Utility template

Order confirmation WhatsApp template

An order confirmation WhatsApp template that reads as utility, with its variables explained, shipping and delivery variants, and the wording that makes it marketing.

The short answer

An order confirmation is a utility template: the person placed an order and the message confirms it. Meta treats a message as utility when it is specific to the person and has no promotional intent, so it stays utility for as long as it is only about that order. Add a discount on the next purchase and Meta categorises the whole message as marketing.

Hi Asha, your order #4821 is confirmed. We will message you the moment it ships. Reply here to change anything.

10:24 am

Category: Utility Name: order_confirmed

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} is confirmed. We will message you the moment it ships. Reply here to change anything.
Open in the checker

What each variable holds

{{1}}
The customer's first name
{{2}}
The order number, as it appears in your store

Meta needs an example value for each variable when it reviews the template. The ones in the preview are examples.

Variants

Hi Asha, your order #4821 has shipped and should reach you by Friday.

10:24 am

Track order

When it ships

A second utility message for the next status. The button opens your tracking page.

Category: Utility Name: order_shipped

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has shipped and should reach you by {{3}}.

Buttons: Track order (website: https://example.com/track)

Open in the checker
Hi Asha, your order #4821 was delivered. Was everything as expected?

10:24 am

All good
Something is wrong

When it arrives

Closes the loop and gives an unhappy customer a one-tap way to say so.

Category: Utility Name: order_delivered

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} was delivered. Was everything as expected?

Buttons: All good (quick reply), Something is wrong (quick reply)

Open in the checker

When to send it

  • Within a minute of the order being placed, triggered by your store's order event.
  • One message per status change: confirmed, shipped, delivered. Each one is utility on its own.
  • Keep the order number in every message so a reply can be matched to the order.

What gets it rejected or re-categorised

  • A coupon or a discount on the next order in the same message. Meta categorises mixed content as marketing.
  • A button to new arrivals or a sale. That is promotion inside a utility template.
  • Starting the body with the name, as in {{1}}, your order. A body cannot start with a variable.

In our platform this template ships in the retail pack with order shipped, order delivered and a cart reminder, and your store can send it through the public API.

The developer platform

Questions

Is an order confirmation a utility or a marketing template?

Utility, as long as it is only about the order. Meta's definition of utility is a message specific to the person, or essential to them, with no promotional or persuasive intent. A discount, an upsell or a link to a sale in the same message makes it marketing.

Can I add a tracking link to an order confirmation?

Yes, as a website button. A template can have up to two website buttons, and the link can carry one variable at the very end, such as the order number in https://yourstore.com/track/{{1}}.

Do I need the customer's opt-in to send order updates?

Yes. Meta requires opt-in before a business sends the first message. Collect it at checkout with a clear WhatsApp checkbox and keep a record of when and where it was given.

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