---
title: Which category should I choose for a WhatsApp template?
description: "Every template belongs to one category. The category decides what the template may say, when you can send it and what it costs, so choose it before you write the content. | Category | Use it for | Rules |…"
url: "https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/which-category-should-i-choose-for-a-whatsapp-template/"
updated: "2026-10-21"
category: WhatsApp Business API / Template Messages
---

# Which category should I choose for a WhatsApp template?

Every template belongs to one category. The category decides what the template may say, when you can send it and what it costs, so choose it before you write the content.

| Category | Use it for | Rules |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Utility** (shown as "Service updates" in the panel) | Order confirmations, payment and delivery updates, appointment reminders, account notices | Must be non-promotional, with no persuasive intent, and either requested by the customer or essential to them |
| **Marketing** (shown as "Promotions & offers") | Offers, discounts, product news, re-engagement, abandoned carts | The broadest category. Anything mixed or unclear lands here |
| **Authentication** | One-time passcodes for login or verification | Must come from Meta's Template Library, must include a one-time-password button, and must not contain URLs, media or emojis. Parameters are limited to 15 characters |

## How to decide

1. **Is it an OTP?** Authentication.
2. **Does it sell, promote or persuade, anywhere in the message?** Marketing. One promotional line in an order update makes the whole template marketing.
3. **Is it only information about something the customer already bought or asked for?** Utility.

## Common mistakes

- Adding "and here's 10% off your next order" to a delivery update, which turns a free-in-window utility template into a paid marketing one.
- Writing an OTP template by hand instead of starting from the Template Library.
- Vague wording. If Meta can't tell what the template is for, it treats it as marketing.

Category also drives cost, so this choice shows up on your bill (see *How does WhatsApp per-message pricing work?*).

**Source:** [Meta: Template categorization](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/templates/template-categorization). Meta changes these rules from time to time, so check the source if something looks different in your account.

### More Related Articles

- [Is it possible to include a document, image, or video in a WhatsApp template message using SMSGatewayCenter, and if so, how?](https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/whatsapp-template-media-attachments-smsgatewaycenter/)
- [What steps can I take to prevent WhatsApp template message rejection when submitting through SMSGatewayCenter?](https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/prevent-whatsapp-template-rejection-smsgatewaycenter/)
- [How long does it take for a WhatsApp Template to be Approved?](https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/whatsapp-template-approval-time/)

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