Understanding the Meta Error: New English Content Cannot Be Added While the Existing English Content

If you work with WhatsApp Business API or Meta’s template system, you may sometimes see this error:

“New English content cannot be added while the existing English content is being deleted. Try again in less than a minute or consider creating a new message template.”

This error can feel confusing, but the reason behind it is very simple. Here’s a clear explanation and the exact steps to fix it.

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1. Why This Error Occurs

Meta has a strict rule for managing templates in each language:

• When you delete or edit a template in a specific language (e.g., English),

• Meta marks the old content as “pending deletion.”

• While the old English version is still being removed,

• You cannot add or update English content for that same template.

This is intentional. Meta does this to prevent two versions of the same-language template from clashing while they sync across WhatsApp systems.

In short: You’re seeing this error because English content from a previous version is still being deleted in the background.

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2. How Long Does Deletion Take?

Meta typically takes up to 4 weeks to completely remove a template language version from their system.

During this time, attempting to re-add English content with the same template name may trigger the error.

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3. How to Fix the Error (Recommended Solution)

There are two guaranteed ways to bypass this issue:

✅ Option 1: Change the Template Name (Recommended)

This is the easiest and fastest solution.

While creating the new template, simply use a different template name.

Example:

• Old name: promo_offer

• New name: promo_offer_v2

Changing the template name avoids the conflict completely and allows instant submission.

✅ Option 2: Keep the Same Name? Then Change the Language

If you absolutely want to keep the same template name, you must create the template in a different language instead of English.

Example:

• Language: English → Change to Hindi / Arabic / Spanish / etc.

This works because the restriction applies only to the same template name + same language combination.

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4. Summary

This Meta error is not a system bug — it’s a normal restriction to protect template integrity.

You can fix it easily by:

• ✔ Changing the template name OR

• ✔ Keeping the name but switching the template language

Both methods allow you to create and submit your new template immediately without waiting for Meta to finish deleting the previous English content.