The WhatsApp 24-Hour Window and Message Templates: When You Can Reply Freely

WhatsApp · 2026-11-13 · 5 min read

Meta’s rules on when a business may reply freely and when it must use an approved template, so messages are not rejected and your number’s quality does not drop.

What the 24-hour window is

When a customer messages your business number, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you may reply with free text, images or documents. Every new message from the customer opens the window again.

After the window closes, a business may only send message templates that Meta has approved. Nexus shows the time left in every chat and holds back a free-form reply once the window is over, so you do not type a message that would be rejected.

Message templates

Templates are written in Nexus and submitted to Meta for review. Meta may approve, reject or pause a template; Nexus shows the status and Meta’s reason when there is one. A rejected template can be fixed and submitted again.

Templates are used to contact a customer first, send a reminder, or reply after the window has closed. Misleading content or content that breaks Meta’s policy is a common reason for rejection.

Consent and sending limits

Meta requires a business to get consent (opt-in) from people before sending them promotional messages. Keep the proof, and remove contacts who ask to stop.

Meta also limits how many different customers you can reach with templates per 24 hours; it starts at 250 customers and rises in steps when your number’s quality is good. Nexus shows that limit and holds back the rest of a broadcast queue.

Limits

The window rules, template categories and sending limits are set by Meta and can change. The official reference is the WhatsApp Business Platform documentation.