WhatsApp marketing samples: eight messages you can copy and the rules behind them

A WhatsApp marketing message that performs is short, names one offer, says who is writing, and gives one obvious next action. Under three lines of text is the working length. Eight copyable samples are below, each one written against the two rules that decide whether it sends at all: the recipient has opted in to marketing from you, and the wording was submitted as a template and approved before the first send.

WhatsApp is a permission channel that people read in the same list as messages from their family. That is why open rates are high and also why a message that feels like a broadcast gets reported. Every sample here is built to read as though a person at the company typed it.

The rules your sample has to satisfy

There are two ways to send. The free WhatsApp Business app, which small teams use from a phone, and the WhatsApp Business Platform, which larger senders use through a provider. Marketing at any scale runs on the Platform, where these rules apply:

• Opt in first. You need the person's agreement to receive messages from your business on WhatsApp, collected somewhere you can show, such as a checkout checkbox, a web form or a reply to a message they started. Record the date, the source and the wording they agreed to.
• Templates are pre approved. Any message you start the conversation with has to be submitted as a template and reviewed before use. Variables go in as placeholders, so one approved template covers thousands of personalised sends.
• Categories matter. Templates are submitted as marketing, utility or authentication. An offer is marketing. An order confirmation is utility. Submitting an offer as a utility template is the most common reason a template is rejected or recategorised.
• The customer service window. Once someone messages you, you can reply freely in your own words for twenty four hours. After that, starting the conversation again takes a template.
• Quality rating. Blocks and reports lower your number's quality rating, which lowers how many people you can message. Sending less, to people who asked, keeps that rating healthy.

Meta publishes the current wording rules, so check its template guidelines before you submit, and read the Business Platform overview if you are choosing between the app and the API.

Eight samples

Square brackets are your variables. Keep the brand name in the first line so nobody has to guess who is writing.

1. Welcome, straight after opt in.

Hi [First name], this is [Brand]. Thanks for saying yes to updates here.
You will get new arrivals and offers, about twice a month. Nothing else.
Reply STOP any time and we will stop.

2. A single offer.

[Brand] here. [Product] is [discount] off until [day].
Your size is in stock: [link]
Reply STOP to opt out.

3. Abandoned cart.

Hi [First name], you left [product] in your cart at [Brand].
It is still there, and still in stock: [link]
Need a different size? Just reply and I will check.

4. Reorder reminder for a consumable.

Hi [First name], your last [product] order was [date], so you are
probably near the end of it. One tap to reorder the same thing: [link]

5. Back in stock.

[Brand]: [product] is back, in [variant].
You asked to be told. Here it is: [link]

6. Appointment or booking slot.

Hi [First name], [Brand] here. We have a [service] slot on
[day] at [time]. Reply YES to take it, or NO and I will send others.

7. Event or webinar invitation.

Hi [First name], [Brand] is running [event] on [date] at [time],
on [topic]. Free, and we will send the recording.
Register here: [link]

8. Winback after a long gap.

Hi [First name], it has been a while since your last order at [Brand].
We have changed [one specific thing]. Here is [offer] if you want to
try us again: [link]
If you would rather we stopped, reply STOP.

What separates a sample that works from one that gets reported

Do	Avoid
Brand name in the first line	Opening with "Dear customer"
One offer, one link, one action	Three offers and a catalogue
Under three lines of body text	A paragraph that needs a scroll
A visible way to opt out	Burying it or leaving it out
Sending inside normal waking hours in the recipient's time zone	Overnight sends
Segmenting so only interested people get the message	Sending the same message to the whole list
Plain sentences	Full capitals, rows of emoji, four exclamation marks

Measuring it properly

Delivery and read rates on WhatsApp are high enough that they stop being useful numbers quickly. Track these instead:

• Reply rate. The channel is a conversation, and a reply is worth more than a click. A sample that gets replies is a sample worth sending again.
• Click to order rate. Clicks alone flatter the channel because the message sits in a list people open anyway.
• Opt out and block rate per send. Watch the trend. A rising line is your list telling you the frequency is wrong before the quality rating does.
• Cost per order. Platform sends are charged, so compare the channel against email and paid social on the same measure.

This page covers the messages and the rules around them. For the wider sequence design and the list hygiene that feeds it, see list health, segments and the flows that earn.

The WhatsApp marketing samples questions worth an answer

Can I send a WhatsApp marketing message to a number I bought?

No. Opt in has to come from the person, and a purchased list has none. A bought list also drives blocks, which cuts your sending limits on the number you use for everything else. Build the list from checkout, from your site, from your Business Profile and from people who message you first.

Why was my template rejected?

Four causes cover nearly every rejection: an offer submitted under the utility category, a placeholder at the very start or very end of the message, a variable with no sample value supplied, and wording that promises an outcome. Fix the category first, since that is the most common one, then resubmit.

How often should I message a marketing list?

Twice a month suits most retail and service businesses, and it is the frequency most welcome messages quietly commit to. Transactional messages such as order and delivery updates sit outside that count because people want them. Say your frequency in the welcome message and keep to it.

Does WhatsApp marketing cost money?

The Business app is free and is designed for conversations you handle by hand. The Business Platform charges per message you initiate, and the rate depends on the category and the country, so check current rates with your provider before you plan a campaign budget.

Should the same copy go on WhatsApp and email?

Write it fresh. Email tolerates a headline, an image and three paragraphs. WhatsApp tolerates one offer in two lines. Take the single strongest line from the email and send that.

A channel missing from the plan: the assistant

The samples cover offers, carts, reorders and events, sent to people who opted in. There is another channel with no opt in, where a stranger asks an assistant about your business and your offer. You cannot send anything there, but you can read what is said.

Ask the assistants what your business sells, how to order and whether people recommend it. If a detail is wrong, update the pages the assistant relies on. AI Knows Us tracks the replies, which turns an unwatched channel into one with a weekly reading.