WhatsApp Utility Template Approval – Latest Policy Changes April 2025

Updated April 2025

If you’ve noticed your Utility templates being marked as Marketing or even rejected by WhatsApp, you’re not alone. WhatsApp’s template categorization system has changed, and it’s crucial to understand how these updates affect your messaging strategy. At Getgabs, we’re here to break it down for you.

What’s the Difference Between Utility and Marketing Templates?

Utility templates are designed for transactional messages—think order confirmations, reminders, or service updates. They must not have any marketing content. In contrast, Marketing templates are for promotional messages like sales alerts or offers.

Why is My Utility Template Marked as Marketing?

WhatsApp reviews all templates, and if your template includes anything promotional, it could get reclassified as Marketing. Here’s why that happens:

• Promotional language like “Shop now” or “Don’t miss out”

• Links to promotional content like catalogs or offers

• Urgency words or emojis that could be interpreted as an ad (e.g., “Limited time offer” or 🎉💸)

Even if you’re trying to send a simple transactional message, these factors could lead to a reclassification.

How to Make Sure Your Utility Template Gets Approved

To keep things simple, here are the dos and don’ts for submitting a Utility template:

✔️ Do:

• Use clear, neutral language (e.g., “Your order #1234 has shipped”)

• Focus on service-related info (appointments, orders, reminders)

• Keep it transactional, not promotional

❌ Don’t:

• Use phrases like “Shop now” or “Get your discount”

• Include links to promotions or catalogs

• Add emojis that feel too salesy 🎉🔥💸

What Happens if WhatsApp Rejects or Changes My Template?

If WhatsApp switches your template from Utility to Marketing, here’s what you can do:

• Request a review (it usually takes a few days)

• If approved, it stays as Utility

• If rejected, it stays as Marketing, and you’ll incur Marketing pricing

If your template is rejected entirely, there’s no option for review. You’ll need to create a new one. We recommend using WhatsApp’s official template library to make sure you get it right.

Refer below screenshots of Meta Whatsapp Manager :

Changes Coming April 16, 2025 – What You Need to Know

WhatsApp is tightening up the rules for businesses misusing template categories:

• No more 24-hour notice for category changes.

• If a template is flagged for misuse, WhatsApp will change the category immediately, with no warning.

• Marketing pricing will apply if your template gets switched to Marketing.

So, it’s important to stay on top of your templates and make sure they’re categorized correctly.

How Will You Be Notified About Category Changes?

At Getgabs, we’ve made it easy for you to see category changes right from your dashboard. You can view these updates under Manage Template > Template List on your Getgabs panel. No need to worry about code or technical details. We’ll keep you in the loop!

Here’s an example of what you’ll see:

Template Name: appointment_update
Language: English (en-US)
Old Category: Marketing
New Category: Utility
Correct Category (WhatsApp decision): Marketing

If the change is correct, no action is needed. If you disagree, you can request a review or update your template content.

Final Tip from Getgabs

If you’re ever unsure about whether your message should be Utility or Marketing, keep it simple. Stick to clear transactional content and avoid anything that could be seen as an ad. We’re continuously improving our tools to help you stay compliant, and these alerts are just one way we’re making the process smoother for you.

Stay compliant. Stay optimized. 🚀