Test & Edit Media Message Template

Send an approved WhatsApp message template to a test recipient, or review and edit a rejected template.

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WhatsApp Message Template type support
You can test and edit Text, Media, and Authentication WhatsApp message templates from the platform.
Carousel message templates do not support testing or editing after they are created. If you need to modify a carousel template, create a new carousel message template with the required changes and submit it for approval.

Prerequisites

Create and submit the WhatsApp message template for approval.
Confirm its status in the Message Templates section: Approved to test it, or Rejected to review and edit it.
For testing, prepare the recipient phone number in international format, including the country code—for example, +1 234 567 8900.

Test an approved message template

Go to Message Templates.
Find the approved message template you want to test.
Click the View icon.

The template details, content, and test settings appear.

Review and complete the test fields

Complete or review the following fields before you send the test message:

Template Name: Identifies the template. You cannot edit this field.
Sender: Select the phone number or WhatsApp Business Account that sends the test message.
Language: Select the message language. If the template has multiple languages, choose one from the Language dropdown menu.
Recipient Number: Select the country code and enter the test recipient's number in international format—for example, +1 234 567 8900.
Header, Body, and Footer:
- Header: Upload the required image, video, or document for a media header. For a text header, review the configured text. You can change multimedia header content for the test.
- Personalized fields: Enter a value for each template variable. These values replace the placeholders in the test message.
- Body: Review the message content and variables. You cannot edit the body in this view.
- Footer: Review the optional closing line, such as branding or contact details. You cannot edit the footer in this view.
Buttons: Review the configuration created for each button. You cannot edit buttons in this view.

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Note
If the message template header includes a media file, upload a media file before you test or send the template. The Message Templates section displays the original media file configured when the template was created so you can review it.
Meta requires you to re-upload the media file for testing or sending. You can upload the original file or a different file for the specific test or live message.
Review the WhatsApp template images policy before you use images, videos, or other media in WhatsApp message templates. Following these policies helps avoid rejections.

Send the test message

Confirm the sender, language, recipient number, and any required header media.
Click the Send icon to send the template to the recipient.

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Warning
If you edit a WhatsApp message template with Pending or Approved status, the template must go through the approval process again.
If a message template is configured in more than one language, you cannot remove a language when you edit it. For example, if the template named Test01 is configured in English and Spanish, you cannot deselect either language.
You can edit WhatsApp message templates regardless of their current status. Rejected templates can be edited multiple times until they are approved. Approved templates can be modified only once within a 24-hour period.

Optional: Edit a rejected message template

If the WhatsApp message template is Rejected, identify the rejection reason before making changes.

Click the Edit icon for the rejected template.

Click the Exclamation icon.
Review the dialog for the rejection reason.

See Notes and Policy for possible rejection reasons.

Troubleshooting

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Meta access has been revoked
If the platform displays the following message, it no longer has permission to access your WhatsApp Business Account in Meta:
"Meta access has been revoked for this WhatsApp account. Template actions are temporarily unavailable. Please restore access or contact support."
When this happens, template actions are temporarily unavailable, including Details, Edit, Delete, and Analytics & Reporting. The platform cannot retrieve or manage message template data from Meta.
This issue occurs when access to your WhatsApp account has been removed or modified in Meta Business Manager. Contact your Account Manager to restore access to your WhatsApp Business Account.