A WhatsApp template message is a pre-written message that can be quickly sent to multiple people at once. Template messages allow you to save time by avoiding having to type out the same messages over and over again. They are especially useful for businesses, organizations, and other groups that need to communicate the same information to many different people.
Some key things to know about WhatsApp template messages:
- They can contain text, images, videos, GIFs, documents, location, contacts, and more.
- You can create multiple templates and categorize them to easily find what you need.
- Templates are only visible to you – recipients just see a regular WhatsApp message.
- You can customize templates before sending by editing the content.
- They save you time compared to copying and pasting the same messages.
Overall, template messages allow you to respond faster, avoid mistakes from retyping messages, and ensure consistency in your communications.
Creating a WhatsApp Template Message
Creating a template message on WhatsApp is easy:
- Open the WhatsApp app and go into any chat.
- Tap the attachment icon and select “Template” from the menu.
- Give your template a name and tap Save.
- Compose your template message content. You can include text, images, documents and more.
- When finished, tap Save to store the template.
Once created, you can access your saved templates within any WhatsApp chat by tapping the attachment icon and selecting Templates.
You can create as many customized templates as you need for different purposes. For example, you may want separate templates for event reminders, shipping notifications, appointment confirmations, and more.
Tips for Creating Effective WhatsApp Templates
Here are some tips to create effective WhatsApp template messages:
- Keep messages concise and scannable with key information up front.
- Use relevant images, videos, GIFs to reinforce your message.
- Customize templates with fields to personalize messages.
- Use action-driven language to encourage responses.
- Ensure branding consistency with logo, color scheme.
- Follow best practices for typography, spacing for readability.
- Test your templates thoroughly before sending.
Well-designed templates allow you to clearly and effectively communicate with customers, employees, subscribers and more.
Using WhatsApp Templates
Once you’ve created your WhatsApp templates, using them to send messages is simple:
- Open a chat in WhatsApp and tap the attachment icon.
- Select the Templates option.
- Choose one of your saved templates.
- Customize the template by editing text, adding images etc.
- When ready, hit send to deliver the message.
The recipient will receive the templated message like any other WhatsApp message. The only difference is they won’t see it came from a template on your end.
You can also access and send templates from the main WhatsApp menu by selecting Templates. This allows you to broadcast a template message to multiple chats without having to open each one.
Tips for Using WhatsApp Templates
Here are some tips for effectively using WhatsApp templates:
- Personalize messages by adding the recipient’s name, location or other details.
- Send timely reminders, notifications by scheduling templates in advance.
- Follow up any templates that need a response.
- Test new templates on small groups first before mass sending.
- Ensure recipients have opted in and expect messages.
- Review templates regularly and update any outdated information.
- Avoid overusing templates so messages don’t seem automated.
Used properly, WhatsApp templates can be a powerful communication tool for businesses and organizations. But be sure to customize them for each recipient and follow WhatsApp’s spam policies.
WhatsApp Template Examples
Here are some examples of useful WhatsApp templates for different purposes:
Confirmation Templates
- Appointment confirmations – Confirm upcoming appointments and booking details.
- Order confirmations – Confirm order details and expected delivery time.
- Event reminders – Remind attendees of upcoming events and key details.
- Shipping notifications – Share tracking information and delivery ETAs.
Announcement Templates
- New product announcements – Share launch details of products and services.
- Promotion announcements – Announce sales, coupon codes or special offers.
- Company news – Share press releases, achievements and business milestones.
- Blog/video links – Share links to new blog posts and videos.
Lead Nurturing Templates
- Content upgrade offers – Provide links to access gated content like ebooks.
- Webinar invites – Invite users to register for upcoming webinars.
- Newsletter invites – Encourage subscriptions to email newsletters.
- Product catalog links – Share product/service catalogs to nurture leads.
Benefits of Using WhatsApp Templates
WhatsApp templates offer various benefits for both personal and business messaging including:
- Saves time – Avoid repeatedly typing out the same messages.
- More efficient – Quickly reach contacts without starting from scratch.
- Consistent messaging – Eliminate mistakes and ensure branding consistency.
- Organized communication – Store organized template folders for easy access.
- Increases response rates – Well-designed templates encourage responses.
- Personalization – Custom fields allow personalized messages at scale.
- Analyze performance – View template send metrics to identify top performers.
For businesses, personalized templates help provide better customer experiences at scale across sales, marketing, ecommerce, support and more use cases.
WhatsApp Template Limitations
However, WhatsApp templates do come with some limitations including:
- No bulk sending – Templates still have to be sent individually.
