ACS WhatsApp – Template approved in Meta but TemplateNotFound (404) when sending message

Question

I am using Azure Communication Services (ACS) WhatsApp channel.

The WhatsApp channel is successfully created and connected, and the phone number is active.

I have a message template that exists in Meta WhatsApp Manager and is in Approved status.

However, when I try to send this template message from ACS, I get the following error:

{

"status": 404,

"body": {

"error": {

  "code": "TemplateNotFound",

  "message": "Template does not exist"

}

}

}

What I have already verified:

Template status is Approved in Meta

Template name and language code match exactly

WhatsApp channel status in ACS is Connected

Phone numbers are in correct E.164 format

My questions:

How can I confirm that ACS is connected to the same WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) where the template is approved?

Is there any known delay or manual sync required between Meta and ACS for newly approved templates?

Are there any limitations where approved Meta templates are not visible to ACS?

Any guidance or official documentation would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi @Info Omniwish
Apology for your inconveniences
If ACS returns a “TemplateNotFound (404)” error when you try to send a WhatsApp template, it means Azure Communication Services (ACS) cannot find the template in the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) linked to your ACS resource, even if it’s already approved in Meta. For successful delivery, the WhatsApp channel in your ACS resource must be connected to the same WABA where the template was approved, and both the template name and language must match exactly as set in Meta WhatsApp Manager. According to Azure documentation, you can view templates for a channel through the Azure portal or with the MessageTemplateClient. If the template isn’t listed there, it won’t be available when you send messages. There is no additional manual sync required after connecting the WABA and approving the template; ACS should automatically list and use it as described in the Send WhatsApp template messages section of the Azure Communication Services documentation.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/communication-services/concepts/advanced-messaging/whatsapp/template-messages?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/communication-services/quickstarts/advanced-messaging/whatsapp/send-template-messages?tabs=connection-string%2Cvisual-studio&pivots=programming-language-javascript
Let me know if you have any further assistances needed.

Answer 2

To confirm that Azure Communication Services (ACS) is connected to the same WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) where the template is approved, you can check the following:

1. Account Verification: Ensure that the WhatsApp Business Account used in ACS is the same one where the template is created and approved in the Meta WhatsApp Manager.
2. Channel Registration: Verify that the channel registration in ACS corresponds to the correct WABA. You can do this by checking the channel settings in the Azure portal.
3. Template Name and Language Code: Double-check that the template name and language code used in your ACS request exactly match those in the Meta WhatsApp Manager.

Regarding potential delays or manual sync requirements between Meta and ACS for newly approved templates, there is no specific mention of such delays in the provided context. However, it's generally advisable to allow some time after template approval before attempting to send messages, as there may be backend processing that needs to occur.

As for limitations, the context does not specify any known restrictions where approved Meta templates are not visible to ACS. However, ensuring that all parameters and configurations are correct is crucial for successful message sending.

For further guidance, you may refer to the official documentation on sending WhatsApp template messages using Azure Communication Services, which can provide additional insights and troubleshooting steps.

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References:

• Send WhatsApp template messages
• WhatsApp business account FAQ