# Template approval

> Why Meta reviews every template, what each status in Soosh means, and what happens when a template is rejected, edited or paused.

Source: https://docs.soosh.io/concepts/template-approval/

Meta reviews every template before you can send it. Soosh sends a template for
review when you publish it, and shows Meta's answer as the template's status.
Most reviews take minutes, and they can take up to 24 hours.

## Why Meta reviews templates

Templates are the only messages you can send to a customer who hasn't written
to you in the last 24 hours. Campaigns send them to many people at once. So
Meta checks each one against WhatsApp's rules before it reaches anyone: that
the category fits, the wording is clear, and nothing in it is banned. See
[The 24-hour window](https://docs.soosh.io/concepts/the-24-hour-window/) and
[Template categories](https://docs.soosh.io/concepts/template-categories/).

## The statuses in Soosh

Each template in [**Campaigns > Message templates**](https://app.soosh.io/templates) shows a status:

- **Draft**: saved in Soosh only. Meta hasn't seen it yet.
- **Pending**: with Meta for review. You can't change it or send it.
- **Approved**: ready for chats and campaigns.
- **Rejected**: Meta said no. You can change it and send it again.
- **Paused** or **Disabled**: Meta stopped an approved template because
  customers reacted badly to it (see below).

Soosh only offers **Approved** templates when you pick one for a campaign or a
chat.

## How Soosh keeps statuses up to date

When Meta decides, it tells Soosh, and the status changes by itself. You don't
need to refresh anything. **Sync from Meta** asks Meta for every template on
your number straight away. It also brings in templates someone created in
WhatsApp Manager instead of Soosh, and the reason for templates rejected
earlier.

> **Note:** When Meta gives a reason for a rejection, the template's page shows it, like
> **Rejected by WhatsApp: invalid format**. If no reason is shown, look in
> WhatsApp Manager under **Message templates**, or in the email Meta sends your
> business.

## What commonly gets rejected

- **Marketing in a utility template**, like an order update that also
  mentions a sale.
- **Variables in the wrong place**: a variable at the very start or end, or a
  message that's mostly variables with little text around them.
- **Spam or broken rules**: misleading claims, pressure or threats, or
  products WhatsApp doesn't allow.
- **Examples that don't fit**, like an example name that isn't a name.

Soosh checks some things before it sends a template to Meta. For example, it
won't publish a template with an image, video or document header until you
upload a sample file.

## Editing an approved template

Meta lets you edit an approved template, within limits. You can edit it up to
10 times in 30 days, and once in 24 hours. Each edit goes back to Meta for
review. The name, language and category can never change. Rejected and paused
templates have no edit limit.

In Soosh, saving a change to an approved, rejected or paused template turns it
into a **Draft** until you click **Republish**. Then it's **Pending** until Meta decides. While
it's **Draft** or **Pending**, Soosh doesn't offer it in campaigns or chats.
For a bigger change, a new template with a new name is often simpler.

## Paused and disabled templates

Meta watches how customers react to each template: whether they block you,
report you or ignore the message. Soosh shows the result as each template's
**Quality rating**: **High**, **Medium** or **Low**.

When a template's quality drops a lot, Meta pauses it for a while. If it keeps
happening, Meta can disable it. Soosh shows **Paused** or **Disabled**, and
stops offering the template. When Meta lifts the pause, the template shows
**Approved** again. To fix a paused template yourself, edit it. It becomes a
**Draft** that you can **Republish**. See
[Messaging limits and number quality](https://docs.soosh.io/concepts/messaging-limits-and-number-quality/).

## What it means for you

- **Leave time for review.** Publish a template a day before a campaign, not
  an hour before.
- **Write it the way Meta expects.** Clear text, the right category and
  realistic examples get approved first time more often.
- **Watch the quality rating.** A template at **Medium** or **Low** is a sign
  to change its wording or who you send it to, before Meta pauses it.

## Related

- [Get a template approved](https://docs.soosh.io/guides/templates/get-a-template-approved/)
- [Fix a rejected template](https://docs.soosh.io/guides/templates/fix-a-rejected-template/)
- [Use variables in a template](https://docs.soosh.io/guides/templates/use-variables-in-a-template/)
- [Template categories](https://docs.soosh.io/concepts/template-categories/)
- [Messaging limits and number quality](https://docs.soosh.io/concepts/messaging-limits-and-number-quality/)
- [Templates API](https://docs.soosh.io/reference/api/templates/)