Desktop app
About WhatsApp message templates
What WhatsApp message templates are, how Cradle uses them once you're set up, and where they fit alongside the 24-hour reply window.
Important
WhatsApp is in private beta. We expect a general release of WhatsApp in mid-2026. Templates are part of the GA package and aren't the gating item; see WhatsApp availability today for what we're waiting on.
WhatsApp message templates are a feature of WhatsApp Business that lets you message a customer outside the 24-hour reply window with a pre-approved structured message. Cradle's template support is built and lined up to ship with WhatsApp at general release. This article explains what templates are and how they fit into the WhatsApp workflow.
What a template is
A WhatsApp template is a message format that's been approved by Meta in advance. Templates are how a business can start a conversation with a customer who hasn't messaged in the last 24 hours, without falling foul of WhatsApp's rules. Common examples are appointment reminders, delivery updates, and one-time passcodes.
Templates have a fixed structure with variable slots, like "Hi {{name}}, your appointment with {{firm}} is confirmed for {{date}}." Meta reviews each template before it goes live to make sure it isn't being used for marketing or unsolicited outreach.
How Cradle's template flow works
When WhatsApp goes generally available, the template flow is:
- An admin asks Cradle support to get a template reviewed for your org.
- Meta approves the template.
- The approved template appears in the messaging area as a send option, available whether or not the customer is currently inside a 24-hour reply window.
- Sending a template starts a new thread (or re-opens an existing one) and re-opens the 24-hour window so the customer can reply freely.
What you can do during the private beta
Without templates available to you yet, WhatsApp messaging works on the 24-hour reply window only:
- Wait for the customer to message you. As soon as they do, the window opens and you can send anything.
- Ask them to message first. If you're already in touch on another channel (a phone call, an email, an SMS), it's fine to ask them to send a WhatsApp message to your business to open the channel.
- Switch channels. Call them, email them, or send an SMS. None of those have the 24-hour rule.
WhatsApp is the right channel for ongoing client conversations that the customer has opted into by messaging first. For outbound-led communication during the beta, voice and email still do the job.