A utility message is a transactional update tied to something the customer just did — placed an order, booked a slot, made a payment. It is not a promotion. Because the customer is expecting it, Meta charges far less for it (₹0.11 in India) than for a marketing message.
What a utility message is
A utility message relates directly to an ongoing transaction. Think “your order #1234 has shipped” or “your appointment is tomorrow at 4 PM.” It must use an approved utility template (a pre-approved message format), and it must not slip in a promotion — a single promotional line can push it into the more expensive marketing category.
To send one, you take three steps: create a utility template, get Meta to approve it, then send a POST request to the API naming that template. A utility template can hold an optional header, one body, an optional footer, and up to 10 buttons (call request, copy code, phone number, quick-reply or URL).
The benefits are simple. Utility messages cost less than marketing — ₹0.11 versus ₹0.86 in India — and if the customer messaged you in the last 24 hours, you’re inside the Customer Service Window, where you can reply with free-form service messages instead: the first 1,000 each month are free. Since 1 October 2026, utility templates are charged even inside that window.
Utility vs marketing
The line is about intent. If the message informs about a transaction, it’s utility. If it promotes — a discount, a new product, “come back and shop” — it’s marketing. A shipping update is utility; “your order shipped, here’s 10% off your next one” is marketing.
The rule Meta enforces: any template that mixes utility and marketing content is classified as marketing — and billed at the higher rate. Keep utility messages purely informational and they stay at ₹0.11.
Common examples
- Order confirmations and shipping updates
- Appointment and booking reminders
- Payment receipts and due-date alerts
- Account and security notices (non-OTP)
For one-time passwords and login codes, that’s a different category — see authentication messages.
Beyond everyday order updates, Meta recognises a handful of situations that clearly count as utility — public safety alerts, public service notices, public disruption warnings (like an outage), account or product protection (login and payment confirmations), and legal or regulatory notices you’re required to send.
If a template gets mis-categorised
Sometimes Meta marks a template as marketing even though you built it as utility. If you think the call was wrong, you can appeal it through Meta’s Business Support Home — open a request, explain why the template is transactional, and Meta will review it.
