Edit smart reply templates for closed 24-hour windows

Smart replies let your team answer a contact after the 24-hour window has closed. The 24-hour window is WhatsApp’s customer service window, when you can send free-form messages. Outside it, Flowella places the agent’s message inside an approved WhatsApp template, so it can still be delivered. You manage the three smart reply templates, called Service, Update and Offer, at Settings → WhatsApp (Meta) → Smart replies.

Where Smart replies are used

Where	Template used outside the window
The Reply tab in the inbox	Service
The Re-engage button in the inbox	Service
The HubSpot Send WhatsApp Reply workflow action	Service
Free text replies in the HubSpot inbox, including replies from the HubSpot Customer Agent	Service
The Re-engage, Send update and Send offer chips in the HubSpot inbox	Service, Update or Offer

While the window is open, the inbox, the Send WhatsApp Reply action and HubSpot inbox replies send a normal text message instead, with no template. See Meta’s customer service windows.

The inbox, the Send WhatsApp Reply action and free text replies in the HubSpot inbox always use the Service template. If the Service template is turned off, not approved yet, or paused by Meta, Smart replies are unavailable: Reply, Re-engage and the action can’t send outside the window. Free text replies in the HubSpot inbox are marked as not delivered, and Flowella posts the Re-engage chips instead.

The three templates

Template	Meta category	Meant for	Meta template name
Service	Utility	Customer care follow-up when reopening a conversation. This is the default smart reply template.	`flowella_reopen_service`
Update	Utility	An update message outside the window.	`flowella_reopen_update`
Offer	Marketing	Marketing-style outreach. It needs Meta’s approval as a Marketing template.	`flowella_reopen_offer`

Each template card shows its status and its Meta category. Meta charges each send at the template’s category rate, as long as Meta keeps that category. See Pricing and message categories. Each edit creates a new version with a new name in Meta, such as flowella_reopen_service_v2. Flowella creates smart reply templates in English only, and submits them to the WhatsApp Business Account of your default number.

How the variables are filled

Variable	Filled with
`{{1}}`	The contact’s first name: the first word of their name, or “there” if Flowella has no name for them
`{{2}}`	Your organisation name
`{{3}}`	The agent’s message, or the text of a HubSpot inbox reply. Re-engage and the HubSpot chips use a standard follow-up line that invites the contact to reply.

Default text

Service

Hi {{1}},

A quick follow-up from {{2}} on your recent enquiry:

{{3}}

Reply to this message to continue the conversation.

The {{2}} team

Update

Hi {{1}},

Update from {{2}}:

{{3}}

Reply to this message if you have any questions.

The {{2}} team

Offer

Hi {{1}},

A message from {{2}}:

{{3}}

Reply STOP to opt out.

Template statuses

Flowella submits the three templates to Meta automatically once your organisation has a connected WhatsApp number. While any of them is still being set up, the tab says “Reply templates are being set up.”

Status	What it means
Not provisioned	Flowella hasn’t submitted the template to Meta yet. Check that a WhatsApp number is connected.
Pending approval	Meta is reviewing the template.
Approved	Meta approved the template, and Flowella can use it.
Rejected	Meta rejected the template. The card shows the reason after “Meta rejected the last submission:”.
Archived	A newer approved version has replaced this one.

While Meta reviews a saved edit, the card keeps the status of the version in use. It also shows “A pending version is awaiting Meta approval.”

Edit a template

Only Owners and Admins can edit smart reply templates. Other members see “Only owners and admins can edit reply templates.”

Open the Smart replies tab

Go to Settings → WhatsApp (Meta) and select the Smart replies tab.

Open the editor

On the template’s card, select Edit. A dialog such as Edit Service template opens.

Change the text

Edit the text in Template body, up to 1,024 characters. Keep the variables {{1}}, {{2}} and {{3}} (see the rules below).

Check the preview

The Preview fills the variables with sample values, so you can read the message as a contact would.

Save

Select Save changes. “Template submitted to Meta for approval.” confirms that Flowella sent the new version to Meta.

Rules for the variables:

{{1}}, {{2}} and {{3}} must each appear at least once.
Their first appearances must be in order: {{1}} first, then {{2}}, then {{3}}.
You can repeat a variable. The default Service text uses {{2}} twice.
You can’t add other variables, such as {{4}}.

If a rule isn’t met, the dialog shows the problem and Save changes stays greyed out. The version in use keeps working until Meta approves the new one. If Meta rejects your edit, the previous version stays in use and the card shows the reason.

Reset to default

Select Reset to default on a card to submit Flowella’s default text as a new version. “Default template submitted to Meta for approval.” confirms it. Flowella doesn’t ask you to confirm first. Use this to recover quickly when Meta rejects an edited version.

Turn a template on or off

Each card has an Enabled checkbox. You can change it only when the template is Approved. When a template is off, Flowella doesn’t use it for smart reply sends outside the window:

Turning off Service stops Smart replies in the inbox, in the Send WhatsApp Reply action and for free text replies in the HubSpot inbox.
Turning off Update or Offer removes the matching chip from the HubSpot inbox.

Smart reply templates in the Templates list

The smart reply templates also appear in Templates with the System re-engagement badge. You can’t delete them there. To stop using one, turn it off on the Smart replies tab.

Troubleshooting

The inbox says the Smart Reply template is not approved yet

Open the Smart replies tab and check the Service card. It must be Approved and Enabled. If Meta has paused the template, Smart replies stay unavailable until Meta lifts the pause.

A template stays Not provisioned

Connect a WhatsApp number in WhatsApp (Meta) settings, then open the Smart replies tab again.

Meta rejected my edit

Read the reason on the card, then edit the text again or select Reset to default. See Template rejected for common reasons.

Save changes is greyed out

The template body breaks a variable rule. Check that {{1}}, {{2}} and {{3}} each appear, in that order, and that there are no other variables.

Edit and Reset to default are greyed out

Only Owners and Admins can change smart reply templates. Ask an Owner or Admin, or see Team.

Inbox

How agents use Reply and Re-engage after the window closes.

Send WhatsApp Reply (HubSpot)

The HubSpot workflow action that uses the Service template.

HubSpot custom channel

Re-engage, Send update and Send offer chips in the HubSpot inbox.

Pricing and message categories

How Utility and Marketing messages are charged.

Get Started

Essentials

Using the App

Settings

Meta & WhatsApp Setup

Integrations

Flows & Campaigns

API Reference

Troubleshooting

Changelog

Edit smart reply templates for closed 24-hour windows

Where Smart replies are used

The three templates

How the variables are filled

Default text

Template statuses

Edit a template

Reset to default

Turn a template on or off

Smart reply templates in the Templates list

Troubleshooting

Inbox

Send WhatsApp Reply (HubSpot)

HubSpot custom channel

Pricing and message categories

Where Smart replies are used

The three templates

How the variables are filled

Default text

Template statuses

Edit a template

Reset to default

Turn a template on or off

Smart reply templates in the Templates list

Troubleshooting

Related

Inbox

Send WhatsApp Reply (HubSpot)

HubSpot custom channel

Pricing and message categories