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Introduction

WhatsApp templates enable businesses to send pre-approved messages to customers, ensuring consistency and compliance with WhatsApp’s policies.

Castled requires the storage of all approved templates in our system to facilitate previews while creating a WhatsApp campaign.

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Preferred Approach - Auto Fetch

For all BSPs that provide an API for fetching approved templates, Castled automatically retrieves all approved templates and stores them for use within the platform. Additionally, there is a cron job running periodically to check for any new templates added or deleted. This ensures the Castled system is updated accordingly, thereby eliminating the need for marketers to manually replicate the templates in Castled.

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Fallback Approach - Manual Replication

For Business Service Providers (BSPs) that do not offer an API for automatic template synchronization, the templates needs to be manually replicated in Castled.

This section covers the manual process of replicating the templates within Castled.

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Preparing for template creation

Before you begin creating your template in Castled, make sure you have the following:

  1. Meta Approval: A WhatsApp template already approved by Meta through your BSP.
  2. External Template ID: The unique identifier provided by your BSP for the approved template.

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Replicating an approved template in Castled

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Accessing the Template Creation Section

  1. Select Settings > WhatsApp > Templates to go to the WhatsApp template creation screen

  2. Click the Create Template button to start defining your new template.

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Basic Template Details

Template Name: Assign a descriptive name to your template. This name should help you easily identify the template’s purpose and content at a glance.

Provider Config: Select the BSP configuration you’re using from a dropdown list of previously configured service providers.

External Template ID: Enter the exact template ID as provided by your BSP. This ID links your Castled.io template with the corresponding approved version on the BSP’s system.

Message Language: Indicate the primary language used in your message content to ensure clear communication with recipients.

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Body

This is the core of your message where you engage with the recipient and is mandatory.

Clearly articulate your intent and make sure to:

  1. Maintain clarity and brevity.

  2. Insert placeholders for variable content, such as {{1}}, where the numbers signify the order in which variable information will be inserted. For instance, {{1}} could be the recipient’s name, while {{2}} could be an appointment date.

Check the Header option to include a header in your template. The header is the first thing your recipient will see, so it should be attention-grabbing.

Select the type of header:

Text: For a simple textual message, like a greeting or subject line.

Media: To make the message more engaging, you can opt for an image, video, or document. Ensure the media complies with WhatsApp’s formatting requirements and size limitations.

  1. Image: Upload a relevant image. You might need to provide a link or media ID that refers to an image previously uploaded to the BSP’s media library.

  2. Video: Similarly, for videos, provide the appropriate link or ID.

  3. Document: If the document header is relevant to your message, ensure it is a supported file type and include the necessary reference.

  4. Location: Sending a location can be particularly useful for event invites or directions to a business.

The footer is not as prominently displayed as the header but is essential for additional information or disclaimers.

If a footer is appropriate for your template, check the option and input the text. This might include a company tagline, disclaimer, or instructions like Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

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Buttons

Buttons are a powerful way to drive interaction and action from your message recipients. If your message strategy includes calls-to-action, you can add up to two buttons per message.

Decide on the type of button:

  1. Call to Action: This button type is used when you want the recipient to take a specific action, such as visiting a website or calling a number.

    a. Website Redirection: Include a URL to direct customers to your webpage for more information, to make a purchase, or any other online activity.

    b. Call Phone Number: Use this option if you want to encourage calls to a specific number, making it easy for customers to reach out with a single tap.

  1. Quick Reply: Use this for common or expected responses to streamline communication.

For each button, specify the text that will appear on it. This text should be direct and action-oriented.

PrerequisiteWhatsApp Campaign