Templates

A WhatsApp template is a message you have pre-approved with Meta. You need one to message a customer first, or to reply after the 24-hour window has closed. Robylon lets you create templates, submit them for review, and see how each one performs.

Open templates from Outbound → WhatsApp in the left navigation.

The templates page

The top of the page shows your WhatsApp Business account, its messaging tier, and how many templates you have and how many are approved. Use Open in Meta Business Manager to manage the account in Meta.

The list shows each template with:

Filter by Category and Status. Robylon refreshes templates from Meta each time you open the list, so templates created in Meta Business Manager appear here too.

Create a template

Choose a category and type, write the content, and submit it to Meta for review.

You can only send a template once Meta approves it. If a template is rejected, Robylon shows Meta’s reason. Fix the content and submit again.

Choose a category

Choose honestly: Meta can reject a template, or change its category, if the content does not match. Marketing templates also need the customer to have agreed to receive marketing messages.

How variables work in templates

Variables are placeholders filled with real values when a template is sent, for example the customer’s name. Choose the Type of variable for the template:

• Number: placeholders are numbered, {{1}}, {{2}} and so on.
• Name: placeholders have names, for example {{customer_name}}.

Enter a sample value for each variable under Variable Samples before you submit, so Meta’s reviewers can see what a real message looks like. Use made-up values, not real customer information.

Edit an approved template

You can edit an approved template, but only its content and category. The name and language are fixed. Any edit sends the template back to Meta for review, so it is Pending again until approved.

Backup templates

A backup is a second template that campaigns and workflows send instead of the main one when Meta rates the main template Red, pauses it or disables it. Set it on the template’s page, under Backup Template. The templates list shows Backup Not Set for templates without one. See Backup templates for when it is sent, the rules for choosing one, and how to map its variables.

Where to send templates from

• The inbox: agents can send templates with Live agent access turned on, in an open conversation or to start a new one. See Unified inbox.
• Workflows: use the send WhatsApp template action. See Workflows.
• Voice agents: the WhatsApp outbound message function sends a template during a call. See Prompt and tools.
• Campaigns: send a template to an audience. See WhatsApp campaigns.
• The API: send a template from your own systems (below).
• A webhook: let another system, for example your store, trigger the template (below).

Send a template with the API

Open the template from the list and go to its Integrations tab. Under API Access it shows the Endpoint and a Sample Payload already filled in with the template’s IDs. Send a POST request to https://api.robylon.ai/chat/outbound/whatsapp/send/ with your API key in the X-API-Key header:

{
  "template_id": "YOUR_TEMPLATE_ID",
  "recipient_phone_number": "+15551234567",
  "waba_id": "YOUR_WABA_ID",
  "phone_no_id": "YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID",
  "template_variables": {}
}

The phone number must include the country code. Your WABA ID and Phone Number ID are also on the number’s Profile tab in Settings → Channels → WhatsApp. Create API keys as described in API keys.

If the template has variables, the sample payload lists them in template_variables, grouped under body, header and buttons. Keep the variables in the order the sample payload lists them, and put the value to send in each one’s value field:

"template_variables": {
  "body": {
    "variables": [
      { "position": 1, "value": "Priya" }
    ]
  }
}

If the request fails, the response has status 400 and an error message.

Trigger a template with a webhook

Another system can trigger a template with a webhook. On the template’s Integrations tab, Webhook Trigger gives you a Webhook URL. Point Shopify, Razorpay or any system that sends outgoing webhooks to it, and Robylon sends this template to the phone number in each payload.

Under Payload Mapping, set the Incoming Field that holds the recipient’s phone number and each template variable. Use dot notation for nested fields, for example order.customer.phone. Click Save Webhook Configuration.