Short answer
WhatsApp templates are usually rejected for badly formatted variables, policy violations, the wrong category, a body too long or too short for its variables, or wording that duplicates an existing template. Meta reviews templates automatically and manually. You can edit and resubmit a rejected template, or appeal with a sample; Meta says appeal decisions take up to 24 hours.
Common rejection reasons
| Reason | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Variable formatting | Missing braces, {{1}} then {{3}}, or text starting with {{1}} | Number variables in order and wrap them in text |
| Too many variables | Short body that is mostly placeholders | Add fixed text around each variable |
| Policy violation | Asking for card numbers or ID numbers | Remove sensitive requests and restricted goods |
| Duplicate | Same body and footer as another template | Change the wording or reuse the existing one |
| Wrong category | Discount added to an order update labelled utility | Split it, or submit it as marketing |
What happens with category mistakes
Meta can approve a template under a different category or reject it with INCORRECT_CATEGORY. Any promotion inside a utility template makes it marketing. Meta also re-checks approved templates and recategorises them, so mislabelling to save cost does not work.
How to fix and resubmit
OmniChannels.ai lets you build templates with variables, media and buttons, preview them on a phone and track approval status.
- Read the rejection reason in Business Support Home or the rejection email.
- Fix the cause: variable order, sample values, category or wording.
- Edit the template and resubmit it, or appeal if you believe the decision is wrong. Appeals must include a sample.
- Submit each language as its own template, because Meta does not translate templates.