In February 2023, WhatsApp simplified its template categories so all message templates fall into one of only three categories: Marketing, Utility, or Authentication.

Note: Clickatell does not currently support the Authentication template category.

The three categories are used for use cases as listed below:

• Marketing – Send promotional offers, product announcements, and more to increase awareness and engagement.

• Utility – Send account updates, order updates, alerts, and more to share important information.

• Authentication (not currently supported) – Send codes that allow customers to access their accounts securely.

As of 1 June 2023, the category of the message template also defines the conversation category. Depending on the template category, business-initiated conversations are categorized as either marketing, utility, or authentication conversations (all of which require customer opt-in). All user-initiated conversations that help customers resolve inquiries are categorized as service conversations.

Conversation charges will be based on the template category. See here for more information.

For more information and examples of Template Categorization, see here.