Send WhatsApp Utility messages with Direct Send

Direct Send lets you send Utility messages on the WhatsApp Business Platform without waiting for Meta to pre-approve your message template. Use it through Twilio's Messaging API and Content API to start, test, and scale your Utility use cases while staying compliant with WhatsApp's messaging policies.

Normally, a business-initiated WhatsApp message requires an approved template, and you wait for that approval before you can send. With Direct Send, WhatsApp reviews your Utility messages after you send them instead of before. This helps you launch and iterate on transactional messages, such as order updates or appointment reminders, more quickly. Because messages are reviewed after sending, the performance of your messages affects your continued access to Direct Send. See Monitor performance.

Direct Send works with the Twilio workflow you already use:

You create a content template with the Content Template Builder or the Content API, the same way you do today.
You submit the template for WhatsApp approval with the direct_send parameter set to true. The template is ready to send immediately, with no approval wait.
You send the template with the Programmable Messaging API, the same way you send any other content template.
After you send messages, WhatsApp creates an auto-generated Utility template for each Direct Send template in WhatsApp Manager. You monitor performance in WhatsApp Manager and through Twilio error codes and events.

Twilio's pricing for Direct Send is the same as for standard WhatsApp Utility messages.

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Direct Send is in public beta

Direct Send is a public beta product. The information in this guide is subject to change as features and functionality are enhanced.

Who can use Direct Send

Meta determines which businesses are eligible for Direct Send. For details, see Direct Send eligibility in Meta's documentation. When your account is approved, Meta shows an alert in WhatsApp Manager that says your business is eligible to use Direct Send.

After you send messages, the templates you created for Direct Send appear in WhatsApp Manager as auto-generated Utility templates. To find them, filter the template list by Source > Auto-generated.

Supported message types

Direct Send supports Utility messages only.

Support	Message type	Features
Supported	Utility messages	Text messages. Limited buttons: interactive call-to-action URL button messages (up to two) and quick reply button messages (up to 10).
Not supported	Non-utility messages	All other button formats, images and other media formats, and emojis.

Prepare your use case

Plan your Utility use case before you send. Prepare three or four wording variations per language for each use case, and create a separate content template for each wording variation. If WhatsApp pauses one template, you can switch to another variation.

Use Direct Send

Create your content template

Create your content template as you normally would. For instructions, see Create and send your first content API template or Create templates with the Content Template Builder. Direct Send doesn't change this step.

The following content types are compatible with Direct Send:

* Cards have limited support with Direct Send. Media, and buttons other than quick reply and call-to-action URL buttons, aren't allowed.

Submit your template

Submit your content template for WhatsApp approval with the direct_send parameter set to true. This makes the template ready to send immediately.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`direct_send`	boolean	Yes	Set to `true` to use Direct Send for this template.
`send_ttl_seconds`	integer	No	Time to live (TTL) in seconds for your Direct Send messages. Must be between 30 and 43200. For more information, see Content API resources.

The submission request also requires the standard name and category parameters. Set category to UTILITY. For the full list of approval request parameters, see Content API resources.

1curl -X POST 'https://content.twilio.com/v1/Content/{ContentSid}/ApprovalRequests/whatsapp' \
2-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
3-u $TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID:$TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN \
4-d '{
5  "name": "my_template_name",
6  "category": "UTILITY",
7  "direct_send": true,
8  "send_ttl_seconds": 600
9}'

Send your message

Send your content template as you normally would. For instructions, see Send templates created with the Content Template Builder or Create and send your first content API template.

Monitor performance

Monitor your Direct Send templates closely. Poorly performing messages can lead to a template being paused or to you being removed from Direct Send.

Poor performance: Continued use of poorly performing messages can result in a ban from Direct Send. Meta also sends emails about these issues.
Message insights: View performance metrics directly in WhatsApp Manager.
Template pausing: Monitor for webhook error 63041 on your Direct Send templates. If WhatsApp pauses a template, switch to another wording variation for that language.
Availability: Error 63056 can mean Direct Send isn't available for your WhatsApp Business Account.
Template name conflicts: Error 63121 means the provider-side template name generated for your Direct Send message is already in use by a template that Direct Send doesn't manage.

You can monitor error codes with Event Streams.