{"id":1698,"date":"2025-05-14T18:18:58","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T12:48:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/?post_type=docs&#038;p=1698"},"modified":"2025-05-14T18:18:59","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T12:48:59","password":"","slug":"formatting-rules-follow-when-creating-whatsapp-template-messages","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/kb\/formatting-rules-follow-when-creating-whatsapp-template-messages\/","title":{"rendered":"What formatting rules should I follow when creating WhatsApp template messages?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To ensure your <strong>WhatsApp template messages<\/strong> are approved and delivered successfully, WhatsApp enforces specific formatting rules. <strong>SMSGatewayCenter<\/strong> helps you create compliant templates easily through our platform. Here\u2019s a detailed guide to the formatting requirements for WhatsApp template messages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Formatting Rules for Template Messages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Text-Based Content Only<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Templates must be text-based, consisting of:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Letters (a-z, A-Z)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Digits (0-9)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Special characters (e.g., !, @, #)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emojis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>WhatsApp-specific formatting (e.g., <em>bold<\/em>, <em>italic<\/em>, ~strikethrough~, <code>monospace<\/code>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Example: \u201cGet <em>20% off<\/em> your next order! Use code ~SAVE20~ at checkout.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Character Limit<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The message body must not exceed 550 characters, including spaces, special characters, and formatting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tip: Keep your message concise to ensure it\u2019s easy to read and meets the limit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Supported WhatsApp Formatting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use the following WhatsApp-specific formatting to enhance your message:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Bold<\/em>: Wrap text with asterisks (e.g., <em>text<\/em> becomes <strong>text<\/strong>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Italic<\/em>: Wrap text with underscores (e.g., <em>text<\/em> becomes <em>text<\/em>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>~Strikethrough~: Wrap text with tildes (e.g., ~text~ becomes ~text~).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Monospace<\/code>: Wrap text with triple backticks (e.g., <code>text<\/code> becomes <code>text<\/code>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Note: Other formatting styles (e.g., underlining, colored text) are not supported.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Additional Guidelines for Compliance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>No Media in Body<\/strong>: The message body cannot include media (e.g., images, videos). However, you can add media in the header if supported by the template type (e.g., Interactive &#8211; Image with Buttons).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dynamic Variables<\/strong>: Use placeholders for personalization (e.g., {{1}}, {{2}}). Ensure variables are properly formatted and replaced with actual values when sending.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Example: \u201cHi {{1}}, your order #{{2}} is on its way!\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Avoid Excessive Special Characters<\/strong>: Overusing special characters or emojis may lead to rejection. Use them sparingly to maintain professionalism.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>No Line Breaks in Variables<\/strong>: Variables like {{1}} cannot contain line breaks, as this can cause formatting errors during delivery.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Create a Compliant Template on SMSGatewayCenter<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Access the Template Messages Section<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log in to your SMSGatewayCenter account at <a href=\"https:\/\/unify.smsgateway.center\/\">https:\/\/unify.smsgateway.center\/<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Navigate to the WhatsApp Business API section, then go to the <em>Template Messages<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Create a Template<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <em>Add New Template<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the message category (e.g., Transactional, Marketing).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Write the message body, ensuring it adheres to the rules above:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep it under 550 characters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use only text, digits, special characters, emojis, and supported formatting.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add dynamic variables if needed (e.g., {{1}} for the customer\u2019s name).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Submit the template for WhatsApp approval via SMSGatewayCenter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Check for Approval<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>WhatsApp reviews templates for compliance, which may take 24-48 hours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If rejected due to formatting issues, revise the template (e.g., reduce character count, remove unsupported elements) and resubmit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices for Formatting Template Messages<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep It Simple<\/strong>: Use clear, concise language to avoid exceeding the character limit.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Test Formatting<\/strong>: Preview your message in the SMSGatewayCenter dashboard to ensure formatting displays correctly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use Variables Wisely<\/strong>: Ensure dynamic variables fit seamlessly into the message structure without breaking the flow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stay Professional<\/strong>: Avoid overusing emojis or special characters, as this may lead to rejection or appear unprofessional.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following these formatting rules ensures your <strong>WhatsApp template messages<\/strong> are approved quickly and delivered effectively to your audience. For further assistance with template creation, contact our support team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To ensure your WhatsApp template messages are approved and delivered successfully, WhatsApp enforces specific formatting rules. SMSGatewayCenter helps you create compliant templates easily through our platform. Here\u2019s a detailed guide to the formatting requirements for WhatsApp template messages: Key Formatting Rules for Template Messages Text-Based Content Only Character Limit Supported WhatsApp Formatting Additional Guidelines for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"doc_category":[1383],"doc_tag":[],"class_list":["post-1698","docs","type-docs","status-publish","hentry","doc_category-template-messages"],"year_month":"2026-07","word_count":507,"total_views":0,"reactions":{"happy":0,"normal":0,"sad":0},"author_info":{"name":"admin","author_nicename":"admin","author_url":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/author\/admin\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Template Messages","term_url":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/kb-cat\/template-messages\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/1698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/1698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=1698"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smsgatewaycenter.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=1698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}