Utility messages
Utility messages are the WhatsApp template category reserved for transactional communications tied to an existing action or agreement with the user: order confirmations, shipping updates, appointment reminders, payment notices. They must contain no promotional content. They are priced lower than marketing templates, and Meta has made them free when sent within an open customer service window.
The utility category covers the life cycle of a transaction: order received, payment confirmed, shipment on its way, appointment scheduled, document available. The template must stay strictly informational: a single promotional line, such as a discount or a purchase prompt, is enough for Meta to reclassify it as marketing with the corresponding rate. Variables let you insert order numbers, dates, amounts and personalized tracking links for each recipient.
On the cost side, utility is among the cheapest categories in Meta's price list, and in many real-world flows it costs nothing: if the customer has written recently and the 24-hour window is open, sending the utility template isn't billed. For an e-commerce business this means most post-purchase notifications can travel on WhatsApp at near-zero marginal cost, with far higher visibility than email.
SendApp sends utility messages via Official at Meta rates with no markups and builds them into automations, such as appointment reminders and order notifications.
Frequently asked questions
From theory to practice
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