Every message a business starts on the WhatsApp Business API has to use a template that Meta has approved, so a rejection means a campaign or a reminder that can't go out. The good news: Meta tells you why, and its common reasons are a short, public list. This guide covers each reason and its fix, the difference between rejected, paused and disabled, and how to ask for a second review.
The short answer
- Read the reason first. Meta shows why a template was rejected in WhatsApp Manager and by email. Fix that, then resubmit or appeal.
- Check your variables. Meta's list of common reasons starts with them: variables at the start or end, numbers out of order, too many for too little text, or missing samples.
- Promotional content can't go in as utility. Since April 2025, Meta usually approves it as marketing instead of rejecting it, and marketing costs more than seven times as much in India.
- Some content is never approved. Asking for full card or ID numbers, threats, scam-like wording, and goods the WhatsApp Business Policy restricts.
Paste your template into the free WhatsApp template checker before you submit. It flags most of the format mistakes below in seconds, in your browser.
Where do you see why a template was rejected?
Meta reviews every template, automatically and sometimes by hand, and decides within 24 hours. A rejection shows up in WhatsApp Manager, by email and in Business Support Home; for a duplicate, Meta names the template it matches. On the API, the reason arrives as a code such as INVALID_FORMAT, INCORRECT_CATEGORY, PROMOTIONAL or SCAM. Meta's template review guide lists the common causes.
What variable mistakes get templates rejected?
Variables are the {{1}}, {{2}} placeholders you fill in for each customer. Meta's review guide lists these as common rejection reasons:
- A variable at the very start or end of the message, like
{{1}}, your order is readyorYour order number is {{1}}. Add words before and after. - Numbers out of order or skipped, like
{{1}},{{2}},{{5}}. Number them 1, 2, 3 in the order they appear. - Too many variables for the length of the message. A message that's mostly placeholders could say anything. Add fixed text, or use fewer variables.
- Broken braces or special characters such as
#,$or%inside a variable. - Missing samples. Every variable needs a realistic sample value when you submit, such as "Priya" or "#4521", so the reviewer can see a real message.
The checker also flags two variables side by side ({{1}} {{2}}): put text between them, or merge them into one, such as a full name.
Is it really rejected, or was the category changed?
Meta has three template categories:
| Category | What it's for | Meta's India rate (before GST) |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Offers, launches, re-engagement, anything promotional | ₹0.8631 |
| Utility | Updates about a specific order, booking, payment or account, with no promotion | ₹0.115 |
| Authentication | One-time passcodes only, using Meta's fixed wording | ₹0.115 |
Rates effective 1 October 2026 (more on India pricing).
Under Meta's template categorisation rules, a utility template must be non-promotional. An order update with a discount code, or a feedback survey with an offer, counts as mixed content and is treated as marketing. So is a template too vague to judge, like one that just says "Congratulations!". Since 9 April 2025, a utility template that should be marketing is usually approved as marketing rather than rejected. Meta can also re-categorise an approved template later, normally with a day's notice.
The fix is to split the message: keep the order update as utility and send the offer as a separate marketing template. If Meta got it wrong, request a review.
What about formatting, links and language?
- Length limits. Meta's template components allow up to 1,024 characters in the body, 60 in a text header and 60 in the footer, and 25 per button label.
- Headers. A text header can have one variable and shouldn't use formatting characters like
*or_. The checker also flags emojis and line breaks in the header. - Buttons. Up to 10 buttons in total, no more than two website buttons and one call button. A website button can have one variable, and only at the end of the link, like
https://yourstore.in/track/{{1}}. - Links. Meta rejects spam and scam-like content but doesn't publish a list of allowed link types. The safe habit is a full
https://link on your own website's domain, ideally in a website button, rather than a shortened link in the body. - Language. Meta doesn't translate templates, so write the text and samples in the language you select. For Hindi and English versions, submit one template per language.
What content will Meta never approve?
Meta's review guide and the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy rule out:
- Asking for sensitive identifiers: full payment card numbers, bank account numbers or national ID numbers, or documents that contain them. Partial numbers, such as the last four digits, are allowed.
- Abusive or threatening wording, such as threatening legal action or public shaming to collect a payment.
- Scam-like or misleading content.
- Restricted goods and services. The policy restricts selling or promoting things like alcohol, tobacco, drugs, firearms, real-money gambling, adult products, dating services and payday loans, with limited exceptions in some countries.
- Duplicates. A template with the same body and footer as one you already have is rejected. Edit or reuse the existing one.
Before and after: rejected templates and the fixes
These are illustrative examples we wrote, not real customer templates.
| Problem | Rejected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|
| Variable at the start | {{1}}, your order is confirmed. | Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} is confirmed and will be packed today. |
| Too many variables | Hi {{1}}, {{2}} on {{3}} at {{4}}. | Hi {{1}}, your appointment with Dr {{2}} is booked for {{3}} at our {{4}} clinic. Reply here if you need to change it. |
| Promotion in a utility template | Your order {{1}} has shipped! Use code SAVE20 for 20% off your next order. | Utility: Your order {{1}} has shipped and should reach you by {{2}}. Track it with the button below. The offer goes in a separate marketing template. |
| Variables side by side | Hi {{1}} {{2}}, your parcel is out for delivery. | Hi {{1}}, your parcel {{2}} is out for delivery today. Reply here if you won't be home. |
| Asking for a card number | Reply with your full card number to complete payment. | We couldn't process your payment for order {{1}}. You can pay securely using the button below. |
| Threatening tone | Pay {{1}} today or we will take legal action. | Your payment of {{1}} for invoice {{2}} is due on {{3}}. Pay with the button below, or reply if you have a question. |
| Shortened link in the body | Track your order: bit.ly/x7y8 | Body: Your order {{1}} is on the way. Website button: "Track order" → https://yourstore.in/track/{{1}} |
Rejected, paused or disabled: what's the difference?
| Status | What it means | Can you send it? | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending | Meta is reviewing it | No | Wait, usually up to 24 hours |
| Rejected | It failed review | No | Fix it and resubmit, or appeal |
| Approved as marketing | Meta changed the category | Yes, at the marketing rate | Split promotional content out, or request a category review |
| Paused | Quality dropped to low because customers blocked, reported or didn't read it | No: 3 hours the first time, 6 hours the second | Stop campaigns using it; it unpauses automatically |
| Disabled | It reached low quality a third time | No | Edit it and resubmit it for approval |
Pausing comes from how customers react, not from review (Meta's pausing rules). Message only people who opted in, and make opting out easy.
How do you appeal a rejected template?
- Open WhatsApp Manager → Message templates and select the rejected template.
- Check it against the reason Meta gave, and add a sample value for every variable (an appeal must include samples).
- Submit it for review. Meta says it decides appeals within 24 hours.
For a category decision, go to WhatsApp Manager → Business Support → Template Category Updates → Request Review. You have 60 days from when the template was created or re-categorised.
Where Mywa fits
Meta, not Mywa, decides whether a template is approved. Mywa lets you build templates and submit them to Meta for approval from inside Mywa, then send them in campaigns. Run your wording through the free template checker first: it catches most of the format mistakes above and flags promotional words in utility templates, though it can't predict Meta's content review. For ready-made wording, start from our message templates.
Mywa is ₹999 a month with every feature, and Meta bills message charges to your own WhatsApp Business Account with zero markup. See Mywa pricing.
Sources: Meta: Template review · Meta: Template categorisation · Meta: Template components · Meta: Template pausing · WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy. Checked 20 October 2026.