The one distinction that explains every rule
WhatsApp splits every message into two kinds. A business-initiated message — the one you send first, to a list — must use a template Meta approved in advance. A customer-service message is anything you send within 24 hours of the customer messaging you: free text, no template, no approval, no per-message fee.
That is why a marketing campaign waits for review and an AI agent answering a reply does not. It is the same WhatsApp account and the same business; what changed is who spoke first.
What a template is, and why Meta reads it
A template is a fixed message with numbered placeholders for the parts that change per person. Meta reviews it to check it is not spam, not misleading, and carries a clear opt-out path. Review usually takes minutes to a few hours.
With Naadham you write the message in plain language in your portal and put your spreadsheet's own column names in double braces — Hi {{name}}, your {{service}} at {{branch}} is open this week. We convert that to Meta's numbered format and submit it on your behalf. There is a direct link to open the template in Meta if you want to watch the review yourself.
Who owns the templates and the fees
Naadham is an Independent Tech Provider, which means the templates live on your WhatsApp Business Account and Meta's conversation fees bill to it. You are not renting a number from us or borrowing someone else's sender identity. If you ever leave, the account and its approved templates are yours.
What WhatsApp marketing costs
Two separate things get charged. Meta charges a conversation fee per business-initiated conversation, billed to your own WhatsApp Business Account and set by Meta per country. Naadham charges message credits from the Outreach add-on, which are separate from your voice minutes. Customer-service replies inside the 24-hour window carry no Naadham per-message charge, which matters more than it sounds: a campaign that gets replies is a campaign whose follow-up is free.
The mistake most tools make
Most WhatsApp marketing tools send and stop. The campaign goes out, people reply, and the replies sit in an inbox until somebody opens it — often Monday. The reply is the moment the customer is most interested, and it is the moment most businesses are slowest.
With Naadham the reply is answered by the same WhatsApp AI agent that already knows your services, hours and booking slots. A campaign about weekend availability can end in a booked appointment without anyone on your side touching it.
Staying on the right side of the rules
- Only your own contacts. People who gave your business their number and agreed to hear from you. Bought lists get accounts banned, not throttled.
- Honour STOP immediately and permanently. In Naadham a STOP ends messages and calls, across both channels, for good.
- Keep the quality rating up. Meta watches blocks and reports; a low rating reduces how many people you can message per day.
- Say something useful. The template that gets approved fastest and blocked least is the one a customer would have wanted anyway.
How to start
- Connect your WhatsApp Business number to Naadham through Meta's embedded signup.
- Write your first template in the portal; we submit it and the status updates on its own.
- Upload your contact list, confirm these are your own customers, and send.
- Watch the replies get answered in the portal inbox.
Full detail on the product: WhatsApp marketing & campaigns. For the always-on agent that answers inbound WhatsApp, see the WhatsApp AI agent.
Frequently asked questions
Why does WhatsApp marketing need template approval?
Because the business is starting the conversation. Meta reviews business-initiated templates for spam, accuracy and a clear opt-out. A reply sent within 24 hours of a customer's own message is a customer-service conversation and needs no template.
Do I need my own WhatsApp Business Account?
Yes, and that is the point. Naadham is an Independent Tech Provider, so templates and Meta's conversation fees sit on your account. You keep them if you ever leave.
How long does WhatsApp template approval take?
Usually minutes to a few hours. Naadham polls Meta and updates the status in your portal, so you can leave the page and come back.
Can I send WhatsApp campaigns to a purchased list?
No. They must be your own customers or leads who agreed to hear from your business. Anyone who replies STOP is never contacted again on WhatsApp or by phone.
What happens when someone replies to a WhatsApp campaign?
Naadham's WhatsApp AI agent answers them in free text inside the 24-hour window — the same agent that knows your services, hours and booking slots — instead of leaving the reply in a queue.