WhatsApp Templates

Message templates are pre-approved messages by Meta (the company behind WhatsApp) that allow your agency to contact clients outside the 24-hour conversation window.

Why templates are necessary

WhatsApp has a strict rule: after a contact sends you a message, you have 24 hours to reply freely with text, images, documents, or any type of message. Once that window closes, the only way to start a new conversation is by sending an approved template.

This means templates are essential for:

• Following up with leads who haven't responded in more than 24 hours.
• Reactivating conversations with clients who showed interest in a property.
• Sending notifications such as appointment confirmations, price updates, or new listings.

Template categories

Meta classifies each template into one of three categories. The category affects both the approval process and the cost per message:

For real estate agencies, the most common categories are MARKETING (for sharing new properties) and UTILITY (for confirming appointments and following up).

Template list in Trochai

Trochai displays all templates associated with your WhatsApp Business account. The list syncs directly from the Meta API each time you open the templates page.

What each card shows

Each template is displayed as a card with the following information:

• Name — the unique identifier of the template (e.g., property_followup).
• Status — indicates whether the template was approved, is pending review, or was rejected.
• Category — MARKETING, UTILITY, or AUTHENTICATION.
• Language — the language code (e.g., es for Spanish, en for English).
• Body preview — the message text with parameters highlighted in blue.

Template statuses

Search and filter

Use the search bar to find templates by name. You can also use the status filter to show only approved, pending, or rejected templates.

Creating templates in Trochai

Trochai lets you create templates directly from the application using a drafts system:

1. Click Create template on the templates page.
2. Fill in the form with the name, language, category, and message content.
3. Save as a draft to edit later, or submit directly to Meta for review.

When you submit a draft to Meta, Trochai automatically submits it for review. Once approved, the template appears in your list ready to use. Drafts are automatically deleted after being successfully submitted to Meta.

For more details on creating and managing templates, see the Creating Templates guide.

Parameters in templates

Many templates include parameters — placeholders that you fill in with specific information when sending the message. For example:

Hello {{client_name}}, this is {{agency_name}}
following up about the property in {{location}}.

Parameters appear highlighted in blue in the preview. For more information on how they work, see the template parameters guide.

Prerequisites

To see your templates in Trochai, you need:

1. A connected WhatsApp channel — set up your channel in Settings > Channels.
2. A WhatsApp Business Account ID (WABA) — this is configured automatically when you connect your channel.
3. A valid access token — the connection token must not be expired.

If any of these requirements are not met, the templates page will show an error message with instructions to fix it.

Next steps

• Sending templates — learn how to send templates from a conversation.
• Template parameters — understand how dynamic parameters work.
• Creating templates in Meta — step-by-step guide to creating new templates.