WhatsApp for Shopify: what actually gets template approval

Every Indian merchant hits the same wall the first time they try WhatsApp: Meta rejects a template with no explanation attached. Most rejections trace back to the same handful of mistakes.

Utility beats marketing, every time

A restock alert, an order update or a waitlist confirmation is a utility message — tied to a specific transaction the shopper opted into. Anything that reads like a promotion, including a discount code in a restock alert, gets reclassified as marketing and held to a much stricter approval bar.

The copy patterns that pass

State the fact, name the product or order, and give one clear next step. 'Your Chanderi Saree (size M) is back in stock — tap to buy before it sells out again' passes. Anything with urgency language stacked on urgency language tends to get flagged for review.

Budget a week for first-time template approval, and keep a utility and a marketing variant of every message so a rejection on one does not block the whole flow.

Skip the approval guesswork

Back in Stock Alerts ships with WhatsApp templates pre-approved for Indian merchants.

See the app