- Text-only previews – Can’t preview full template with media.
- No desktop access – Can only manage templates on mobile.
- Limited analytics – Can’t segment results by template.
- No A/B testing – Cannot A/B test template content.
While useful, templates are best complemented with a dedicated WhatsApp business API solution for advanced messaging capabilities.
WhatsApp Template Ideas
Here are some more WhatsApp template ideas and examples for personal and business use:
Personal Message Templates
- Birthday wishes
- Thank you messages
- Congratulations for achievements
- Meeting confirmation
- Reminders to pay bills
- Travel and flight updates
Business Message Templates
- Customer satisfaction surveys
- Renewal reminders
- Delivery and shipping updates
- Appointment scheduling
- New feature announcements
- Cart abandonment messages
You can get creative and develop customized WhatsApp templates for virtually any recurring messages in your personal life, work, school or business.
Most Popular WhatsApp Template Types
Based on common usage patterns, some of the most popular WhatsApp template types include:
- Promotional announcements
- Event reminders
- Confirmation messages
- Lead nurturing sequences
- Customer support responses
- Order and delivery updates
- HR communications
Businesses frequently use templates for high-volume communications with customers, employees, and subscribers.
WhatsApp Template Best Practices
To get the most out of WhatsApp templates, keep these best practices in mind:
- Keep templates short, simple, and personalized.
- Use clear call-to-action language.
- Personalize when possible with merge fields.
- Include engaging text, images, video.
- Follow WhatsApp’s spam and messaging policies.
- Test new templates before sending at scale.
- Analyze performance data to identify top templates.
- Refresh old templates to keep content current.
- Don’t overuse templates or they may seem spammy.
Well-designed, personalized templates sent to engaged audiences can provide excellent open and response rates.
WhatsApp Template Design Tips
Specifically for template design:
- Use concise, scannable bulleted text for easy reading.
- Limit paragraphs to 2-3 short sentences.
- Include emojis and GIFs to boost engagement.
- Make key information prominent with bold, headers, spacing.
- Follow WhatsApp’s 8 media item limit.
- Apply branding with logos, colors, fonts.
- Preview how templates will look on mobile.
Attractive, mobile-friendly template design is key for messaging success.
WhatsApp Template Metrics
To optimize your WhatsApp templates, pay attention to key performance metrics:
Engagement Metrics
- Open rate – % of users who opened the message.
- Click-through rate – % who clicked links or buttons.
- Responses generated – Replies to questions or offers.
- Completion rate – For multi-message sequences.
Message Performance
- Delivery rate – % successfully delivered.
- Bounce rate – % that failed to deliver.
- Opt-out rate – % who unsubscribed.
- Most used templates – By send volume.
- Highest performing – By open and click rates.
Review metrics regularly to determine top-performing templates as well as underperforming messages to improve.
WhatsApp Templates vs Competitors
How do WhatsApp’s built-in messaging templates compare to competitors?
| Platform | Template Options | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Text, media, custom fields | No analytics, bulk sending, sequencing | |
| SMS | Text-only | 160 character limit |
| Advanced content, segmentation | Lower response rates | |
| Dedicated API | Robust template builder, automation | Requires integration |
While WhatsApp built-in templates provide basic functionality, businesses with more advanced needs may want a dedicated API solution.
WhatsApp Template FAQs
How do you get templates on WhatsApp?
Templates are built directly within the WhatsApp app. Open any chat, tap the attachment icon, and select “Template” to create a new template. Saved templates can be accessed again via the Templates menu.
Can you schedule WhatsApp templates?
Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to schedule WhatsApp templates directly from the app. However, some third-party apps integrate with WhatsApp to allow scheduling future messages from templates.
How many templates can you have on WhatsApp?
There is no set limit on the number of templates you can create in WhatsApp. The only limit is your available storage space on your device. Each template will take up storage depending on how much media is included.
Can you send templates on WhatsApp Business?
Yes, WhatsApp Business accounts also have access to the templating feature. Business accounts can create templates tailored specifically for their customers and subscribers.
Do WhatsApp templates expire?
No, WhatsApp templates do not have an expiration date and will not disappear after a certain period of time. Templates will remain available in your app indefinitely until you manually delete them.
Conclusion
WhatsApp templates provide an efficient way to save time and effort when messaging the same information repeatedly. Both individuals and businesses can benefit from crafting customized templates for common communications.
With strategic template design and messaging best practices, organizations can drive engagement and results across sales, marketing, ecommerce, customer success and more. However, advanced users may require dedicated API solutions for more robust templating functionality, automation and analytics.