WhatsApp template for academies: course start message ready to copy

Starting a course at a language academy (or anything else) is a beautiful chaos: you have to notify schedules, classrooms, materials, links... and if you do it one by one, you'll burn out. That's why we've put together a WhatsApp template for course start, ready to copy and adapt. It's transactional (it informs something the student already expects), so it doesn't need marketing opt-in, just that the template is approved by Meta.

• {{1}}: Student's name (e.g., "Maria").
• {{2}}: Course name (e.g., "English A1").
• {{3}}: Start date (e.g., "Monday, March 10th").
• {{4}}: Start time (e.g., "18:00").
• {{5}}: Location or mode (e.g., "downtown branch" or "Zoom").
• {{6}}: Classroom number or class link.
• {{7}}: Teacher's name.
• {{8}}: Contact phone or email for questions.

1. 1Copy the message and replace the variables {{1}}, {{2}}, etc. with the real data for each student.
2. 2In WhatsApp Business: go to Tools > Message Templates > Create template, choose the Utility category, and paste the text with the variables.
3. 3Submit it to Meta for approval (it can take up to 48 hours).
4. 4In Wando: upload the template in the panel and the AI will use it automatically when it detects it's relevant (for example, when a student asks about the start).

Note: this message is transactional, so it goes as a Utility category template in the WhatsApp API. If you want to send promotions (e.g., "20% off enrollments"), that's marketing and requires customer opt-in and another template. Meta's approval times can vary; the only thing we can guarantee is that it takes up to 48 hours. And if you use Wando, the AI learns from your real responses and suggests these messages at just the right moment, without you having to schedule anything.

When to send this message (and when not to)

This message is to notify something the student already expects: the start of a course. The ideal time is between 3 and 7 days before the start date, when enrollment is confirmed and the student is organizing their schedule. If you send it too early, they forget; too late, it's not useful.

Do not use it for: selling new courses, asking for feedback, collecting fees, or sending greetings. That is marketing or support, and it requires another template category and, in the case of promotions, customer opt-in. Also, do not use it if the student did not enroll or if the course is full: such a message causes confusion and complaints.

• Send it: when the course is confirmed and less than a week remains.
• Do not send it: to promote, charge, or greet.
• If the course is canceled, send an update template, not this one.

What to reply to the three most likely customer responses

When you send a start message, the student usually responds with one of these three things. Here is a model message for each one, with {{1}} and {{2}} variables if needed.

1. 'Thank you!' or 'OK, thanks': no response needed. If you want to close with a nice touch, you can use: "Great, {{1}}! If anything comes up, write to us at {{2}}. See you!"

2. 'Where exactly is it?' or 'How do I get there?': "Hi {{1}}, the course is at {{2}}. Here's the address: [street and number]. If you need directions, reply to this message."

3. 'Can I change the time?': "Hi {{1}}, we understand. Schedule changes depend on availability. Write to us at {{2}} and we'll sort it out. Thanks for letting us know!"

How to tell if the message worked

A course start message works if the student shows up. But you can't always measure it directly. The concrete signs: the student replies confirming, shows up to class, or there are no 'when does it start?' calls to the team.

In Wando, message statistics show you delivered and read messages. If the student doesn't read the message, you can do a manual follow-up. Note: WhatsApp messages don't have a 'click rate' like email; the real metric is attendance.

If a high percentage doesn't read, check if the number is correctly saved or if the message went to spam. If everyone reads but they don't show up, the problem may be the content, not the channel.

Why Meta rejects a template like this and how to fix it

Meta rejects templates for three common reasons: poorly marked variables, content that looks like spam, and incorrect category. In this message, typical errors are: using example names instead of {{1}}, using excessive capitals or emojis, or mixing promotions into a utility text.

To fix it: make sure all variables use the {{N}} format and that there is no fixed text that changes per student (like the course name if it varies). Check that the category is Utility and that the message doesn't have a sales tone.

Meta usually gives a reason for the rejection. If you don't understand it, try simplifying the message: fewer variables, fewer emojis, more direct. Approval can take up to 48 hours, but rejections are usually faster.

Formal vs. informal variant: when to use each

The formal variant ('Estimado/a') is for academies with an institutional profile, adult students, or contexts where the interaction is more distant (e.g., corporate courses, postgraduate programs). The informal one ('¡Hola!') is for relaxed language academies, young students, or short courses.

Simple rule: if in person you'd say 'che' or 'vos', use the informal one; if you'd say 'usted', use the formal one. The channel also matters: if the student writes to you informally, respond informally.

The important thing is that both maintain the same content: date, time, place, classroom, and contact. The tone does not change the template category, but it does affect the response rate. Try them and see which works best with your students.