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Keep talking on WhatsApp after the 24-hour window closes

WhatsApp controls when a business may write first. Approved templates let you reach a customer once the 24-hour window has passed, without breaking the rules.

This guide is for you if someone wrote yesterday and you need to answer today, or if you want to open a conversation with a customer who has not messaged you. It also covers WhatsApp calls, the built-in flows and the shop catalogue.

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Step by step

Create and approve your template in Meta

Templates are created and approved in your Meta WhatsApp Manager, and your WhatsApp Business Account needs a payment method. Write the template to tell the person that a new message is waiting and how to see it, for example a link to your site.

Set the template fallback

Open Settings > WhatsApp > Cloud API template fallback and enter your approved template. This is what goes out when the 24-hour window has closed.

Enter the template languages

In Template languages, list every language code your template supports, comma-separated, for example it, es, en_US. The user's matching language is selected automatically, otherwise the default is used.

Fill in the variables

In Header/Body variables enter your values comma-separated. The merge fields {recipient_name} and {recipient_email} are supported, the count must match the template's parameters, and the order matters. For an image header, pass the image URL as the first parameter.

Add button variables where the template has buttons

Button variables take your custom button links, or quick-reply text prefixed with quick_reply_, for example quick_reply_abcde. Use skip_parameter for static buttons and URLs. Order matters here as well.

Message people who have never written to you

Enter your Business Account ID at Settings > WhatsApp > Cloud API numbers. Then select the people you want in the Users area and click the WhatsApp icon at the top right.

Settings reference

Setting	What it does
Cloud API template fallback	The approved template sent when you write to someone outside the 24-hour window.
Template languages	Every language code your template supports, comma-separated, so the user's language can be matched.
Header/Body variables	The comma-separated values that fill your template's header and body parameters.
Button variables	Your custom button links or quick-reply values, with skip_parameter for buttons that need nothing.
Business Account ID	Found at Settings > WhatsApp > Cloud API numbers, this lets you message users who never wrote to you.
Text message notifications	The SMS gateway settings under Settings > Notifications that the text-message fallback depends on.
Call permission template ID	At Settings > WhatsApp > Calls, the ID of your Calling permissions request template, needed to call from the panel.
Clear flows	At Settings > WhatsApp, regenerates the built-in Registration and Follow-up flows.
Order webhook	At Settings > WhatsApp, the URL that catalogue order data is posted to when a user sends an order.

Good to know

What the 24-hour window means

You have 24 hours from the user's last message to reply freely. Outside that window you need a template or the text-message fallback, and WhatsApp policy does not allow outbound marketing to people who have never contacted you.

A template cannot carry your message

The template will not deliver the text you wanted to send. Use it to say that a new message is waiting and where the person can read it.

Count and order of variables

The number of variables must match the template's parameters exactly, and they are used in the order you enter them. A mismatch means the template will not go out as intended.

Several numbers, several templates

If your numbers sit on different WhatsApp Business Accounts, create a dedicated template on each account. The template name and language code must match across them, and the test button sends from the first number.

Approval is between you and Meta

Getting a template approved is handled entirely by Meta. We have no part in the review and cannot influence the result.

Payment methods are required

Your WhatsApp Business Account needs a payment method for templates, and WhatsApp calls need a valid payment method on your Business Portfolio.

Common questions

Can the template include the message my customer missed?

No. A template cannot carry the original message. Use it to tell the user that a new message is waiting and how to see it, for example with a link to your site.

I have no approved template. Is there another way to reach the person?

Yes, there is a text-message fallback. It requires the SMS gateway to be set up under Settings > Notifications > Text message notifications, using your own SMS gateway account.

Why did my template arrive in the wrong language?

The language comes from Template languages. Enter every language code the template supports, comma-separated, for example it, es, en_US. The user's matching language is selected automatically, and the default is used when there is no match.

How do voice and video calls work on WhatsApp?

Calls are enabled by default for connected numbers and can be toggled per number in WhatsApp Manager under Voice and Video Calls. To call from the panel, open a user profile and click the phone or video icon. This needs a Calling permissions request template whose ID goes in Settings > WhatsApp > Calls > Call permission template ID, plus a valid payment method on your Business Portfolio.

Do I have to build the WhatsApp flows myself?

The built-in ones are generated for you: Registration, for the first message from a new user when Require registration is on, and Follow-up, when the follow-up message is on and the user has no email. Regenerate them with Settings > WhatsApp > Clear flows. To send a custom flow, use the merge field {wa_flow id="123" header="" body="" button=""}.

Can I show products from my catalogue in the chat?

Yes. Use {catalog id="123" product_id="123" body="" footer=""} for a single product, or {catalog id="123" product_id_1_1="123" section_1="" header="" body="" footer=""} for several products grouped into sections, where header and body are required. When the user sends an order, the order data is posted to the URL at Settings > WhatsApp > Order webhook, and your own code processes it and replies.

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