Quick reference
| Template message | Session message | |
|---|---|---|
| Requires Meta approval | ✅ Yes | ❌ No — free-form |
| When it can be sent | Any time, inside or outside the window | Only inside an active 24-hour window |
| Content | Fixed structure with optional dynamic variables | Free-form text, images, documents, audio, video |
| Use in campaigns | Required | Not allowed |
| Use in automations | Required | Not allowed |
| Use in Inbox (window open) | Optional — session messages preferred | Preferred |
| Use in Inbox (window closed) | Required | Not allowed |
Template messages
Template messages are pre-approved by Meta before they can be sent. They have a fixed structure — header (text, image, video, document, or location), body (with optional dynamic variables), footer, and buttons (quick replies, URLs, or phone numbers) — with variables that are populated at send time from customer or order data. Templates are required for:- All campaign broadcasts — campaigns are always proactive outbound
- All automation-triggered messages — automations fire on Shopify or platform events, not customer messages
- Any proactive outbound message when no active conversation window exists
- Inbox agent replies when the 24-hour window has closed
DRAFT, PENDING, or REJECTED status cannot be sent.
The four conversation categories
Every template you submit must be categorized as one of Meta’s four conversation categories:Marketing
Promotional and transactional-with-promotional content. Discounts, product launches, abandoned-cart recoveries, re-engagement. Requires explicit marketing opt-in. Highest Meta per-message cost.
Utility
Transactional, informational, service messages about a customer’s existing relationship with your store. Order confirmations, shipping updates, return status. No marketing opt-in required (but the customer must have provided their number).
Authentication
One-time passcodes (OTP) and verification messages. Login codes, account verification, password reset. Strict format requirements; lowest Meta per-message cost.
Service
Free-form replies inside the 24-hour customer service window. Doesn’t require an approved template — this is the session-message mode.
In Galantis, every delivered template consumes exactly 1 Conversation credit, regardless of category — see Billing — conversations. Meta’s per-conversation cost on its own invoice varies by category and destination country; that’s a separate Meta charge, not a Galantis credit. See Meta rate card.
Session messages
Session messages are free-form and require no approval. They can only be sent inside an active 24-hour conversation window — meaning the customer must have sent an inbound message within the last 24 hours. Session messages are available to:- Inbox agents replying to an active inbound conversation
- (Automations and campaigns never use session messages — they always send templates regardless of window state)
- Free-form text up to 4,096 characters
- Images, videos, documents, audio messages, voice notes
- Contact cards and locations
- Interactive components (quick replies, list messages)
Practical implications
For campaign builders — every campaign requires a template. There is no session-message equivalent for broadcast sends. Plan template creation and approval time into your campaign schedule: 1–2 days lead time is safe for Marketing templates, 1–2 hours typically for Utility, and minutes for Authentication. For automation builders — every Action node sends a template. When building flows, ensure the template assigned to each Action node hasAPPROVED status before activating the automation. Automations referencing unapproved templates are flagged in the validator and can’t be activated until resolved.
For Inbox agents — the Inbox interface adapts to the window state. With an active window, agents type freely. Once the window closes, the reply box switches to a template picker so agents pick an approved template to re-open the conversation. No manual time-tracking is needed.
Why category accuracy matters
Submitting the wrong category isn’t just a paperwork issue — it cascades into real problems:- Higher rejection rate at submission: Meta’s reviewers actively check that content matches the declared category. A promotional message submitted as Utility is the most common rejection reason.
- Quality damage if approved by accident: If a mis-categorized template slips through and customers report it as unwanted marketing, your phone number’s quality rating takes a hit. See Quality & deliverability.
- Policy strikes: Repeated mis-categorization is treated as a deliberate workaround and can lead to messaging restrictions or account-level enforcement.
Conversation window
How the 24-hour window opens, resets, and closes.
Template categories
Detailed rules for what content fits in Marketing, Utility, and Authentication.
Opt-in & consent
Marketing requires opt-in; Utility doesn’t — the consent rules in detail.
Templates — creating templates
How to build, submit, and manage templates in Galantis.