Templates and the 24-hour window
The most important WhatsApp rule: when you can free-text versus when you must use a template.
WhatsApp has one rule that shapes everything you do in the inbox. You can type a normal, free-form reply only within 24 hours of the customer's last message to you. After that window closes, you can still reach them, but only with a pre-approved template. This page explains the rule, how MAZZA enforces it for you, and how to create the templates you need.
The 24-hour window
Every time a customer messages you, a 24-hour clock starts. WhatsApp (Meta) calls this the customer service window. While it is open, you and your AI agent can reply with anything: free text, images, voice notes, documents. Each new message from the customer resets the clock to a fresh 24 hours.
Once 24 hours pass with no new message from the customer, the window closes. You can no longer send free text. To reach them again, you send an approved template.
The rule in one line
Inside 24 hours of the customer's last message: free text is fine. Outside 24 hours: an approved template is the only way to message them. This is Meta's rule, not MAZZA's, and it cannot be turned off.
How MAZZA enforces it
You do not have to track the clock yourself. MAZZA checks the window for you on every send.
If you try to send a free-form reply after the window has closed, the message does not go out. MAZZA returns a "session expired" notice, shows the message "The 24-hour window expired. Use a template instead," and switches the composer to the template picker so you can pick an approved template and keep going. Your typed text is kept so nothing is lost.
This guard applies to manual replies and to media sends. Templates are the exception: you can send an approved template any time, inside or outside the window, because templates are Meta's mechanism for re-opening a conversation.
Why a customer-started chat matters
This is why the cheapest, simplest way to talk to someone is to wait for them to message first. A customer-initiated chat opens a fresh 24-hour window where no template is needed. See The WhatsApp inbox for how conversations arrive.
What a template is
A template is a pre-written message that Meta has reviewed and approved in advance. Approval exists to protect customers from spam, so every template is checked before you can use it to start or re-open a chat.
A template can include:
- A short header line.
- A body, the main message.
- A footer.
- Up to three buttons (a quick reply, a link, or a phone number).
- Personalization blanks, written as
{{1}},{{2}}, and so on, that you fill in when you send. For example, a body of "Hi{{1}}, your booking is confirmed for{{2}}" lets you drop in the customer's name and date each time.
When you create a template with blanks, MAZZA asks for an example value for each one. Meta requires this so it can see how the finished message reads.
Template categories
MAZZA's template builder offers two categories. Pick the one that matches what the message does.
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmations & updatesMost common | Utility | Booking confirmations, reminders, and status updates. Anything the customer is already expecting. |
| Promotions & offersOpt-in needed | Marketing | Deals, announcements, and re-engagement. The customer must have opted in to marketing. |
Category matters for approval
Put the message in the right category. Promotional wording in a "Confirmations & updates" template is a common reason Meta rejects a submission. If the message sells something, it is "Promotions & offers."
Approval statuses
When you submit a template, it goes to Meta for review. Meta is the source of truth for the status, and MAZZA reads it live from your WhatsApp account. The Templates tab polls on its own, so an "In review" template flips to "Approved" without you refreshing.
In review
In review means Meta is checking your template. This usually takes minutes but can take longer. You cannot use it yet.
Approved
Approved means it is ready. Only approved templates appear in the inbox picker and in automation actions.
Rejected
Rejected means Meta declined it. Common reasons are promotional wording in a Confirmations template, a missing example value, or content against WhatsApp policy. Delete it and submit a revised one.
A template can also show as Paused if Meta temporarily disables it, usually because customers marked similar messages as unwanted.
Managing templates
Create and review templates on the Templates tab in WhatsApp.
Open the Templates tab
Go to WhatsApp, then the Templates tab. You will see every template with its live status, plus filters for All, Approved, In review, and Rejected.
Create a new one
Click New, choose a category, write the message, and add an example for each blank. MAZZA submits it to Meta for you.
Wait for approval
The list updates on its own. When it turns Approved, it is ready to use.
Use it
Pick the template in the inbox composer or as an automation action, fill in any blanks, and send.
Deleting a template breaks what uses it
Deleting a template removes it from your WhatsApp account for good. Any automation or saved reply that relies on it will stop working. Check before you delete, especially for templates used in automations.
Reserved names
Template names starting with "mazza_" are reserved for MAZZA-managed system templates, such as the team alert template. These are set up and locked automatically, so you will not see or edit them in the builder.
FAQ
A customer messaged me yesterday and now I cannot reply. Why?
More than 24 hours have passed since their last message, so the free-text window has closed. Send an approved template to re-open the conversation. As soon as they reply, you get a fresh 24 hours for free text.
How long does approval take?
Meta decides this, not MAZZA. It is often minutes, but it can take longer. The Templates tab updates the status on its own when Meta responds.
Can my AI agent send templates?
Outside the 24-hour window, only approved templates can be sent, by you or by an automation. Inside the window, the agent replies with normal free text.
My template was rejected. What now?
Read the likely reason on the template's detail view, delete it, and create a revised version. Check the category and make sure every blank has an example.
Last updated June 2026