"Why can't I send this customer a message?" It's one of the most common questions in the first weeks after moving to the WhatsApp Business API, and the answer is almost always the 24-hour window. Once you understand the logic behind it, and the templates that go with it, day-to-day work gets simple.
What is the WhatsApp 24-hour window?
When a customer sends you a message, a 24-hour customer service window opens. Every new message from the customer restarts the clock. Inside the window you can reply freely, with text, images, documents and voice notes, and Meta does not charge for these messages.
Once 24 hours have passed since the customer's last message, the window closes. From then on you can only contact them with an approved message template. When the customer replies to the template, a new 24-hour window opens and you can carry on as usual.
The logic is simple: a customer who wrote to a business expects an answer, and a customer who didn't shouldn't receive free-form messages they never asked for. Templates are the controlled way to reach them.
Remember that each customer has their own window. One customer can be inside the window while another, who wrote yesterday, is already outside it.
What is a message template?
A template is a message written in advance, submitted to Meta for review, and approved before use. It can include:
- A header: text, an image, a video or a document.
- A body with numbered variables such as {{1}} and {{2}} that are filled in on every send: the customer's name, a date, an order number.
- A short footer.
- Buttons: a quick reply ("Confirm", "I need to change it"), a link or a call button.
Every template has a name, a language and a category. If your customers speak Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and English, prepare your important templates in each of those languages. And if you want to change the wording of an approved template, the change goes through Meta's review again.
The three WhatsApp template categories
| Category | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing | Promotions, launches, win-back messages, anything meant to sell | "Hi {{1}}, registration for the winter workshop is open. Want to save a spot?" |
| Utility | An update about a specific action or request of the customer | "Hi {{1}}, your order is ready for pickup at our {{2}} branch." |
| Authentication | One-time verification codes, in fixed wording that Meta provides | A code the customer types into your website or app |
Note that Meta decides the final category. A template submitted as Utility that contains promotional content may be classified as Marketing, and the category also affects the price.
Practical examples from a working day
A customer wrote yesterday morning, and you're getting back to them at noon today
More than 24 hours have passed, so a free-form message won't go through. Send a short Utility template, for example: "Hi {{1}}, we have an update on your enquiry. Shall we continue here?" with a "Yes, please" button. When the customer taps or replies, the window opens and you can send all the details as a normal message.
A reminder about tomorrow's appointment
A Utility template with variables for the name, date and time, and two quick-reply buttons: "Confirm" and "I need to change it". The customer's reply opens a service window, and the agent can reschedule with a free-form message.
A customer wrote on Friday afternoon, and you're back on Sunday morning
Again, more than 24 hours have passed. Two things help: a menu bot or AI agent that answers on Friday and collects the details while the window is open, and a ready, approved "getting back to you" template for Sunday morning. Worth knowing: messages the business sends do not extend the window. It is measured only from the customer's last message.
A holiday promotion
That's a Marketing template, and it goes only to customers who agreed to receive marketing messages from you. For consent, opt-out and sending pace, see the guide to WhatsApp campaigns.
What does it cost?
- Since July 2025 Meta charges per message: every delivered template is charged according to its category and the recipient's country.
- Free-form messages inside the service window are not charged.
- A Utility template sent while the service window is open is not charged.
- Prices are set by Meta and updated from time to time, separately from your Whapiz subscription. Check Meta's current rate card on its website.
Common mistakes with the 24-hour window
- Thinking the window runs from your message. It runs only from the customer's last message.
- Putting a reply off "until tomorrow". A customer who wrote in the morning and gets an answer at noon the next day is already outside the window. Reply the same day, or at least ask everything you need to answer on that same day.
- Submitting a template only when you need it. Templates are reviewed before use, so submit the ones you expect to need in advance.
- Forgetting languages. A Hebrew template won't suit a customer who speaks Arabic or Russian.
How it works in Whapiz
- Creating templates. You create and submit templates in your WhatsApp Business account at Meta. Once they're approved, click "Sync from Meta" (Settings → Templates) and they appear in the system. The sync also runs automatically once a day.
- Sending from the conversation. Pick a template, fill in the variables and send. Approved templates also appear in the quick responses list when you type "/".
- Guarding the window. If an agent tries to send a free-form message after the window has closed, Whapiz explains that an approved template is needed, instead of letting the message fail silently.
- Campaigns. A Whapiz campaign is always sent as an approved template, with variables filled in for each recipient.
Tips for good templates
- Write clearly and to the point, in the customer's language. A short template with one clear action is easier to understand, and easier to review.
- When you submit a template with variables, give Meta sample values so it's clear what will go in them.
- Don't dress up marketing as a service update. Meta reviews the content and may change the category.
- Prepare a starter kit of templates in advance: getting back to a customer, an appointment reminder and a status update, in every language your customers speak.
- Before using a template in a campaign, check how it looks on a phone, including the buttons and long variables.
Where to go from here
Want to see it in the product? Open a Whapiz trial account. The 24-hour window guide and the WhatsApp templates guide show what it looks like on screen.
Frequently asked questions
Does a bot reply extend the 24-hour window?
No. The window is measured from the customer's last message. Messages the business sends, whether from an agent, a bot or AI, do not extend it.
Can I create templates inside Whapiz?
Today you create and submit templates in your WhatsApp Business account at Meta, then import them into Whapiz by clicking "Sync from Meta".
What if the customer doesn't reply to the template?
The window stays closed. You can send another template later, but keep the frequency reasonable: customers who block or report your number lower its quality rating.
Does the rule also apply to images, documents and voice notes?
Yes. Outside the window you can't send any free-form message, including images, documents and voice notes. Only an approved template can be sent.