Utility messages
Utility message templates
In short
Utility message templates (Utility messages) are template messages Meta lets Pages use for non-marketing updates, such as order status, account status or appointment reminders, even when the customer is outside the 24-hour window. They have been available since July 29, 2025, and Thailand was one of the first four countries to get them. Meta recommends them in place of the status-update Message Tags that were retired on April 27, 2026.
What Utility messages can be used for
A Utility message is a template with fields you fill in for each customer, such as their name or order number. It is used for order or account updates and for appointment or event reminders. You can pick a template from Meta's library or create your own for each Page.
Meta launched Utility messages on Messenger on July 29, 2025 in 4 initial countries: the Philippines, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Support for named parameters was added on March 6, 2026.
Content rules and template approval
According to Meta's documentation, templates are approved automatically within seconds of being created. Content must not be marketing, must not ask for full credit card numbers or national ID numbers, and must not contain threats. If a template is rejected, Meta gives a reason, for example:
- INCORRECT_PARAMS: the parameters are invalid
- PARAMS_TO_WORD_RATIO_EXCEED_LIMIT: too many parameters relative to the word count
- TAG_SHOULD_BE_MARKETING: the system detected marketing content
Message format and sending
Meta allows a template header of text or an image, plus URL buttons or postback buttons. Messages are sent through Meta's API with messaging_type set to UTILITY, and the Page does not need to be linked to a business on Meta.
In BroadTurbo, Utility templates are used to message Facebook customers past 24 hours. They are text-only, up to 50,000 recipients per send, and each Page needs an approved template.
What sellers who broadcast should do
- Move order status, shipping and appointment reminder messages you used to send with Message Tags over to Utility templates.
- Keep templates purely informational, with no discounts, coupons or calls to buy, so they aren't rejected with TAG_SHOULD_BE_MARKETING.
- Use only the parameters you need, such as the customer's name and order number, and don't let the parameter-to-word ratio get too high.
- Never ask for full credit card numbers or national ID numbers in a template.
- If the content is promotional, use Marketing Messages instead.
Need to message customers who last wrote more than 24 hours ago? See sending with Facebook-approved templates
FAQ: Utility message templates
- Can Utility templates reach customers who last messaged more than 24 hours ago?
- Yes. According to Meta's Send API documentation, you can message outside the 24-hour window with a Utility template, as long as the content is informational, such as order, account or appointment updates, and not marketing.
- Can a Utility template include a promotion?
- No. Meta prohibits marketing content in Utility messages and may reject the template with the reason TAG_SHOULD_BE_MARKETING. To send promotions outside the 24-hour window, use Marketing Messages.
- How long does Utility template approval take?
- According to Meta's documentation, approval is automatic within seconds of creating the template. If it is rejected, Meta gives a reason such as INCORRECT_PARAMS or PARAMS_TO_WORD_RATIO_EXCEED_LIMIT.
- Do Utility templates on Messenger cost money?
- Meta does not list pricing in the Utility messages documentation this page cites, so we can't say whether they are free or paid. Check Meta's latest documentation before planning large sends.
Sources
Last checked against Meta's documentation on September 14, 2026
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