Glossary

WhatsApp Marketing Glossary

Name: QuickWhats – WhatsApp Direct Message by Kanal
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Author: Kanal

Clear definitions of the WhatsApp Business terms every Shopify merchant runs into: the API, message templates, conversation pricing, opt-in rules, and more.

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24 terms explained

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Abandoned cart recovery is the practice of messaging shoppers who added items to their cart but left without buying, to encourage them to complete the purchase.

Authentication Template

An authentication template is a message template used to deliver one-time passcodes and verification codes, letting customers confirm their identity or complete a login.

Broadcast

A broadcast is a message sent to many WhatsApp contacts at once, typically a marketing campaign delivered to a segment of opted-in customers.

Business Solution Provider (BSP)

A Business Solution Provider (BSP) is a Meta-approved company that gives businesses access to the WhatsApp Business Platform, usually through a dashboard built on top of the API.

Click-to-WhatsApp Ads

Click-to-WhatsApp ads are Facebook and Instagram ads that open a WhatsApp chat with the business when tapped, instead of sending the user to a website.

Conversation-based Pricing

Conversation-based pricing is the WhatsApp billing model where businesses are charged per 24-hour conversation rather than per individual message.

Conversational Commerce

Conversational commerce is the practice of selling and supporting customers through messaging channels like WhatsApp, where buying happens inside a chat.

Customer Service Window (24-hour window)

The customer service window is the 24-hour period, opened by a customer message, during which a business can reply with free-form messages instead of approved templates.

Marketing Template

A marketing template is a message template categorized as promotional, used for offers, product launches, and campaigns. It requires opt-in and is the most heavily reviewed template category.

Message Template

A message template is a pre-formatted message that a business submits to WhatsApp for approval, then uses to start conversations or message customers outside the 24-hour window.

Messaging Limits

Messaging limits define how many unique customers a business can start conversations with in a rolling 24-hour period. New numbers start low and scale up with good quality.

Official Business Account (green tick)

An Official Business Account is a WhatsApp business account that has earned a verified badge, the green tick, shown next to its name to confirm Meta has verified the brand.

On-Premise API

The On-Premise API is the legacy version of the WhatsApp Business API that businesses hosted on their own servers. Meta has been deprecating it in favor of the Cloud API.

Opt-in

An opt-in is the explicit permission a customer gives a business to contact them on WhatsApp. It is required before a business can send any message.

Quality Rating

The quality rating is a score WhatsApp assigns to a business phone number based on recent customer feedback, mainly blocks and reports. It influences messaging limits.

Session Message

A session message is a free-form WhatsApp message a business sends inside the 24-hour customer service window, without needing an approved template.

Utility Template

A utility template is a message template that delivers information tied to a specific transaction or account, such as order confirmations, shipping updates, and appointment reminders.

Webhook

A webhook is an automatic notification WhatsApp sends to a business application whenever an event happens, such as an incoming message or a delivery status update.

WhatsApp Business API

The WhatsApp Business API is the programmatic interface that lets medium and large businesses send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale, without using a phone or the chat app.

WhatsApp Business App

The WhatsApp Business App is a free mobile application designed for small businesses to chat with customers, with a catalog, quick replies, and automated greeting messages.

WhatsApp Business Platform

The WhatsApp Business Platform is the umbrella name for the set of products and APIs that Meta offers businesses to message customers programmatically at scale.

WhatsApp Catalog

A WhatsApp catalog is a mobile storefront inside a business account where customers can browse products, with images, prices, and descriptions, without leaving the chat.

WhatsApp Cloud API

The WhatsApp Cloud API is the version of the WhatsApp Business API hosted directly by Meta in the cloud, so businesses do not need to run their own servers.

WhatsApp Flows

WhatsApp Flows is a feature for building structured, multi-step experiences inside a chat, such as forms, surveys, bookings, and guided product selection.

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