Manage WhatsApp template approvals and rejections

After you submit a WhatsApp message template in Kero, Meta reviews it before you can use it to send messages. You can monitor the template’s approval status from your WhatsApp Agent’s template list. This guide explains how to check a template’s status, investigate rejections, resubmit corrected templates and understand when existing templates can be edited.

Need to create a new template? See Create and submit a WhatsApp message template.

Check your template’s approval status

Open your WhatsApp Agent

Sign in to Kero and navigate to Channels → WhatsApp.On the WhatsApp Agents page, select the phone number associated with your template.

Find your template

The WhatsApp Template page opens.Locate your template in the list.The list displays information including:

Name
Category
Format
Status

Check its approval status

Review the Status column to see whether your template is Pending, Approved or Rejected.Click Refresh to retrieve the latest available status.

Understand template statuses

Status	What it means	What you can do
Pending	Meta is reviewing your submitted template.	Wait for Meta’s decision. You cannot edit the template while it is Pending.
Approved	Meta has approved the template for use.	Test the template or select it when creating a Kero template. Editing may be available depending on its variable format.
Rejected	Meta did not approve the submitted template.	Review the content, correct and resubmit it where editing is supported, or create a new template.

Approval times vary.Some templates are reviewed quickly, but approval is not guaranteed within a particular timeframe.Use Refresh on the WhatsApp Template page to check for updates.

If your template is rejected

A Rejected status means Meta has not approved your template for use. Kero may not receive or display a detailed rejection reason. If this happens, you may need to review the content against Meta’s requirements or ask Kero Support for assistance.

1. Review common rejection issues

Check the following areas before making changes.

Area	What to check
Template category	Does the content match the selected category? Promotional messages generally belong under Marketing rather than Utility.
Message clarity	Is the purpose of the message clear without relying on unexplained variable values?
Named variables	Are placeholders such as `{{first_name}}` descriptive, with realistic sample values?
Content and links	Are the message wording, button labels, website URLs and phone numbers accurate and appropriate?
Consent and policies	Does the intended use comply with Meta’s messaging policies and applicable consent requirements?

These are troubleshooting checks, not confirmed rejection reasons.Do not assume that one of these issues caused the rejection unless Meta provides that information.

2. Correct and resubmit your template

If your rejected template is editable in Kero:

Open the rejected template

Navigate to Channels → WhatsApp and select the relevant WhatsApp Agent.On the WhatsApp Template page, find the rejected template.If its name is green and clickable, select it to open the editor.

Make your corrections

Review the template’s content and category.Make the necessary changes and check:

Message wording
Named variables and sample values
Header and footer content
Button labels, links and phone numbers
WhatsApp preview

Resubmit to Meta

Click Save to submit the updated template to Meta for review.Return to the WhatsApp Template list and click Refresh to monitor its status.

Save submits your changes to Meta.In Kero’s current template editor, clicking Save does not create an unpublished draft.It submits the updated template for Meta approval.

If you cannot open the rejected template for editing, create a new template or contact Kero Support.

What to include when contacting Kero SupportProvide the WhatsApp Agent phone number, template name, category and current approval status.This helps the team identify the correct submission.Avoid sharing customers’ personal information unless it is necessary to investigate the issue.

Edit an existing WhatsApp template

Kero allows you to edit supported WhatsApp templates, including some templates originally created directly in Meta Business Manager. Whether a template is editable depends on its variable format and current approval status, not simply where it was created.

Which templates can I edit?

Template format or status	Editable in Kero?
Kero-created template with named variables	Yes, when its status allows editing.
Meta-created template with named variables	Yes, when its status allows editing.
Template without variables	Yes, when its status allows editing.
Template with positional variables, such as `{{1}}` or `{{2}}`	No, not currently supported for editing in Kero.
Pending template	No, editing is unavailable while Meta reviews it.

Templates created in Meta can also be editable in Kero.You don’t need to recreate a template simply because it was originally created in Meta Business Manager.Templates with named variables, or no variables, can be edited in Kero when their approval status allows it.

How to edit an approved template

Open the template list

Select the template

On the WhatsApp Template page, find the approved template.Click its green, clickable name to open the editor.

Make your changes

Update the supported template fields.Review the message content, variables and WhatsApp preview before continuing.

Submit the changes

Click Save to submit the changes to Meta.Monitor the template’s status while Meta processes the updated submission.

Editing an approved template may require another Meta review.If the existing approved template is needed for time-sensitive messaging, consider creating a separate template instead.This allows you to retain the approved version while the new submission is reviewed.

Why can’t I edit a template?

If a template name isn’t clickable in your WhatsApp Template list, check its Format and Status columns. Two common reasons are:

The template uses positional variables

Templates created in Meta Business Manager may use positional variables such as:

Hello {{1}}, your appointment is on {{2}}.

Kero’s current template editor supports named variables instead, for example:

Hello {{first_name}}, your appointment is on {{appointment_date}}.

If your existing template uses positional variables, create a new template in Kero using named variables.

The template is Pending

Templates with a Pending status are locked while Meta reviews them. Wait until Meta completes its review before attempting to edit the template.

If a template uses a supported variable format, is not Pending and still cannot be opened, contact Kero Support for assistance.

What happens after approval?

Once Meta approves your WhatsApp message template, you can prepare it for use in Kero.

1. Test your approved WhatsApp template

Send a test message to confirm that the template displays as expected, including its variables, media and buttons.

2. Create a Kero template

Create a Kero template that references your approved WhatsApp message template. A Kero template allows you to:

Configure named variables for personalisation.
Map values from contacts or campaign files.
Add supported RCS or SMS fallback channels.
Use the approved WhatsApp message in Kero campaigns.

A Meta WhatsApp template and a Kero template are different.Meta approves the WhatsApp message content.The Kero template determines how you use that approved message in Kero, including personalisation and available fallback options.

3. Prepare your campaign

Once your Kero template, contact data and any fallback configuration are ready, you can prepare your campaign. Make sure you have the appropriate consent to message your recipients.

Create and submit a WhatsApp message template — Create a template and submit it to Meta.
Create a Kero template with WhatsApp and fallback — Configure your approved template for campaigns and supported fallback channels.
Test a WhatsApp template with SMS fallback — Test your WhatsApp messaging and conditional SMS fallback.

Need help?

If your template has been rejected, you cannot edit an existing template or an approval status doesn’t update as expected, contact Kero Support. Include the WhatsApp Agent phone number, template name and current status so we can help investigate.

​Check your template’s approval status

​Understand template statuses

​If your template is rejected

​1. Review common rejection issues

​2. Correct and resubmit your template

​Edit an existing WhatsApp template

​Which templates can I edit?

​How to edit an approved template

​Why can’t I edit a template?

​The template uses positional variables

​The template is Pending

​What happens after approval?

​1. Test your approved WhatsApp template

​2. Create a Kero template

​3. Prepare your campaign

​Related guides

​Need help?

Check your template’s approval status

Understand template statuses

If your template is rejected

1. Review common rejection issues

2. Correct and resubmit your template

Edit an existing WhatsApp template

Which templates can I edit?

How to edit an approved template

Why can’t I edit a template?

The template uses positional variables

The template is Pending

What happens after approval?

1. Test your approved WhatsApp template

2. Create a Kero template

3. Prepare your campaign

Related guides

Need help?