📲 WhatsApp Template

Direct, High-Visibility Communication Compliant with Meta

While standard email is great for detailed newsletters, WhatsApp boasts an open rate of over 90%, making it the ultimate tool for urgent, on-the-go guest communications. However, to protect users from spam, Meta (WhatsApp's parent company) requires all business-initiated messages to use pre-approved templates. This section explains how to perfectly structure your WhatsApp templates within Smartconnect to ensure immediate approval and flawless delivery.

In-Depth Features & Template Structure:

To build a compliant and effective template, the system allows you to utilize four distinct building blocks:

  • Header (Optional): A quick introductory element to grab attention. It can contain either a short line of text (maximum 60 characters) or an eye-catching image (must be under 30MB in size).

  • Body (Mandatory): The core of your message. You have up to 1024 characters to communicate your point. The Body supports standard text, emojis, punctuation, and crucial Dynamic Variables written in curly braces (e.g., {{1}}, {{2}}). Note: You must use numbers inside the braces, not words.

  • Footer (Optional): A brief text area (maximum 60 characters) situated at the bottom of the message, typically used for subtle notes, disclaimers, or business hours.

  • Buttons (Optional): Interactive elements that drive action. You can add "Quick Reply" buttons for fast guest responses, or "Call to Action" buttons (like "Call now" or "Open link"). Strict Rules: You cannot use emojis in buttons, and you are limited to a maximum of two link-type buttons per template.

Formatting & Formal Rules:

To make your messages highly readable, Meta supports specific text formatting syntax directly within the Smartconnect editor:

  • Bold: Enclose text in asterisks (e.g., *text*)

  • Italics: Enclose text in underscores (e.g., _text_)

  • Strikethrough: Enclose text in tildes (e.g., ~text~)

  • Monospace: Enclose text in backticks (e.g., `text`)

  • Links: URLs are highly encouraged but must be written out completely (e.g., https://www.yourhotel.com).

 

Meta Compliance: What to Avoid (Rejection Triggers):

Meta strictly reviews templates. To prevent your automated messages from being rejected, strictly avoid the following:

❌ Aggressive promotional or "salesy" marketing language (e.g., "Unmissable Offer!" or "Buy Now!").

❌ Grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.

❌ Messages that are overly generic or lack purpose (e.g., "Hello, how are you?").

❌ Shortened URLs (Avoid using services like Bitly or TinyURL).

❌ Sensitive, controversial, or deceptive content (e.g., politics, health, etc.).

❌ Messaging users who have not explicitly given their consent to be contacted.

 

Best Practices & Real-World Example:For optimal results, always maintain a professional, courteous tone. Ensure your text is specific to the guest's current journey phase, and try to include your company name at least once. Always test your dynamic placeholders to guarantee the sentence still makes grammatical sense when a real name or date is injected.

📍 Correct Template Example (Check-in Instructions):

Template Name: prenotazione_checkin 

Body:Good morning {{1}}, we are the host for your booking in Palermo.On the day of arrival, we await you at our office on Via Trento 15a to complete the identification process.For arrivals after 7:00 PM, please inform us in advance.

Footer:Hours: 9:00 AM–7:00 PM.

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