What is Template Message?
A template message is a pre-approved message format used on the WhatsApp Business API to start a conversation with a customer who has not messaged you in the last 24 hours. The text, buttons and placeholders — like {{name}} or {{order_id}} — are submitted to Meta once, reviewed within minutes to a day, and can then be sent to any opted-in number.
Templates exist to stop spam: outside the 24-hour service window, only approved formats may be sent. Meta sorts them into utility (order updates, around ₹0.12 or so per message), authentication (OTPs) and marketing (offers, roughly ₹0.78 each) with different prices. An Indian electronics dealer might keep templates for "order shipped", "EMI due tomorrow" and "Diwali sale", filling customer details automatically at send time.