Templates

A template is a message Meta has reviewed in advance. You need one to start any conversation, because outside an open 24-hour window a template is the only thing WhatsApp will deliver.

Create one

curl -X POST https://core-prod.malipopay.co.tz/api/v1/waba/templates \
  -H "apiToken: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "payment_received",
    "language": "en",
    "category": "UTILITY",
    "components": [
      {
        "type": "BODY",
        "text": "Hi {{1}}, we have received TZS {{2}} for order {{3}}. Thank you.",
        "example": { "body_text": [["John", "50,000", "ORD-001"]] }
      }
    ]
  }'

Field	Required	Notes
`name`	Yes	Lowercase letters, digits and underscores
`language`	Yes	`en` or `en_US` form. The language is part of the template's identity
`category`	Yes	`MARKETING`, `UTILITY` or `AUTHENTICATION`
`components`	Yes	At least a `BODY`. May also carry `HEADER`, `FOOTER`, `BUTTONS`
`wabaAccountId`	No	Defaults to your own account, falling back to the shared platform WABA
`allowCategoryChange`	No	Lets Meta re-file the template rather than reject it outright

MALIPOPAY validates against Meta's rules before submitting, so a malformed template comes back immediately with a sentence you can act on, rather than hours later as an unexplained rejection.

The rules that actually cause rejections

A body cannot end with a variable. "Your code is {{1}}" is rejected. Add trailing text: "Your code is {{1}}. Do not share it."

Every variable needs an example. Meta reviews the rendered message, not the skeleton. Supply example.body_text with one entry per placeholder.
Buttons need examples too. A URL button with a variable needs an example URL.
Placeholders are positional. Use {{1}}, {{2}}. Named placeholders like {{name}} are accepted at submission and then rejected during review, which is the worst way to find out.
Numbering must be sequential from 1 with no gaps.
Authentication templates follow their own grammar: a copy-code button and a single body parameter. Do not pass the code twice.
Category matters. A promotion filed as UTILITY gets rejected or re-categorised, and MARKETING costs more per conversation.

Check status

curl "https://core-prod.malipopay.co.tz/api/v1/waba/templates?status=APPROVED" \
  -H "apiToken: YOUR_API_KEY"

Status	Meaning
`PENDING`	Submitted, awaiting Meta review
`APPROVED`	Ready to send
`REJECTED`	Refused. Fix and resubmit under a new name
`PAUSED`	Throttled by Meta after poor user feedback
`DISABLED`	Withdrawn by Meta
`IN_APPEAL`	Under appeal

Review usually takes minutes but can take much longer. Get your templates approved before launch day, not during it.

GET /api/v1/waba/templates/{id} fetches one and refreshes its status from Meta. POST /api/v1/waba/templates/sync reconciles every template across all your connected accounts, which is the fix when the dashboard looks stale.

Delete

curl -X DELETE https://core-prod.malipopay.co.tz/api/v1/waba/templates/{id} \
  -H "apiToken: YOUR_API_KEY"

Deletion is permanent at Meta. A name that has been used and deleted cannot always be reused immediately, so version your names (order_confirmation_v2) rather than deleting and recreating under the same one.

Practical advice

Keep a small set of well-tested templates rather than one per situation. Every template is a review you have to pass and a thing that can be paused.
Write the example values as real data. Reviewers read them.
If a template is rejected, change the copy rather than resubmitting the same text under a new name. The second submission fails the same way.

Create one​

The rules that actually cause rejections​

Check status​

Delete​

Practical advice​