Core features
Templates and WhatsApp messaging rules
Use a free-form WhatsApp reply while the 24-hour customer service window is open; after it closes, use a Meta-approved template, which must be approved before BNex can send it.
Updated 2026-10-12
The 24-hour customer service window
When a customer messages your business, WhatsApp opens a 24-hour customer service window. While it is open, your business can reply with free-form messages. After it closes, a business-initiated message must use an approved template.
The window is based on WhatsApp’s messaging rules. It is not a BNex conversation assignment, open/closed case state, or a timer that starts when an agent opens the thread.
Create and submit a template
- Draft the message. Write the message for its intended use and select the appropriate template category and language in BNex.
- Add variables and examples. Use supported placeholders consistently and provide matching example values where the template editor requests them.
- Review pre-flight feedback. Resolve blocking validation errors shown by BNex before submitting. Warnings are advice; errors block a template that cannot pass the documented pre-flight checks.
- Submit to Meta. Meta reviews the template and determines whether it is approved. BNex displays the resulting status and any rejection reason it receives.
- Use an approved template. Select an approved template in the inbox or campaign workflow when WhatsApp requires a template.
What happens while Meta reviews
Do not expect an unapproved template to send. A campaign that uses a template under review waits for Meta rather than being dispatched with an unapproved message. When Meta approves the template, eligible campaigns can be released automatically; a future scheduled time is still respected.
If Meta rejects a template, read the rejection reason, revise the draft, and submit the corrected version. Repeatedly retrying a permanent permission or policy rejection does not resolve the underlying issue.
Frequently asked questions
What can I send outside the 24-hour service window?
Use a WhatsApp template that Meta has approved. BNex does not send a campaign with a template that is still pending or rejected.
Does opening a conversation start the service window?
No. The window opens when the customer messages the business. Opening a thread or changing its BNex view does not change WhatsApp’s window.