Initiate conversations anytime with WhatsApp's Templates

Previously, in Bigin's Messages module, you could only reply to customer-initiated messages, but with this enhancement, you can now initiate conversations using WhatsApp templates.

A WhatsApp template is a pre-designed message template designed to start conversations with your contacts whenever needed. However, before using these templates, they need to be submitted to WhatsApp for approval.

To create a new template, go to Setup > Messages > Templates > + Template button.

Provide a name for your template and choose the language. Next, select the relevant template category:

Marketing for promotional offers, product announcements, or sales outreach

Utility for deal updates, order updates, or payment notifications

Once you save the details, the templates are sent for approval to Meta. Generally, they're verified within a few minutes, but in some cases, it can take a few hours.

Notes

Verification can take up to 24 hours.

Templates may be rejected for any of the following reasons:

Language details mismatch

Spam content

Category mismatch

If the mobile field is empty or has an invalid number, you can't initiate a conversation. Similarly, you can't send messages to numbers that aren't registered in WhatsApp.

How to send template messages to your customers

Once WhatsApp approves your templates, you can use them to initiate conversations with customers. To initiate a conversation, go to the Messages module and click on the + New WhatsApp Chat button.

Select the contact and send the message template to initiate the conversation. Once the customer replies, you can send a message using the message composer. But until they respond, you can only use templated messages.

While replying, you can send templates anytime by clicking on the templates icon in the message composer.

Note

You can't send marketing templates to customers who have opted out of the marketing template.

Limitations:

The maximum character count for a template is 900.

The maximum number of templates you can create—including approved, rejected, and pending templates—is 200.

You can include a maximum of 10 merge fields in a single template.

If you haven't yet integrated Bigin with WhatsApp, please click on this link to learn how.

To learn more about Bigin's WhatsApp Integration, access the help link.

That's all for this enhancement. We sincerely hope you find these improvements useful. Please give them a try and leave your feedback in the comments section below. Watch this space for future announcements.

Thanks and have a good day!

Access your files securely from anywhere

Zoho Developer Community

New to Zoho LandingPage?

Access Zoho LandingPage

Zoho LandingPage Resources

New to Zoho Survey?

Access Zoho Survey

Latest Feature Updates

Explore our Pricing & Plans

Zoho Survey Resources

Android Mobile Surveys

Insurvey Blogs

Insight Blogs

Tips & Tricks

New to Zoho CRM Plus?

Deliver unforgettable customer experiences

ACCESS ZOHO CRM PLUS

New to Zoho CRM Plus?

Deliver unforgettable customer experiences

ACCESS ZOHO CRM PLUS

New to Zoho Marketing Plus?

Everything you need to run your marketing

ACCESS ZOHO MARKETING PLUS

New to Zoho Marketing Plus?

Everything you need to run your marketing

ACCESS ZOHO MARKETING PLUS

New to Bigin?

Signup Now

Access Bigin

Latest Feature Updates

Zoho Desk Resources

Desk Community Learning Series
Digest
Functions
Meetups
Kbase
Resources
Glossary
Desk Marketplace
MVP Corner
Word of the Day

Tout forum

France ZUGs

Zoho SalesIQ Resources

Sticky Posts
Introducing Bigin 360: Our new pricing edition with increased feature limits and pre-installed toppings
Dear Biginners Club, Today, we're pleased to launch a brand-new pricing edition called Bigin 360, our highest pricing edition that will sit on top of Express and Premier editions. It's been over four years since our launch, and we're receiving some great
Announcing #BiginnersClub meetups in US, Middle East, India & UK (Free Event)
Exciting news, Bigin enthusiasts! #BiginnersClub meetups are back, and we're hitting some major cities this time, starting from October. Here's what you can expect: Meet our experts face-to-face Deep dive into Bigin and its advanced features Personalised
[New] Create invoices and contracts in minutes with Zoho Writer's Merge Templates for Bigin!
Do you often find yourself manually entering customer information in your business documents like invoices and contracts? This can be a time-consuming process that can take up valuable time from your business operations. With Zoho Writer's Merge Templates
Introducing Forms: Streamline data collection with Bigin's new form builder.
Hello everyone, Bigin's web forms just got a makeover! We are excited to introduce Forms: an online form builder designed to meet all your data collection need. This revamp was inspired by your feedback, resulting in an upgraded and versatile version
Announcing #BiginnersClub meetups in India, Middle East & Africa, and UK
Yes, you heard it right! #BiginnersClub meetups are back. Whether you're a long-time customer looking to learn more about Bigin, or a new customer trying to explore Bigin, our in-person meetup is definitely the right place to get a deeper understanding