# Understanding WhatsApp Message Template Categories

When you create a WhatsApp message template in DoubleTick, one of the first decisions you will make is selecting a category for your template. This step is more important than it might seem — the category you choose directly determines how your template is priced, reviewed, and approved by Meta.

Getting the category right from the start means faster approvals, accurate billing, and messages that reach your customers without unnecessary delays.

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#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**The Three Template Categories**</mark>

WhatsApp organises all message templates into three categories:

**Marketing** For promotional, awareness-driven, or engagement-related communication. These are the most flexible templates and cover a wide range of business goals — from announcing a sale to re-engaging a lapsed customer.

**Utility** For transactional and service-related communication that is triggered by a customer action or request. These templates are strictly non-promotional and must be directly tied to a specific customer interaction, such as an order confirmation or account update.

**Authentication** For identity verification using a one-time passcode (OTP). These are the most restrictive templates and are the only category that can be used to send OTPs or verification codes.

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#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**How to Choose the Right Category**</mark>

Here is a simple way to think about it before you start building your template:

If your message is **promotional, awareness-driven, or intended to influence customer behaviour** — choose **Marketing**.

If your message is **transactional, triggered by a customer action, and contains no promotional content** — choose **Utility**.

If your message is **used to verify a user's identity with a one-time passcode** — choose **Authentication**.

If you are unsure, err on the side of Marketing. Meta will automatically re-categorise any template that contains promotional content as a marketing template, regardless of the category you originally selected.

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#### <mark style="color:$primary;">**In This Series**</mark>

For a detailed breakdown of each category — including objectives, content guidelines, and example templates — refer to the sub-page below:

* Marketing Template guidelines
* Utility Template Guidelines
* Authentication Template Guidelines

If you have any questions about which category applies to your use case, reach out to the DoubleTick support team and we will be happy to guide you.