> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://help.cuedesk.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How to Create WhatsApp Templates - URL: https://help.cuedesk.com/how-to-create-whatsapp-templates/ - Published: 2024-03-20T13:12:17.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-09T12:02:36.000Z - Author: Rhett Trickett - Tags: WhatsApp, Broadcasts Cue allows you to send WhatsApp-approved template messages to your customers as a broadcast. This lets you reach out to customers without them needing to engage with the account first. In this guide, we will show you how to create and submit a WhatsApp template for approval. We'll also explain how to customise your WhatsApp template using variables, media, headers and more. 💡 Your user must have the ****Workspace Owner/Broadcast Manager** role in order to create and send WhatsApp templates. ## Template types Cue supports two types of WhatsApp templates: - **Standard templates** — a single message with an optional header, body text, buttons, and footer. Covered in this guide. - **Carousel templates** — a swipeable, multi-card message with 2–10 cards, each containing a media header, optional body text, and buttons. Limited to the Marketing category. See our guide on [How to create and send a Carousel Template](https://help.cuedesk.com/how-to-create-a-carousel-template/) for details. ### Creating your template 1\. Click **Tools** (tab on the left-hand side menu) 2\. Click **Go to templates** 3\. Click **Create Template** You should now be on the template creation page: ![](https://help.cuedesk.com/content/images/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-04-12-at-18.58.11.png) **Name:** Provide a name for your template **Language:** Select the language you would like to use for the broadcast. **Category:** WhatsApp needs you to categorise your templates. - **Marketing** — Share promotions, updates, invitations etc. for customers to respond or take action. - **Utility** — Requests or transactions, e.g., confirming transactions, updating on ongoing transactions or notifying customers after a purchase. - **Authentication** — Verify users using one-time passcodes. At creation, you can select to allow a predetermined security recommendation, contact number and configure the expiry time for the passcode. **Session Behaviour Options** - **Start new conversation** *(Default):* When this template is sent to a contact who is currently in an active session (e.g., interacting with a flow or AI Agent), the existing session will be closed and a new session will be opened. Should this option be deselected, the **existing conversation will continue** \- when this template is sent to a contact who is currently in an active session, the message will be delivered without interrupting their session. The contact can continue their existing conversation. 💡 Templates with session continuity enabled cannot include quick-reply buttons. If you need to use quick-reply buttons, select "Start new conversation" instead. - **Show in Inbox:** Makes the template available for use in the Inbox.Allows you to, in an open conversation, click 'Send a WhatsApp Template' which opens the template selection modal, or using the template to initiate a new single-send conversation. **Header:** Add a header to your WhatsApp template. Headers are available for Marketing and Utility templates only. - **Text:** Character limit of 60 characters including spaces. - **Image:** JPG, JPEG or PNG format with a max size of 5 MB. - **Video:** MP4 or MOV with a max size of 16 MB. - **Document:** PDF, DOCX, etc. with a maximum size of 100 MB. When your typing cursor is in the template text field you can click the button that says **Insert Variable** to include personalised variables in your template, e.g., {name}, {date}, {time}, etc. See our guide on [Sending WhatsApp Broadcasts](https://help.cuedesk.com/sending-a-whatsapp-template-broadcast/) for more information on how to use these variables in your broadcast file. **Call to Action Buttons:** Add a max of 3 buttons per template with a character limit of 25 characters per button. - **Quick Reply** — a pre-defined response option - **Visit Website** — a URL link button - **Call Us** — a phone number button **Footer:** Insert an optional footer at the bottom of your message copy. Now that you have a complete WhatsApp template, click **Create** to submit to Meta for approval. You can send out your WhatsApp template once the status changes from **'Preparing'** to **'Approved'**. 💡 Meta can take ****up to 24 hours to approve** a template. --- ## Template guidelines Use the following tips to create effective message templates that align with WhatsApp's policies: - Template can't start or end with a variable - Variables can't be sequential, e.g. Hey {name}, {message} - Check for spelling or grammatical errors - Language needs to match content - Don't include content that violates [WhatsApp's Business Policy](https://business.whatsapp.com/policy?ref=help.cuedesk.com) --- ## **Duplicating an existing template** To save time, you can start from a template you’ve already created. In the templates list, open the menu for the template you want to copy, by selecting the 3-dot ellipsis (⋮) next to the template and choose **Duplicate**. Cue opens a new template pre-filled with the original’s content. Change the name, edit what you need, and submit it to Meta for approval as usual. The original template remains unaffected.