---
page_type: error
code: 63040
message: "63040: Template Rejected"
level: ERROR
product: Programmable Messaging
---

## Description

This message matches a template that was rejected by WhatsApp or failed to be submitted. For the most updated guidelines, please view WhatsApp's documentation: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/guidelines.

### Possible Causes

- Template purpose is not clear, concise, or well-written. For example, "Hi, {{1 2 Thank you.}}" is vague and not clear how it would be used or what the placeholder values represent.
- Template placeholders are not sequential in order. For example, "{{1 and 2 and 4 }}" are included but the placeholder {{3}} does not exist in the template.
- Template placeholders cannot be right next to each other like "{}{{1 2{}}}".
- Template content is identical to the content of another existing template.
- Template body cannot start or end with a placeholder.
- Template body cannot have the \n newline character.
- Template footer cannot have emojis or the \n newline character.
- Templates with Text headers cannot have emojis, asterisks, formatting markup, or the \n newline character.
- Templates with Media headers (video, image, document) must include a sample with their submission.
- Template is abusive or threatening in nature, such as containing content threatening to take legal action against a user.

For the most updated guidelines, please view WhatsApp's documentation: https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/guidelines.

This error may also occur if you have an approved template that has similar body to a rejected template.

### Possible Solutions

Submit a new template that doesn't violate the above causes. We also recommend the follow best practices when creating templates:

- Templates should be as short as possible to get the necessary information across.
- Templates must not have any grammatical or spelling mistakes.
- Templates that include major spelling or grammatical mistakes are likely to be rejected. Templates with minor punctuation errors or grammatical inconsistencies may be approved, but should be avoided.
- When submitting your Template in Console, ensure you select the appropriate message type and language.
- Get feedback from your teammates or coworkers to ensure the template you've written is clear and free of errors.
- Think about a template message as a conversation starter, with the goal to convert this into a 2-way message by having the user reply. The two-way use case will keep your spend lower, as WhatsApp does not charge the Template message fee for two-way messages.
- Make sure your customers understand why they received your message – you can remind them of the reason why they originally gave you permission to send them messages.
- Avoid sending surveys or using the word "survey". Instead, you may ask the customer for their feedback.

If you believe you have an approved template that matches the message you are attempting to send, then we recommend deleting any rejected templates that are similar to the approved template. You may also use the Twilio Content API, which lets you send templates by referencing a template Sid. To learn more, please see: https://www.twilio.com/docs/content-api