Conversation categories
Conversations within charles are categorized with one of the following categories:
Marketing — Enables you to achieve a wide range of goals, from generating awareness to driving sales and retargeting customers. Examples include new product, service, or feature announcements, targeted promotions/offers, and cart abandonment reminders
Authentication — Enables you authenticate users with one-time passcodes, potentially at multiple steps in the login process (e.g., account verification, account recovery, integrity challenges)
Service — Enables you to resolve customer inquiries
Utility – Send transactional messages like post-purchase notifications (Smart Updates i.e. Order confirmed, Parcel sent or Tracking URL) or recurring billing statements
Marketing, authentication and utility conversations can only be opened with update template messages. Service conversations can be opened with free-form messages (which can also be templated in charles)
Marketing and authentication messages need to be submitted to WhatsApp for approval.
User vs. business-initiated
User-initiated | Business-initiated |
Customer sends you a message | You send your customer a message |
Opens a 24 hr customer service window | Opens a 24 hour conversation window per category (e.g. marketing, authentication, …) |
24 hr customer service window
When a customer messages you, a 24 hour timer called a customer service window starts.
If you are within the window, you can send free-form (+templated free form) messages or update template messages. If you are outside the window, you can only send update template messages.
Conversation durations
Marketing, utility and service conversations open a 24 hour window.
Multiple conversations
It’s possible to have multiple conversations open between you and a customer - this is especially important to keep in mind when creating flows.
For example, you may have an open utility conversation about their delivery information open and you send a marketing message for an upcoming sale.
Remember: mixing update template categories means you’re paying for multiple conversations at once.
Conversation types in charles
Campaigns
When you submit your campaign to WhatsApp for approval via Campaigns it’ll be automatically assigned the category.
Studio
When you create your new template, it will ask you first the template type.
Journeys
Use a Send update node to send marketing or authentication messages. You’ll be asked to assign the category when submitting for approval
Use a Send message node to send service messages
A good rule of thumb is to be aware of your template categories and be careful when mixing them.
Opt-in flows
Your opt-in flow could be opening both a service conversation and a marketing conversation depending on what nodes you’re using. If your flow is using a combination of Send Message and Send Update you may be charged for both conversation types:
Try and stick to one type of message template – either Service (using Send Message nodes) or Marketing (using Send Update nodes). By using only 1 type, you can avoid being charged for both.
Post-purchase flows
Your post-purchase flows may become cheaper with the use of Utility conversations:
