whatsapp-templates

WhatsApp Templates

When to Use

Use this skill when building code to create, manage, or send WhatsApp template messages. Templates are required to initiate conversations outside the 24-hour window.

When Templates Are Required

Has user messaged you in the last 24 hours?
  -> YES: Send free-form message (text, image, buttons, etc.)
  -> NO: Must use template message
Need to send bulk/broadcast messages?
  -> YES: Use template (recommended for consistency)
Want proactive outbound notifications?
  -> YES: Must use template

Template Categories

Category	Use Case	Examples
UTILITY	Transactional updates	Order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders
MARKETING	Promotional content	Sales, offers, product announcements
AUTHENTICATION	OTP/verification codes	Login codes, 2FA, password resets

Create Template

const template = await zavu.templates.create({
  name: "order_confirmation",
  language: "en",
  body: "Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been confirmed and will ship within 24 hours.",
  whatsappCategory: "UTILITY",
  variables: ["customer_name", "order_id"],
});
console.log(template.id); // tpl_xxx

Python:

template = zavu.templates.create(
    name="order_confirmation",
    language="en",
    body="Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been confirmed and will ship within 24 hours.",
    whatsapp_category="UTILITY",
    variables=["customer_name", "order_id"],
)

Go:

template, err := client.Templates.Create(context.TODO(), zavudev.TemplateCreateParams{
    Name:             zavudev.String("order_confirmation"),
    Language:         zavudev.String("en"),
    Body:             zavudev.String("Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been confirmed and will ship within 24 hours."),
    WhatsappCategory: zavudev.String("UTILITY"),
    Variables:        []string{"customer_name", "order_id"},
})

Ruby:

template = client.templates.create(
    name: "order_confirmation",
    language: "en",
    body: "Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has been confirmed and will ship within 24 hours.",
    whatsapp_category: "UTILITY",
    variables: ["customer_name", "order_id"],
)