WhatsApp message template (HSM)
A WhatsApp message template (HSM) is a text with variables, approved in advance by the platform, that a company sends through the WhatsApp Business API to start a conversation or write outside an open chat window.
What it is
Through the official API a company cannot write anything to anyone at any time. If the client has not written for a while, the first message must be a template: a text the platform has reviewed and approved beforehand. HSM is the old name for such messages and it is still widely used.
How it looks in practice
A template is written with variables: “{{1}}, a reminder: the payment under contract {{2}} is expected on {{3}}”. When it is sent, the variables are replaced with the name, the contract number and the date. Templates belong to categories, for example service notifications or marketing, and the category affects the rules and the sending cost.
When the client replies, a window opens in which free text is allowed. The window is limited in time, and after it closes a template is needed again. Exact terms are set by the platform and change from time to time.
Why it matters
Templates are planning work. They have to be written, submitted for review and approved before the launch, not on the day of the mailing. A rejected template stops the whole chain.
The typical mistake
Disguising advertising as a service notification. The platform notices: the template is rejected or moved to another category, and complaints from recipients lower the number rating and restrict sending.
More in Signals
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