WhatsApp Template Builder

The WhatsApp Template Builder lets you create and submit WhatsApp message templates directly in Braze—no need to switch between Braze and the Meta Business Manager. After Meta approves your template, use it in as many campaigns and Canvases as you’d like.

Prerequisites

Before creating a WhatsApp template in Braze, complete the WhatsApp setup.

Create a template

Step 1: Go to WhatsApp Templates

Go to Templates > WhatsApp Templates, then select Create new template.

Step 2: Configure template settings

Fill in the following fields:

Field	Description
Account	The WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) you’d like to submit the template to. All subscription groups and phone numbers within a WABA will share template access.
Language	The language for this template. WhatsApp requires a separate template for each language.
Template name	A unique name for your template. Template names can only contain lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores.

Step 3: Choose a layout

Under Layout, select the template type:

• Default: A standard WhatsApp message. This is the layout covered in this article.
• Carousel: A message with horizontally scrollable cards. For more information, see Carousel templates.

Step 4: Build your template

Header (optional)

Add a header to appear above the message body. You can choose:

• Text: A short text header.
• Media: An image, video, or document (URL only). Braze stores the media reference and submits a sample to Meta for approval.
• None: No header

Body

Enter the main content of your message and personalize the body as needed by using Liquid or generic variables:

• Use Liquid tags (for example, {{${first_name}}}). Braze saves your Liquid and surfaces it when you use the template in a campaign or Canvas composer.
• Use generic variables, such as numbered placeholders (for example, {{1}}), if you prefer to add personalization later when building your message.

You can add personalization wherever the + plus button appears. Not all fields support personalization.

Footer (optional)

Add a short footer to appear below the message body.

Buttons (optional)

Add up to 10 buttons to your template. Button types have different categories and specifications.

Button type	Category	Specifications
Quick reply	Quick reply buttons	Maximum count: 10 Button text: Up to 25 characters
Phone number	Call to Action buttons	Maximum count: 1 Button text: Up to 25 characters Phone number: Valid phone number with country code, without + (such as "14155552671")
Visit website	Call to Action buttons	Maximum count: 2 Button text: Up to 25 characters Website URL: Up to 2,000 characters
Copy offer code	Call to Action buttons	Maximum count: 1 Button text: "Copy offer code" (can't be edited) Offer code: Up to 15 characters

Step 5: Preview your template

Before submitting, preview how your message will appear to recipients:

• Preview as a user: See a generic preview of the message.
• Preview as a specific user: Select a user profile to preview how the template will render with that user’s data.

Step 6: Submit for review

Select Submit to send your template to Meta for review, which typically takes a few minutes but can take up to 24 hours. The template appears on your WhatsApp templates page when it’s submitted, and the status updates when you refresh the WhatsApp templates page.

Supported template categories

Only Marketing templates are currently supported in the WhatsApp Template Builder.

Use an approved template in a campaign

After Meta approves your template, you can use it in a WhatsApp campaign or Canvas.

1. Go to Campaigns and select Create Campaign > WhatsApp.
2. In the message composer, select your approved template.
3. Braze automatically populates the template’s content—including any media and Liquid you entered during template creation—so you don’t have to re-enter it.
4. Update any variable content or personalization as needed. Fields locked by Meta (shown in gray) cannot be edited. To change locked content, you must edit and resubmit the template for approval.
5. Use the Test tab to preview the message, update body variables, and confirm the message looks as expected before launch.

For more information about building WhatsApp campaigns, see Create a WhatsApp message.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Meta template review take?

Reviews typically complete within five minutes, but can take up to 24 hours.

Can I edit a template after it’s been approved?

Any changes to locked content (body copy or other Meta-controlled fields) require resubmitting the template for approval, which must be done from the WhatsApp Business Manager. You can update content and personalization when building your campaign or Canvas.

What happens to templates I submitted before the Template Builder was available?

Templates created in Meta Business Manager are still available to use in Braze. The Template Builder is an additional way to create and manage templates without leaving the Braze dashboard.

Why can’t I add personalization to every field?

Meta restricts which parts of a template can be personalized. The + plus button only appears in fields that support variable content.