Change, copy or delete a template

Editing an approved template has a cost: it goes back to Meta and cannot be used until Meta clears it again. There is one exception, and knowing it saves you that wait. This page covers editing, the exception, duplicating and deleting.

Before you start — open Messaging → Templates and find the template. See Find a template and check whether Meta approved it.

Steps

Open the actions for a template

Every row and every card carries the same three controls: an eye icon for Preview, a Use in a campaign icon on approved templates, and a kebab labelled More actions holding Edit, Duplicate and Delete.

Delete sits last, away from Edit, on purpose.

Know what an edit costs before you make it

Editing an approved template sends it back to Meta. It becomes Pending review, and while it is pending it cannot back a campaign and cannot be edited again. Plan around that before you change a word.

There is one change that does not go to Meta: changing only the variable pre-fill — which database field a chip reads from, or the example value beside it. Because Meta never sees that, an approved template stays approved.

The button label in the footer tells you which situation you are in:

The footer says	What will happen
Submit for review	This is a new template. Meta will review it
Update template	You changed something Meta can see. It goes back for review
Save variable pre-fill	Only the pre-fill changed. Nothing goes to Meta

If the button reads Save variable pre-fill, the toast confirms it too: Template variable pre-fill saved — no re-submission to Meta needed. For a real edit it reads Template updated.

Make the edit

Kebab → Edit. The editor opens with everything filled in, and works exactly as it does when you create one — see Create a WhatsApp message template for what each field does.

Two differences:

Name is read-only. A template cannot be renamed, ever.
To change only the pre-fill, click a chip in the body and change its Linked field or Example value, and change nothing else.

If the template is pending, you can only look

A template that is with Meta opens read-only behind an amber banner:

This template is pending Meta review — it can't be edited until Meta responds. You can still view every field below.

Every field is greyed out and the submit button is dead until Meta answers.

This includes the variable pre-fill — the editor’s chips are the only place to change it, so a pending template’s pre-fill cannot be changed either. Wait for Meta’s answer.

Copy a template instead of editing it

Kebab → Duplicate opens the New template dialog seeded from the original.

The name becomes the original’s with _copy on the end, and it is editable, because a copy is a new template
The category, language, header, body, footer, buttons and the original’s variable pre-fill all come across
The copy has no status of its own — submitting it starts a fresh Meta review
The original is untouched

This is the way to rename a template, and the way to try a variation without risking one that already works.

Delete a template

Kebab → Delete. The confirmation reads <name> will be permanently removed from your WhatsApp Business account., with Cancel and Delete.

A deleted template is gone from your WhatsApp Business account. There is no undo and no recovery. If you might want it again, duplicate it first, or simply leave it in the list unused.

If something goes wrong

What you see	Why	What to do
Name will not let you type in it	A template cannot be renamed	Duplicate it and name the copy
Every field is greyed out behind an amber banner	The template is with Meta	Wait for the pill to change; nothing can be edited until then
You changed a word and the template went Pending review	Any change Meta can see re-submits the template	Wait for Meta. Meanwhile the old version is no longer available to send
A campaign will not offer a template you just edited	It is pending again, and only approved templates can be sent	Wait, or use another approved template
The button says Update template and you only meant the pre-fill	Something Meta can see also changed	Undo that change; the button switches to Save variable pre-fill
The pre-fill cannot be changed on a pending template	The editor’s chips are the only place to set it, and they are read-only while pending	Wait for Meta’s answer
`Meta did not accept this template`	Meta refused the re-submission. Its own sentence sits beneath, naming the field	Fix what it names and submit again