The Template Messages page in SMSGatewayCenter’s dashboard allows you to efficiently manage your WhatsApp Business API templates. These pre-approved messages are essential for sending proactive notifications, marketing campaigns, or updates to your customers. Below, we’ll explore the key actions you can perform on this page to streamline your messaging strategy.
Key Actions on the Template Messages Page #
The SMSGatewayCenter UI provides several actions to help you create, manage, and optimize your WhatsApp template messages:
Add a New Template #
- Purpose: Create a new template for WhatsApp approval.
- How to Use:
- Click the Add New Template button on the Template Messages page.
- Fill in details like the template name, category (e.g., Transactional, Marketing), language, and message body (e.g., “Hi {{1}}, your order #{{2}} is confirmed!”).
- Submit the template for WhatsApp approval, which typically takes 24-48 hours.
Delete a Template #
- Purpose: Remove templates that are no longer needed or were rejected.
- How to Use:
- Find the template in the list.
- Click the Delete icon (often a trash bin icon) next to the template.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted.
- Note: Deleting a template is permanent, so ensure you no longer need it before proceeding.
Copy a Template #
- Purpose: Duplicate an existing template to create a similar one with minor changes (e.g., for a different language).
- How to Use:
- Locate the template you want to copy.
- Click the Copy or Duplicate icon (often a double-page icon).
- Edit the duplicated template (e.g., change the language to Hindi or tweak the message body).
- Submit the new template for approval.
View Template Status #
- Purpose: Check the approval status of your templates.
- How to Use:
- On the Template Messages page, review the status column for each template.
- Possible statuses include:
- Pending: Awaiting WhatsApp approval.
- Approved: Ready to use for sending messages.
- Rejected: Not approved by WhatsApp (check feedback for reasons, such as formatting issues).
Send a Test Message #
- Purpose: Preview how the template will appear to recipients before launching a campaign.
- How to Use:
- For an approved template, click the Test or Preview option.
- Enter a test phone number and replace dynamic variables (e.g., {{1}} with a name).
- Send the test message to ensure formatting and content display correctly.
Best Practices for Managing Templates #
- Organize Templates: Use clear, descriptive names (e.g., “shipping_update_en”) to easily identify templates.
- Batch Submissions: Submit multiple templates in small batches to avoid delays in WhatsApp’s approval process.
- Monitor Rejections: If a template is rejected, review WhatsApp’s feedback, fix issues (e.g., excessive special characters), and resubmit.
- Leverage Duplication: Use the copy action to quickly create variations of a template for different languages or campaigns.
These actions on the Template Messages page empower you to efficiently manage your WhatsApp messaging strategy. For further assistance with creating or managing templates, contact our support team.