Documentation Index
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WhatsApp requires pre-approved message templates for outbound marketing and utility messages. django-meta-whatsapp lets you sync approved templates from Meta, create new templates in the dashboard, and push them to Meta for review — all without leaving your Django project.
WhatsAppTemplate model fields
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|
account | FK → WhatsAppAccount | The WhatsApp account this template belongs to |
name | CharField | Template name — must match Meta’s naming rules: lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores only |
meta_template_id | CharField | The ID returned by Meta after the template is created |
language | CharField | BCP-47 language code, default "en" |
category | CharField | MARKETING, UTILITY, or AUTHENTICATION |
status | CharField | APPROVED, PENDING, REJECTED, or DRAFT |
header | JSONField | Optional header component: {"type": "TEXT"|"IMAGE"|"VIDEO"|"DOCUMENT", "text": "..."} |
body_text | TextField | Template body text. Use {{1}}, {{2}} … for variables |
footer_text | CharField | Optional footer line below the body |
buttons | JSONField | Optional list of buttons: [{"type": "QUICK_REPLY", "text": "Yes"}] |
/whatsapp/templates/ and click the Sync from Meta button. This calls TemplateSyncFromMetaView, which requires WABA_ID to be configured on the active account or in WHATSAPP['WABA_ID'] in settings.
Via Python:
from django_meta_whatsapp.utils import sync_templates_from_meta
from django_meta_whatsapp.models import WhatsAppAccount
account = WhatsAppAccount.objects.get(pk=1)
templates = sync_templates_from_meta(account=account)
print(f"Synced {len(templates)} templates")
sync_templates_from_meta returns the raw list of template dicts from Meta’s Graph API. The dashboard view then calls WhatsAppTemplate.objects.update_or_create(...) for each one.
Via management command:
python manage.py wa_sync_templates
# or target a specific account:
python manage.py wa_sync_templates --account-id 1
Creating a template
Build a new template locally at /whatsapp/templates/add/. After saving, the template has status="DRAFT" and exists only in your database. Click Push to Meta on the template detail page to submit it for review.
Pushing to Meta via Python:
from django_meta_whatsapp.utils import push_template_to_meta
from django_meta_whatsapp.models import WhatsAppTemplate
template = WhatsAppTemplate.objects.get(name="order_update")
push_template_to_meta(template)
push_template_to_meta assembles a components array from the template’s header, body_text, footer_text, and buttons fields and POSTs it to /{waba_id}/message_templates on the Graph API. After a successful call, Meta sets the template status to PENDING until it is reviewed.
Template variables
Use {{1}}, {{2}}, … as ordered placeholders in body_text (and optionally in header when the header type is TEXT). At send time, supply values for each placeholder using build_template_components:
from django_meta_whatsapp.utils import build_template_components, send_template_message
components = build_template_components(
body_params=["Rahul", "ORD-999"], # fills {{1}}, {{2}} in body
header_params=["Order Update"], # fills {{1}} in header (if TEXT header)
)
send_template_message(
"919876543210",
template_name="order_update",
language_code="en",
components=components
)
build_template_components also accepts a buttons list for dynamic URL or quick-reply payloads:
build_template_components(
body_params=["Rahul"],
buttons=[{"index": 0, "sub_type": "url", "payload": "ORD-999"}]
)
Template statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|
APPROVED | Reviewed and approved by Meta — ready to use in campaigns and direct sends |
PENDING | Submitted to Meta and awaiting review (typically 24–48 hours) |
REJECTED | Rejected by Meta — edit and re-submit via Push to Meta |
DRAFT | Created locally, not yet pushed to Meta |
Template categories
| Category | Use case |
|---|
MARKETING | Promotional messages, product announcements, offers |
UTILITY | Transactional messages such as order confirmations, receipts, and shipping updates |
AUTHENTICATION | One-time passwords and verification codes |
Only APPROVED templates can be used in campaign sends or direct send_template_message calls. Sending a non-approved template will result in an error from Meta.