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How to ask Meta to review a utility template reclassified as marketing

If Meta moved a WhatsApp template from Utility to Marketing, you have 45 days to appeal: in WhatsApp Manager, open the review category updates section, select the template, and click Request Review. Meta replies within a few business days and, if it agrees, restores the Utility category.

Updated on

Before you start

  • You need access to Meta's WhatsApp Manager with the Facebook login that manages your company's business portfolio.
  • Check the template's current category in Settings › WhatsApp › Templates: if it shows Marketing although you created it as Utility, Meta reclassified it.
  • The review request must be filed within 45 days of the reclassification. After that, the option is no longer available.
  • Before asking, reread the template text: if it has promotions, discounts, or calls to buy, Meta will keep Marketing. An appeal is only worth it when the message really is about a transaction or a service the customer already has.
Where to find it

Meta WhatsApp Manager › Manage Templates › Review category updates › template › Request Review

Step by step

Submit the review request

  1. Sign in at business.facebook.com with the admin Facebook login and open the WhatsApp Manager for the account that holds the number.
  2. Open the Manage Templates tab.
  3. Click Review category updates (also reachable from Meta's Business Support Home).
  4. In the list of reclassified templates, select the one you want to appeal.
  5. Click Request Review and confirm.
  6. The template moves to the In Review tab.

Follow up on the decision

  1. Go back to Review category updates after a few business days.
  2. If Meta agreed, the template shows up under the Reversed tab with the Utility category restored.
  3. If Meta kept Marketing, rewrite the template with strictly transactional content and submit it as a new template.
  4. Confirm the final category in Settings › WhatsApp › Templates before using it in bulk sends or workflows.

Tips

  • A utility template describes something specific the customer requested or bought: order number, appointment date, delivery status, invoice amount.
  • Avoid promotional-sounding calls to action ("don't miss out", "special offer") and links to sales pages.
  • Keep the wording clear and short, focused on the customer's request or account, with nothing extra.

Common problems

  • There's no Request Review option → The 45-day window has passed, or the template isn't on the reclassified list. Create a new template with more transactional wording.
  • The template was approved as Utility and switched to Marketing weeks later → That's expected: reclassification can happen at approval or later. File the review within the window.
  • The review was rejected → Meta still reads the text as promotional. Remove offers and calls to buy, add concrete transaction details, and submit it as a new template.
  • I can't get into WhatsApp Manager → You need to be an admin of the Meta business portfolio. Ask whoever created it to grant you access.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep sending the template while the review is in progress?

Yes, the template stays active. Until there's a decision, it's treated as Marketing.

Is it worth requesting a review for every reclassified template?

Only for the ones that are genuinely utility. For the rest, it's faster to accept the Marketing category or rewrite the template.

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