Message template
A message template is the pre-approved wording of a business message, with placeholders for variable details such as the customer's name or appointment time, that must be registered on DLT for SMS or approved by Meta for WhatsApp before it can be sent.
Message template in dealership marketing
Templates exist so regulators and platforms can check what a business intends to send. A message that deviates from its approved template, even by an added link or a changed phrase, is treated as unregistered and dropped.
A dealership typically needs a template for each message type it sends: test drive confirmation, service due reminder, delivery update, and festive offer. Planning SMS and WhatsApp templates together keeps the customer experience consistent across channels.
Related terms
- Messaging & Compliance
DLT registration
DLT registration is the process, mandated by India's telecom regulator TRAI, of registering a business, its SMS sender IDs, and its message templates on a telecom operator's Distributed Ledger Technology platform before any commercial SMS can be delivered.
Read definition - Messaging & Compliance
WhatsApp Business API
The WhatsApp Business API is Meta's programmatic interface that lets a business send and receive WhatsApp messages at scale through software, with approved message templates, automation, and multiple agents, as opposed to the free WhatsApp Business app designed for a single phone.
Read definition - Messaging & Compliance
Sender ID
A sender ID, called a header on DLT portals, is the short alphanumeric name that appears as the sender of a commercial SMS in place of a phone number, and in India it must be registered and approved before use.
Read definition
Where it applies
AutoSutra services where message template comes into play.
Further reading
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