WhatsApp supports several conversation types, divided into four categories as shown below.

All WhatsApp messages are encrypted on the Clickatell API and by WhatsApp to ensure that data transfer between yourself and your customers is reliable and protected.

Conversation Categories

Conversations are categorized into one of the following categories:

• Marketing: Create awareness, drive sales, and reconnect with customers. Examples include announcing new products, feature announcements, offering targeted promotions, and sending reminders about abandoned carts.

• Utility: Follow-up on user actions or requests. Examples include confirming opt-ins, managing orders or deliveries (e.g., sending updates), updating accounts or sending alerts (e.g., payment reminders), and conducting feedback surveys.

• Authentication: (Currently not supported by Clickatell). Verify users using one-time passcodes (OTPs), possibly at various stages in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges).

• Service: Enables you to resolve customer inquiries.

Message templates are required to open marketing, utility, or authentication conversations. Service conversations can only be opened using free-form messages. Learn more about opening conversations here.

The rates charged by WhatsApp are based on the conversation category and country/region rate. Learn more about conversation-based pricing in this FAQ.

For more information, see Meta's documentation:

• Conversation types

• Template categorization

• Opening conversations