Create a Viber message template
A Viber message template is a pre-approved text that you register with Viber before you send service messages to your contacts. A service message carries transactional content, such as an order confirmation, a delivery update, or an appointment reminder, and costs less than a promotional message.
Suppose an online store confirms every order in Viber. It registers one template with the order number and the customer name as variables, and every confirmation it sends from then on reuses that approved text.
Viber updated its requirements for service message templates. The new requirements will take effect on October 1, 2026.
Check your existing templates against the rules in this article and create new ones where they no longer fit.
Let's talk about how to create a Viber message template, add variables to it, and submit it for registration.
Benefits and use cases
Service messages go out only from a registered template, and a message that doesn't match one is charged at the promotional rate. Once your template is active, you can:
- send service messages, which cost less than promotional ones;
- reuse one approved text for every message of the same kind;
- personalize each message with your contact's data, such as a name or an order number.
Here's how businesses can use it:
- An online store can confirm an order right after checkout and include the order number from its mailing list.
- A delivery service can send shipping updates and expected delivery dates to its customers.
- A clinic can remind a patient about an appointment and name the doctor and the time.
Getting started
Before you create a template, make sure your account and your contact data meet the following requirements:
| An active Viber sender name |
Every template has a sender name. Read more: Add a new Viber sender name. |
| Variables in your mailing list | Each variable takes its value from a variable in your mailing list. Add contacts with variables to your mailing list before you register the template. |
| Content that matches your business | Viber checks your text against the business you registered the sender name for. It may reject service messages that carry promotional content. |
Create a template
Go to Email > Settings > From Addresses > Senders and Viber templates, then click Message templates.
Click Add template.
In the Name field, enter a name for your template. This name is not visible to recipients, and you can use it to find the template on the list.
Select a sender
In the Viber sender name list, choose the sender name you plan to use for this template. If you've registered multiple sender names, choose the one this template should belong to.
Type in your message
The message text is the fixed part of your template. It stays the same in every message you send, but you can personalize it using variables.
In the Language list, choose the language of your message.
In the Message field, enter your text up to 1,000 available characters. To personalize your message, add variables to it. You can also add emojis to make your message more engaging and visually appealing.
Make sure your message starts and ends with text, not a variable. You need to register each variable used in the message text in the Variables section.
Add variables
Variables are the placeholders for each contact's data, such as a name, an order number, or a delivery date.
To register a variable, click Add variable. Enter the variable name and an example of its value.
When adding variables, keep the following in mind:
- You can add up to 8 variables.
- A variable name should start with a Latin letter and include only Latin letters, digits, and underscores, up to 50 characters total. Names are case-sensitive.
- An example value must not be empty and must not exceed 125 characters. To include a link, remove http://, https://, or www. from it.
- A variable name must match the corresponding variable in your mailing list exactly, including capitalization. If the two names differ in any way, the variable stays empty in the message your contact receives.
- Every variable you add must appear in the message text. Otherwise, you'll see an error message and won't be able to submit the template.
Submit your template
Once you fill in the form, click Submit for approval.
Your template receives the On moderation status. Moderation can take up to two days.
Once Viber reviews your template, its status changes to Active or Rejected. If it is active, you can start using it to send messages.
Troubleshoot template issues
If your template is rejected or doesn't work as expected, one of these is the likely cause:
| You can't submit the template | One of your variables is missing from the message. The form shows an error message: One of the variables is not used in the text. Insert the missing variable into the Message field, or delete a variable you don't need. |
| You can't save a variable name | The variable name breaks one of the naming rules. Check if it starts with a digit, includes non-Latin characters, or runs over 50 characters. Rename it using Latin letters, digits, and underscores only. |
| You can't save an example value | The value breaks one of the requirements. Check if it's empty, runs over 125 characters, or includes a link with an http://, https://, or www. prefix. Fill the value in, shorten it, or strip the prefix from the link. |
| Your contact receives a message with an empty variable | Variable names don't match across your template and mailing list. Rename them so that the two are identical, down to the capitalization. |
| Viber rejects your template | The template may include promotional content, or it may not match the business you registered the sender name for. Rewrite the text as a service message and submit it as a new template. |
| Your messages are charged at the promotional rate | The message you sent doesn't match any registered template. Send your service messages using an Active template. |
| SendPulse flags your variables | Viber requires a space right after every variable, even before a comma or a period. Add the space, then submit your template again. |
Last Updated: 24.09.2024
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