How do I create and manage WhatsApp templates?

How do I create and manage WhatsApp templates?

Quick Answer: Use MyOperator Web Panel → WhatsApp → Templates to create, preview, submit, list, duplicate, delete and sync templates while every step enforces Meta’s naming, category, language, media, button and variable rules.

1. Entry Point & Permissions

Navigate to MyOperator Web Panel → WhatsApp → Templates → Create New Template. Roles allowed: Owner, Admin, Manager. Call Agent roles cannot create or duplicate; the option is hidden or an access error appears.

2. Seven-Step Creation Flow

  1. Template Name – lowercase, alphanumeric, underscores; ≤ 512 characters; must be unique; UI blocks reuse within 30 days of deletion.
  2. WABA Account – dropdown lists only approved WABAs; top account pre-selected and remembered. Earlier bug showing pending accounts has been fixed.
  3. Category – radio buttons: Utility, Marketing, Custom marketing (default), Carousel, Authentication. Backend flag allow_category_change=true is always true. Wrong category → status Rejected with INCORRECT_CATEGORY.
  4. Language – full WhatsApp language set (~70) with English default; bug that limited English variants is resolved.
  5. Components
    • Header (optional): None, Text (≤ 60 char, 1 variable), Image ≤ 5 MB, Video ≤ 16 MB, Document ≤ 100 MB (.pdf, .txt, .xls, .xlsx, .doc, .docx, .ppt, .pptx). Sample media upload required.
    • Body (mandatory): Plain text ≤ 1 024 char; supports bold, italics, strikethrough, line breaks and numbered variables {{1}}, {{2}} … inserted via "Add Variable" or typing {{}}. Deleting a variable removes its sample field but preserves sequence.
    • Footer (optional): ≤ 60 char, e.g. “Reply STOP to unsubscribe”.
    • Buttons (optional):
    • Phone Number button – 1 max; text ≤ 25 char; 10-digit valid number; no variables.
    • URL button – Static or Dynamic; text ≤ 25 char; URL ≤ 2 000 char; ≤ 2 URL buttons total.
    • Quick Reply – up to 10; each ≤ 25 char; no variables.
    Button grouping must follow Meta rules: quick replies together, then URL & phone, or vice-versa—interleaving is invalid. "Add button" toggle shows/hides each type; order is draggable.
  6. Real-Time Preview – renders header, body, footer, media and buttons with sample values exactly as WhatsApp will show them.
  7. Submit – validation checks all limits, grouping, URL format and button counts, then calls Meta Graph API. Status becomes In-Review. Approval usually takes 5–20 minutes. Cancel asks for confirmation before discarding changes.

3. Template Listing & Search

The list shows columns: Name, Category, Status, Type (Text/Image/Video/Document), Created by. Health/Quality column was removed after Meta stopped sending it.

• Search: real-time, case-insensitive; “Clear” resets.
• Filters: Category, Status (Approved, In-Review, Rejected) and single-select WABA ("All" disables per-WABA refresh).
• Pagination: appears after 10 rows, 10 templates per page.

4. Sync with Meta

  • Daily cron – updates status and quality once every day.
  • Hard refresh per WABA – "Refresh" fetches recent (~50) templates; disabled when WABA = All.
  • Per-template refresh button – updates one row, reducing backend load.
  • Edge cases:
    – If a template is removed in Facebook Manager it stays in MyOperator; sending will error until you delete it.
    – Editing a template directly in FBM is not synced; parameter mismatches trigger Graph API errors.
    – Reverse-sync of FBM-created templates is planned for a future phase.

5. Delete & Duplicate Actions

Every row has a three-dot menu with exactly two options.

Delete

  • Confirmation popup with Cancel / Ok.
  • Calls Meta delete API then marks template deleted locally.
  • Deleted name still blocked for 30 days; media files remain for future duplicates.

Duplicate

  • Popup pre-fills every field—category, WABA, language, media, body, footer, variables, buttons (including dynamic URLs).
  • Name is auto-prefixed copy_; repeated copies add more prefixes (copy_copy_...). If length exceeds 512, trailing characters are trimmed but the prefix stays.
  • Category locks: Duplicating Utility or Marketing disables Authentication; duplicating Authentication locks all categories to Authentication.
  • Roles: Owner, Admin, Manager may duplicate; Call Agent cannot.

6. Common Issues & Support Checklist

  • Template created but not visible
  • Likely due to filters, WABA selection, or sync delay; advise using the Refresh button and checking the correct environment.


  • Character-limit errors
  • Body exceeding 1024 characters or header/footer exceeding 60 characters triggers form-level validation.


  • Formatting not appearing correctly
  • Confirm the latest UI is loaded; issues with formatting in preview were fixed and should now mirror WhatsApp behavior.


  • Media “unsupported” or appearing incorrectly
  • Validate file type and size against supported rules and confirm recent fixes around preview rendering are in place.


  • Invalid URL leading to blank behavior
  • The URL field now validates format; ensure users input a proper URL including protocol.


  • Generic “Something went wrong” on create
  • Often tied to edge cases like maximum number of buttons, invalid button data, or variables in prohibited locations; support should check variable placement, lengths, URL validity, and parameter counts.

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