Marketing template
WhatsApp welcome message template for customers
A WhatsApp welcome message template for new customers, why it is a marketing template, and how it differs from the greeting message in the WhatsApp Business app.
The short answer
A welcome template is the first message a business sends to someone who just opted in. It is marketing: it is not about a transaction, and it tells the person offers will follow. It is different from the greeting message in the WhatsApp Business app, which replies automatically when someone messages you first. Send the welcome once, name what they will receive, and say how to stop.
10:24 am
Category: Marketing Name: welcome_message
Hi {{1}}, welcome to {{2}}. Save this number: this is where your updates, reminders and offers will arrive. Reply STOP any time to opt out.Buttons: Say hello (quick reply)
What each variable holds
- {{1}}
- The customer's first name
- {{2}}
- Your business name
Meta needs an example value for each variable when it reviews the template. The ones in the preview are examples.
A variant
10:24 am
Shorter, with no offers promised
For businesses that will send only updates. Still marketing, because it is not about a transaction.
Category: Marketing Name: welcome_short
Hi {{1}}, thank you for joining {{2}} on WhatsApp. Reply here any time and a person will answer. Reply STOP to opt out.When to send it
- Once, right after the person opts in on your website, at checkout or at the counter.
- Only when the opt-in was for marketing messages as well as updates.
- Never as a reply to someone who messaged you first; answer them in the conversation instead.
What gets it rejected or re-categorised
- Filing it as utility. A welcome is not about a transaction.
- No way to stop. Say how to opt out in the first message.
- Sending it to a bought or old list. People who did not opt in report messages, and reports hurt the number's quality rating.
Questions
What is a good WhatsApp welcome message for customers?
Short, personal and clear about what comes next: greet them by name, say what they will receive on this number, and tell them how to opt out. One quick reply button makes it easy to answer.
Is a WhatsApp welcome message marketing or utility?
Marketing. It is not specific to a transaction the person made, and it usually promises offers. Meta's utility category is for messages about a person's own order, booking, account or payment.
What is the difference between a greeting message and a welcome template?
The greeting message is a setting in the WhatsApp Business app that replies automatically when a customer messages you. A welcome template is a message the business sends first through the WhatsApp Business Platform, which needs an approved template and the person's opt-in.
Talk to us.
In a forty-minute call we go through what you send today, what it costs you, and what a flagged number would cost you. Then we set up a workspace on your own Meta app and build the first campaign with you.