Understanding WhatsApp Business API (WABA) Messaging Types

WhatsApp Business API (WABA) is a crucial tool for businesses, including educational institutions, to streamline their communication with students, parents, and counselors. However, understanding the different types of WABA messages is essential to ensure compliance with Meta's policies and optimize engagement. This article provides an in-depth breakdown of session messages and template messages, explains the distinction between marketing and utility templates, presents practical use cases for educational institutes, and outlines Meta’s policies regarding promotional and transactional messages.

Types of WABA Messages

Template messages are pre-approved messages required for businesses to communicate with users outside the 24-hour service window. These messages need Meta’s approval before use and are categorized into three types:

1. Marketing Templates – Promotional messages aimed at driving engagement.

2. Utility Templates – Transactional messages that provide essential information.

3. Service Templates – Messages that facilitate ongoing services and relationship management.

Marketing vs. Utility Templates

Marketing Templates

Marketing templates are designed to engage potential leads, nurture relationships, and drive conversions. Meta imposes frequency capping to prevent spam.

Use Cases for Educational Institutes:

• Course Promotions: "Limited seats available for our AI & ML certification course! Enroll now and get 20% off."

• Event Invitations: "Join our exclusive webinar on Study Abroad Opportunities! Register now."

• Fee Discounts & Scholarships: "Early-bird discount extended! Apply before Sept 30 and save 10%."

Utility Templates

Utility templates provide non-promotional, transactional updates that facilitate smooth interactions between institutions and students.

Use Cases for Educational Institutes:

• Fee Payment Reminders: "Your semester fee is due on Aug 15. Click here to pay online."

• Exam Notifications: "Your final exams start on Dec 10. Download the timetable now."

• Application Status Updates: "Your application for the MBA program has been approved. Next steps inside!"

Conversations are categorized based on the type of template message sent. When an approved marketing or utility template message is sent to a lead or student, our system checks if an open conversation of the same category already exists.

• If an open conversation of that category exists, no new conversation is initiated.
• If no open conversation exists, a new conversation of that category is started, lasting 24 hours.

Example in the Education Context:

• Hour 0: Your institute sends a marketing message promoting an upcoming webinar to a prospective student. Since no active marketing conversation exists, a new marketing conversation opens for 24 hours.
• Hour 4: The student registers for the webinar, triggering an order confirmation (utility template message). Since no active utility conversation exists, a new utility conversation starts, lasting 24 hours.
• Hour 10: You send a reminder about the webinar using another utility template message. Since a utility conversation is already open, a new conversation is not started.

Meta’s Messaging Policies: Promotional vs. Transactional Messages

Rules for Promotional Messages

Meta enforces strict guidelines to regulate the frequency and delivery of promotional messages:

• Capping limits restrict excessive promotional messaging.

• Businesses must maintain high-quality ratings to avoid restrictions.

Rules for Transactional Messages

Utility and authentication templates have specific rules to ensure they are not used for promotional purposes:

• Messages should be directly relevant to the user’s interaction.

• Instant delivery is mandatory for critical updates.

• Meta monitors misuse and can block non-compliant businesses.

Best Practices for Educational Institutes Using WABA

To maximize the effectiveness of WhatsApp Business API while staying compliant:

• Segment contacts and send relevant messages to the right audience.

• Balance marketing with utility messages to avoid high opt-out rates.

• Monitor engagement metrics and adjust messaging strategies accordingly.

• Ensure compliance with Meta’s policies to maintain a high-quality rating.

*What is Canned?

A new template category called "Canned" has been added under template settings. This category will only be visible when the template is applicable specifically for leads.

These templates are included in the Meritto panel and do not require approval, making them ideal for addressing repetitive questions students often ask on Echo.

Key points about Canned templates:

• No sample data is needed since approval is not required.
• URLs or phone numbers cannot be included.
• You can add up to three quick replies and lists (each containing a title and description), which are treated as user input values for the responder.

Conclusion

WhatsApp Business API offers educational institutions a powerful way to engage students and parents through structured and well-regulated messaging. By effectively leveraging session and template messages, understanding the difference between marketing and utility templates, and adhering to Meta’s policies, institutions can enhance communication, increase enrollment, and improve student engagement without violating compliance rules.

By adopting a strategic approach, educational institutes can use WhatsApp as an indispensable tool for both promotional and transactional communication.