Template messages

Templates are messages Meta has approved in advance. They can be sent at any time, so they are how you start a conversation or follow up after 24 hours. Create them in the panel under Templates (or pick one from the library) and wait for Meta’s approval. GET /templates lists the approved ones.

Field	Type	Description
template.name	string	The template’s name, exactly as approved
template.language	string or object	Its language code, e.g. en_US, en, hi, gu, or Meta’s { "code": "en" }. Must match the approved translation. Default en_US.
template.components	array	Values for the template’s variables, media header and buttons, in Meta’s format (below). Omit when the template has no variables.

Caution

Meta charges per delivered template message (marketing, utility or authentication), billed to your WhatsApp Business Account. Since 1 October 2026, utility templates are charged inside an open 24-hour window too.

A template with variables

For a body like Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} is confirmed:

curl

curl https://login.meapi.in/api/v1/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MEAPI_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+919812345678",
    "type": "template",
    "template": {
      "name": "order_confirmation",
      "language": "en",
      "components": [
        { "type": "body", "parameters": [
          { "type": "text", "text": "Asha" },
          { "type": "text", "text": "#10245" }
        ] }
      ]
    }
  }'

Node.js

const body = {
  to: '+919812345678',
  type: 'template',
  template: {
    name: 'order_confirmation',
    language: 'en',
    components: [{ type: 'body', parameters: [{ type: 'text', text: 'Asha' }, { type: 'text', text: '#10245' }] }],
  },
};
await fetch('https://login.meapi.in/api/v1/messages', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.MEAPI_KEY}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
  body: JSON.stringify(body),
});

PHP

<?php
$payload = [
  'to' => '+919812345678',
  'type' => 'template',
  'template' => [
    'name' => 'order_confirmation',
    'language' => 'en',
    'components' => [[
      'type' => 'body',
      'parameters' => [['type' => 'text', 'text' => 'Asha'], ['type' => 'text', 'text' => '#10245']],
    ]],
  ],
];
$ch = curl_init('https://login.meapi.in/api/v1/messages');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [CURLOPT_POST => true, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
  CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['Authorization: Bearer ' . getenv('MEAPI_KEY'), 'Content-Type: application/json'],
  CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($payload)]);
echo curl_exec($ch);

Python

payload = {
    "to": "+919812345678",
    "type": "template",
    "template": {
        "name": "order_confirmation",
        "language": "en",
        "components": [{"type": "body", "parameters": [
            {"type": "text", "text": "Asha"}, {"type": "text", "text": "#10245"}]}],
    },
}
requests.post("https://login.meapi.in/api/v1/messages",
              headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {MEAPI_KEY}"}, json=payload, timeout=30)

Named variables. If the template uses names like {{customer_name}} instead of numbers, add parameter_name to each value:

{ "type": "body", "parameters": [
  { "type": "text", "parameter_name": "customer_name", "text": "Asha" },
  { "type": "text", "parameter_name": "order_id", "text": "#10245" }
] }

Media header

For a template with an image, video or document header, pass the file as a public https link:

"components": [
  { "type": "header", "parameters": [ { "type": "image", "image": { "link": "https://example.com/offer.jpg" } } ] },
  { "type": "body", "parameters": [ { "type": "text", "text": "Asha" } ] }
]

Use "type": "document", "document": { "link": "…", "filename": "Invoice-10245.pdf" } for documents, and video for videos.

Buttons

Quick-reply buttons need nothing. A URL button whose address ends in a variable (e.g. https://shop.com/track/{{1}}) needs the suffix, with the button’s position (index, starting at "0"):

{ "type": "button", "sub_type": "url", "index": "0", "parameters": [ { "type": "text", "text": "10245" } ] }

One-time passwords (authentication templates)

Authentication templates carry the code twice — in the body and in the copy-code button:

"components": [
  { "type": "body", "parameters": [ { "type": "text", "text": "482913" } ] },
  { "type": "button", "sub_type": "url", "index": "0", "parameters": [ { "type": "text", "text": "482913" } ] }
]

Common template errors

Template problems are reported by Meta after sending, so the API accepts the request (202) and the message later becomes failed with Meta’s reason in error — for example a wrong number of parameters, a template that isn’t approved in that language, or a paused template. Watch message.status events or poll the status.