What Service Message means
A service message is a free-form message a business sends to a customer within the 24-hour customer-service window that opens when the customer messages the business first. Within this window the business can reply naturally — text, media, interactive messages — without a pre-approved template.
A common misconception is that "service" is a fourth template category. It is not. WhatsApp template categories are only Marketing, Utility and Authentication. "Service" describes free-form conversation inside the window, not a template you submit for approval. An example is a support agent answering a customer's question in their own words after the customer wrote in.
Once the 24-hour window closes, a business can no longer send free-form service messages and must use an approved template to reach that customer again. InfiQ's shared team inbox is built for handling these live service conversations across a team.
