What do the green, yellow and red template quality ratings mean?
Updated 30 September 2026
Green is high quality, yellow is medium (people give negative feedback or barely read it), and red is low and gets the template paused. New templates start as unknown.
- WhatsApp scores each template on how it is used, how customers respond to it and how much they engage.
- A red template is paused automatically: 3 hours the first time, 6 hours the second, and disabled the third time.
- You are not charged for trying to send a paused template, but WhatsApp rejects the attempt.
- A paused template comes back on its own after the pause, unless pacing paused it. Edit it and it goes back into review.
- Ratings also affect pacing: a template without a green rating can have its messages held.
Leave template writing to Menuthere
Menuthere files the WhatsApp templates that its automatic order updates need with Meta for you, and sends them from your own number, so you aren't building each template by hand.
The four ratings
| Rating | What it means | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Green | High quality: little or no negative feedback | Fine to send |
| Yellow | Medium: negative feedback from several people, or low read rates | Still sends, but may soon be paused or disabled |
| Red | Low: negative feedback or low read rates | Paused 3 hours, then 6 hours, then disabled |
| Unknown | Pending: a new template with no feedback yet | Can be sent |
Next questions
Sources (3)
- Template quality rating, Meta for Developers, updated 17 June 2026
- Template pausing, Meta for Developers, updated 17 June 2026
- Template pacing, Meta for Developers, updated 21 May 2026