I want to message a customer first using my template — where do I start?
Your template is approved. Now you want to reach out first — tell a customer their order is ready, remind them of an appointment, or reconnect with someone who has gone quiet. And then the question: where is the send button?
The answer: the Broadcast menu. The name suggests "mass sending", but don't let it fool you — sending to ONE customer also goes through here. Broadcast is the door for every message you start, whether it goes to one person or a thousand.
Why does it have to be a template?
This is a WhatsApp (Meta) rule, not a WACO limitation: a business that initiates a chat with someone who isn't currently asking must use a pre-approved message — it is how WhatsApp keeps inboxes free of spam. When the customer messages you first (or replied less than 24 hours ago), you can type freely in the team inbox without any template. Details in when you need a template and when you don't.
The steps — done in three minutes
- Open Broadcast → New broadcast in the dashboard.
- At the top you'll see "Already have an approved template?" — pick your template there. It is already approved, so no second review; you go straight to the next step.
- Choose the recipients: pick from your Contacts, or paste numbers directly — a single number is fine.
- If the template has placeholders like
{{1}}(name, date, amount), the system helps you map them — from contact data, or filled in by hand. - Check the preview, then send.
After it is sent
The customer's reply lands in your team inbox like any other chat. And once they reply, the 24-hour window opens — you can carry on the conversation freely, no template needed, just like regular WhatsApp.