WhatsApp Templates & the 24-Hour Window
WhatsApp Templates & the 24-Hour Window
WhatsApp has one rule that shapes everything about business messaging: you can only send free-form messages within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, you must use a pre-approved template. Botaura handles this for you automatically — this guide explains what's happening so nothing surprises you.
The 24-Hour Service Window
Every time a customer messages your WhatsApp number, a 24-hour service window opens. While it's open, your bot (and your human agents) can reply with anything — normal text, product lists, order confirmations. This is how all the day-to-day Q&A and ordering works.
Once 24 hours pass with no new message from the customer, the window closes. To reach them again, you can no longer free-type — you must send an approved template message. This is WhatsApp's rule, not Botaura's, and it protects users from spam.
Templates Botaura Registers for You
You don't hand-author the everyday templates. When your WhatsApp commerce is set up, Botaura automatically registers three standard UTILITY templates on your WhatsApp Business Account and waits for Meta to approve them:
- Order confirmation — sent when an order is placed
- Order status update — sent when you mark an order confirmed, shipped, or delivered
- COD confirmation — confirms a cash-on-delivery order
These let Botaura notify customers about their orders even after the 24-hour window has closed. Meta approves templates asynchronously, so a freshly registered template may show as pending for a short while before it's approved and usable.
Plan requirement: Standard order templates are part of WhatsApp commerce, available on the Business plan and above.
Template Categories & Cost
WhatsApp sorts templates into categories that affect pricing:
- Utility — order and account updates (like the three above). Lower cost.
- Marketing — promotions and offers. Higher cost, used for campaigns.
All template/message charges are billed to you by Meta directly. Botaura never marks up or bills for WhatsApp messages — see Plans & Pricing.
Marketing Templates for Campaigns (Growth)
To run broadcast campaigns, you use marketing templates. These can include variable placeholders (for example, "Hi {{1}}, we have a special offer!") that get filled per customer. Marketing templates also need Meta approval before they can be sent. Campaign sending, segments, and message tiers are covered in the Broadcast Campaigns guide.
What You Need to Remember
- Inside 24 hours of a customer's message → the bot replies freely.
- Outside that window → only approved templates can go out.
- Order templates are created and managed for you automatically.
- Costs are Meta's, billed to your Meta Business Account — never through Botaura.
For connecting your number in the first place, see the WhatsApp Bot setup guide.
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