# WhatsApp Message Templates

### What's WhatsApp Message Templates?

To drive high-quality conversations between people and businesses, the WhatsApp Business Platform has a 24-Hour Custom Service Window, after which businesses can initiate the conversation only through **Message Templates**.

The WhatsApp Business Platform works around two different categories of conversation:

1. **User-initiated** - When the user or customer sends the message to the business. The business can respond to the message with a simple message or message template within 24 hours. Once the window has expired, the business can only respond with a message template which will be counted as a Business-initiated conversation.
2. **Business-initiated** - When the business reaches out to the customer outside the 24-hour customer service window, its falls under the Business-initiated conversation. For a business-initiated conversation, a message template is required.

![WhatsApp Business Platforms Conversation Types](https://1755261872-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhElFPtMZjXYjDDMBT5q2%2Fuploads%2Famd3K2ea0SkpCz4S5hxw%2FWhatsApp%20Business%20Platform%20Conversation%20Types.png?alt=media\&token=73e6e906-0623-4e72-bbfd-9e67447e588d)

If the business tries to send a message other than a template message outside this 24-Hour window, it will be *failed delivery*.

**A message template could be a text message regarding support, appointment reminders, payment or shipping updates, alerts, etc.** A business can create its own message templates, which is supported at RUM Work as well; however, to send them, they should meet some requirements that are,

* A message template must be approved by WhatsApp before sending. At RUM Work, once created the template, you can send it for approval with a single click.
* A message template is for business-initiated conversation; therefore, a customer must have opted-in to receive messages from your business for that type of conversation.

If your Message Template meets these requirements, you can send them without any further action.

### Types of Message Template

WhatsApp Business Platform supports 3 message template categories - 

![Supported Message Templates at RUM Work](https://1755261872-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FhElFPtMZjXYjDDMBT5q2%2Fuploads%2F2dOChMB4DsReL35z4QKl%2FMessage%20Templates%20Supported%20at%20RUM%20Work.png?alt=media\&token=20ac108a-681e-40b7-9d44-b699be9dbdad)

#### 1. Marketing

This type of message template can be used to send promotional offers messages, product announcements, and other marketing messages to increase awareness and engagement.

#### 2. One-time passwords

Through this type of message template, businesses can send codes that allow their customers to log in to their accounts securely.

#### 3. Transactional

Through this type of message template, businesses can send,

* Account Update
* Alert Update
* Appointment Update
* Auto-Reply
* Payment Update
* Personal Finance Update
* Reservation Update
* Shipping Update
* Ticket Update
* Transportation Update

At RUM Work, all of these Message Templates are supported and you can easily create them using the available options in the supported channel.

### Setting Up a Message Template

At RUM Work, you can create and send message templates to your customers using the following WhatsApp Channels,

* [360dialog](https://docs.rumwork.io/messaging-channels/360dialog#set-up-message-template)
* [Emma](https://docs.rumwork.io/messaging-channels/emma#set-up-message-template)
* [Cloud API](https://docs.rumwork.io/messaging-channels/cloud-api#set-up-message-template)

Please refer to these RUM Work WhatsApp Channels respective docs to set up a WhatsApp Message Template in no time.

### Sending a Message Template

To send a message template, there are 2 ways:

1. Using [Chat](https://docs.rumwork.io/rum-work-modules/chat).
2. And through [Drip Campaign](https://docs.rumwork.io/rum-work-modules/campaigns/drip-campaigns#overview).

{% hint style="success" %}
If you've created your template and got the approval, you can explore the above doc reference to send it.
{% endhint %}