Utility templates for Facebook Messenger
In the Facebook Messenger integration, you can create Utility templates and send messages using them via automatic scripts.
Utility templates are a type of Facebook Messenger template intended for transactional and service messages, such as order status notifications, action confirmations, reminders, and other messages related to activities the customer has already performed. Unlike regular messages, Utility templates can be sent to a customer outside the 24-hour free messaging window.
How it works
Facebook restricts sending messages to customers: outside the 24-hour window from the user's last activity, regular messages cannot be sent. To work around this restriction for service notifications, Facebook introduced a system of pre-approved templates — Utility templates. Each such template must be reviewed and approved by Facebook before it can be used for automated sending.
To start sending messages using a Utility template, you need to complete four steps in sequence:
- Connect and configure the Facebook Messenger integration. Without an active integration of a Facebook page with Planfix, creating and sending templates is not possible.
- Create a Utility template in the Template Manager. The template text, its name, and variables are specified in Planfix and submitted to Facebook for review.
- Wait for Facebook to approve the template. Review takes some time. A template can only be used for sending after it is approved.
- Attach the template to a script. In the script, you configure on what event and to which client a message using the template will be sent, and which data will be inserted into the template variables.
After that, messages will be sent to clients automatically, including outside the 24-hour messaging window.
How to open the Template Manager
- Go to Integrations — Social networks — Facebook.
- Select the Facebook page that is integrated.
- Open the settings window and click the "Template manager" button at the bottom.
Creating a Utility template
In the Template Manager, you can:
- create a new Utility template with the required text and variables (you can use the template examples);
- submit the template for review to Facebook (reasons templates are rejected).
Important: before a template can be used for sending, it must pass moderation on Facebook's side. Only approved templates are shown in the list.
Sending messages by template via a Script
After a Utility template is approved, it can be used in scripts for automatic sending of messages to clients:
- Create or open the script that should send a message in Facebook Messenger.
- Add an operation to send a message in Messenger.
- In the operation parameters, specify the required Utility template.
This allows, for example, automatic notifications to a customer about a change in order status, confirmation of an appointment, or reminders about an upcoming event, even if the 24-hour messaging window has already closed.