Skip to main content

Understanding Template Approval — Timelines & What to Do if Rejected

What to expect after submitting a WhatsApp template, how long approval takes, and what to do if a template is rejected.

How META template approval works

Every WhatsApp template you create in Recruitera must be reviewed and approved by META before it can be used. This is a META requirement that applies to all businesses using the WhatsApp Business API — it is not something Recruitera controls.

Once you submit a template, its status will show as Pending in your Recruitera account until META completes their review.

How long does approval take?

There is no fixed timeline. META reviews templates based on their own criteria and workload. In practice, most templates are reviewed within a few minutes to a few hours. Some may take longer.

Recruitera has no visibility into META's review queue and cannot expedite the process. If your template has been pending for more than 24 hours, it may have been flagged for additional review.

What META checks

META reviews templates to ensure they comply with their Business Messaging Policy. Common reasons for rejection include:

  • Promotional or sales language in a Utility template — keep Utility templates strictly transactional

  • Unclear or ambiguous message content

  • Missing or broken variable placeholders

  • Variables at the very beginning or end of the message body

  • Content that violates META's policies (spam, misleading content, prohibited industries)

What to do if your template is rejected

  1. Go to Settings → Templates → WhatsApp Templates

  2. Find the rejected template — it will show a Rejected status

  3. Review the rejection reason if provided by META

  4. Edit your template to address the issue

  5. Resubmit for review

If the rejection reason is unclear, try simplifying the message body, removing any promotional language, and ensuring variables are placed in the middle of the text — not at the start or end.

Best practices for faster approval

  • Use clear, professional language that directly relates to the hiring process

  • Match the template content to its category — transactional content in Utility, outreach content in Marketing

  • Keep the message concise and specific

  • Test your variable placeholders before submitting

  • Avoid using all-caps, excessive punctuation, or anything that reads like spam

Checking template status

You can check the status of all your templates at any time by going to Settings → Templates → WhatsApp Templates. Each template shows its current status: Pending, Approved, or Rejected.

Did this answer your question?