Agents and WhatsApp message templates

Last Updated : Feb 12, 2021 |
Prolog information
Metadata
Keywords:

WhatsApp Template Messages (WTMs)

Template Messages are message formats for common reusable messages sent by businesses to their customers. For more information on template messaging, see https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/creation.
Important:
When an end-user sends a message to the business, the business must respond to the message within 24 hours. If you do not respond within 24 hours, WhatsApp prevents you from sending a standard message. Instead, you can respond with a paid-for WhatsApp message template.
Note that your attempt to send a regular message is not prevented in Avaya Workspaces but rejected by WhatsApp. WhatsApp and not Avaya imposes this limitation.
The 24-hour reply window begins from the last end-user message, not when the conversation is initiated or when the agent answers the contact.
The following table lists the system behaviors for WhatApp message templates:
Scenario
System Behaviour
End-user sends a message to the business WhatsApp number.
More than 24 hours have elapsed since the customer message. The contact is then routed to an agent.
The agent is advised to use a WTM in response.
System welcome message is not sent.
WhatsApp rejects any further regular messages sent to the end-user until the end-users' next reply.
End-user sends a message to the business WhatsApp number.
More than 24 hours have elapsed since the customer message. The contact is then routed to an agent.
The agent replies with a WTM.
The WTM is delivered to the end-user.
WhatsApp rejects any further regular messages sent to the end-user until the end-users' next reply.
The reply from the end-user resets the 24-hour window and allows the business to send standard messages again.
End-user sends a message to the business WhatsApp number.
More than 24 hours have elapsed since the customer message.
Agent sends a WTM in reply.
Agent immediately sends a standard message in reply without waiting for an end-user reply message.
The WhatsApp Message Template is delivered to the end-user.
WhatsApp rejects any further regular messages sent to the end-user until the end-users' next reply.
Multiple WTMs can be sent consecutively, but regular messages cannot be sent until the end-user replies.
End-user sends a message to the business WhatsApp number.
23 hours 55 minutes have elapsed.
The contact is then routed to an agent.
The agent waits more than 5 mins before sending a regular reply message.
Regular messages sent to the end-user are rejected as more than 24 hours have elapsed since the last end-user message.
The agent should not use a WTM, as checks for the applicability of a template message occurs when the contact is answered by the agent.