadcast it to a segment in a few clicks.
Any message you start outside the 24-hour window needs an approved template. Replies inside the window do not.
Meta charges per message by category. In India, a marketing message costs about ₹0.78 at the time of writing, and rates change, so check current pricing before you budget.
Usually wrong category, spammy wording, or missing context. Rewrite it clearly, pick the honest category, and resubmit.
