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Template Editing

Also called: Edit WhatsApp template · Edit message template · Template update · Modify approved template

Definition
Changing an existing WhatsApp template's content, category or time-to-live in place, keeping its ID and name, after which it goes back through review.

Exhibit A

Fire three edits at one approved template

Refill +1 / s

0 / 1 tokens

Each dot = 1 token

Last burst · 3 edits

1 admitted — one token each. 2 rejected with HTTP 429 Too Many Requests: the bucket ran dry.

Tokens left
0
Admitted
1
Rejected (429)
2
Full again in
1 s
1 tokens / s

The bucket holds 1 tokens, so up to 1 edits can go out in one burst. After that, edits get through only as fast as tokens drip back in: 1 per second is the sustained limit. Watch the dots refill, then send another burst before it is full.

Time is compressed: one second here stands for one 24-hour window. An approved template holds one edit per day, so a burst of three edits gets one through and two refused. The separate cap of 10 edits per 30 days is not drawn.

A burst of 3 hit a full bucket of 1: 1 accepted, 2 rejected with 429.

What is template editing?

Template editing changes a message template that already exists instead of deleting it and creating a new one. Only templates with a status of APPROVED, REJECTED or PAUSED can be edited, and only three things can change: the components (header, body, footer and buttons), the category, and the message time-to-live. The name and the language are fixed — changing either means creating a new template. Meta's template-pausing guide adds one case: a template disabled after repeated pauses can also be edited and resubmitted for approval.

Edits are made in WhatsApp Manager or with a POST to the template's own ID, /{TEMPLATE_ID}. The request replaces all components with the ones you send, so an edit containing only a new body would drop the header, footer and buttons. The category of an approved template cannot be changed by editing; that is what Meta's recategorisation process covers.

Approved templates have an edit allowance: 10 edits in a 30-day window, and no more than one in any 24-hour window. Rejected and paused templates can be edited as often as needed. After an approved or paused template is edited it returns to review (In Review in WhatsApp Manager) and is re-approved automatically unless it fails review. While it is in review it is not approved, and only approved templates can be sent.

Because the ID and name stay the same, every integration that sends the template keeps working once it is re-approved — the main difference from template deletion, where recreating an approved template means a new ID, a full new review and a 30-day wait before the old name is free. Meta does not describe an edit as wiping a template's quality history, so editing is a fix for the content, not a reset button.

Key takeaways

  • Template editing changes an existing WhatsApp template's components, category or time-to-live in place, keeping its ID and name.
  • Only APPROVED, REJECTED or PAUSED templates can be edited, and the name and language can never change.
  • Approved templates allow 10 edits per 30 days and at most one per 24 hours; rejected and paused ones have no edit limit.
  • An edit replaces every component, so always send the full components array to POST /{TEMPLATE_ID}.
  • An edited approved template returns to review and cannot be sent until it is approved again.

Why does template editing matter?

Editing is how teams fix templates without breaking what depends on them. A rejected template can be corrected and resubmitted repeatedly, a paused one can be reworded to cut the negative feedback that paused it, and a live approved template can be updated without touching every campaign, bot and code path that references its name. The edit allowance is what makes timing matter: one change per day on an approved template means batching fixes rather than drip-feeding them.

How does template editing work?

  1. Check the status first

    Edits are accepted for APPROVED, REJECTED and PAUSED templates. A template that is still in review cannot be changed (error 2388039), so wait for the decision.

  2. Start from the full current template

    Read it with GET /{TEMPLATE_ID}?fields=name,language,status,category,components and work from the complete components array, because the edit replaces anything you leave out.

  3. Change content, TTL or category

    Edit the header, body, footer or buttons, set a new message_send_ttl_seconds, or — only if the template is not approved — a new category. Name and language cannot change.

  4. Submit the edit

    POST the full payload to /{TEMPLATE_ID}. A successful call returns {"success": true} and the template goes into review.

  5. Wait for the verdict, then resume

    Re-approval is automatic unless the new content fails review. Listen for the message_template_status_update webhook rather than polling, and send again once the status is APPROVED.

Template editing in code

# Edit an approved template: always send the COMPLETE components array
curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v26.0/{TEMPLATE_ID}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {ACCESS_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "components": [
      { "type": "HEADER", "format": "TEXT", "text": "Your report is ready" },
      { "type": "BODY",
        "text": "Hi {{1}}, your {{2}} report is ready. Download it from the patient portal or collect a printed copy at any branch.",
        "example": { "body_text": [["Ravi", "lipid profile"]] } },
      { "type": "FOOTER", "text": "Helpline open 7 am to 10 pm" },
      { "type": "BUTTONS", "buttons": [
        { "type": "PHONE_NUMBER", "text": "Call helpline", "phone_number": "+914012345678" }
      ] }
    ]
  }'
# Response: {"success": true}  - the template is now back in review

Common mistakes with template editing

  • Sending only the component you changed

    The edit replaces every component. Resend header, body, footer and buttons together, or the parts you left out disappear from the template.

  • Editing a live template mid-campaign

    Once edited, the template is in review and cannot be sent until it is approved again. Edit between sends, never during a campaign or a busy notification window.

  • Spending the daily edit on half a fix

    Approved templates allow one edit per 24 hours and 10 per 30 days. Collect every change, review it once, and submit it as a single payload.

  • Expecting an edit to clear a quality problem

    Rewording can reduce the blocks and reports that lowered quality, but an edit is not documented as resetting the rating. If customers still dislike the message, quality falls again.

  • Trying to rename or re-language

    Name and language cannot be edited. Create a new template, or a new translation under the same name, instead.

Example: One edit a day at a diagnostics lab

A Hyderabad diagnostics lab's approved report_ready template shows an old helpline number in both the footer and the call button. Early on Monday, before the day's first batch of report notifications, the developer pulls the full template, fixes the footer text and the phone-number button in a single edit, and submits it. The edit uses one of the template's 10 edits for the 30-day window. When a typo in the body is spotted an hour later, the fix has to wait until Tuesday, because approved templates allow only one edit in 24 hours. Notifications resume under the same name and ID as soon as the edit is approved — no code changes anywhere.

Template Editing FAQs

How many times can I edit an approved WhatsApp template?+
Up to 10 times in a 30-day window, and no more than once in any 24-hour window. Rejected and paused templates have no edit limit.
Can I keep sending a template while its edit is reviewed?+
No. During review the template is not approved, and only approved templates can be sent. Plan edits for a quiet period.
Can I change a template's category by editing it?+
Not for an approved template. Category is editable on templates that are not approved, such as rejected ones; for live templates, Meta's recategorisation process applies instead.
Should I edit, or delete and recreate?+
Edit when the name and language stay the same: the ID and every integration survive. Create a new template when you need a different name or language — a disabled template can be edited and resubmitted, but heavily blocked copy is often better replaced — and remember a deleted approved template's name is blocked for 30 days.

Best practices for template editing

  • Keep every template's full JSON in version control and edit from that copy, not from memory.
  • Iterate freely on rejected templates — there is no edit limit — and freeze the version that gets approved.
  • Schedule edits to approved templates outside sending windows and tell the team that runs campaigns.
  • Subscribe to message_template_status_update so the re-approval reaches your systems the moment it happens.

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