Create a Carousel template

The Carousel template is only supported in the Cloud API.

Carousel template in WhatsApp

Carousel templates allow you to send a single text message (1), accompanied by a set of up to 10 carousel cards (2) in a horizontally scrollable view.

The template can be viewed by users both from mobile devices and in the WhatsApp web client.

Basic rules for creating a template:

1. A message bubble (1) is required. Message bubbles are text-only and support variables in it.

2. Carousel templates support up to 10 carousel cards.

3. The media header format and button types must be the same for all cards.

4. Cards must have a mandatory media header (image or video) and card body text

5. Card should at least have 1 button. Template supports a maximum of up to 2 buttons for each card.

6. The button types supported are Quick Reply, Website URL CTA & Call Phone Number CTA. Buttons can be the same type or a mix of Quick reply buttons, phone number buttons, or URL buttons for each card.

Creation methods

Creating a template from 1msg personal account

Go to “Channels” → Select the channel → “Template ” and click “Create template”.

Fill in the template details on the first step as usual. Select “Marketing” in the category to create a “Carousel”. When you get to the second step, click on the 'Carousel' button at the top of the box.

Filling in:

BODY. A text message describing the general subject matter. Contains only text and supports variables. It is required. Maximum 1024 characters.

CAROUSEL. The media header format and button types will be the same for all cards.

CARD. Filling in the card.

Заполнение карточки

1. Body - text description of the card. Card body text. Support variables. Maximum 160 characters.

2. Buttons - the button list that is output depends on what you specified above in the button fill format..

   • Quick reply buttons. At the moment we recommend that you make the button names different on each card, so that when a user replies you know which card their reply belongs to. Maximum 25 characters.

   • URL link. The link can contain a variable added at the end of the URL string. Maximum 2000 characters

   • Phone number button. The name for the button and the phone number are filled in.

To add more cards - click on the '+' button (2).

Adding examples.

Next click on 'Add examples' and fill in the examples with references and variables. Use the arrows (2) to see how you are filling in each card.

To finish creating the template, click 'Next'. Now you must wait for Meta to accept the template.

Create a template using the developer API

Creating a template is described in the API documentation in the /addTemplate method.

The difference from the basic template creation is the addition of a new CAROUSEL type to the components and cards array..

You can also create a template from the 'Dev Toolkit' → 'Test requests' section of your personal cabinet. The example below was created using this section. Don't forget to specify examples of variables if you have added them to the body, link URL of buttons. Otherwise the template will be rejected by Meta*.

Example of creating a Carousel template

The links are test links, be sure to use the correct ones when copying. The filling example is taken from the 360Dialog source.

POST https://api.1msg.io/{{channel}}/addTemplate
Content-Type: application/json
Body: {
  "token": "{{token}}",
  "name": "marceting_carousel_01_test",
  "allow_category_change": true,
  "category": "MARKETING",
  "language": "en",
  "components": [
    {
      "text": "Summer is here, and we have the freshest produce around! Use code {{1}} to get {{2}} off your next order.",
      "type": "BODY",
      "example": {
        "body_text": [
          [
            "15OFF",
            "15%"
          ]
        ]
      }
    },
     /* Carousel cards */
    {
      "type": "CAROUSEL" // new type for Carousel template
      "cards": [ 
        {
        /* First carousel card */
          "components": [ 
            {
              "type": "HEADER",
              "format": "IMAGE", 
              "example": {
                "header_handle": [
                  "https://img.example.com/delicious-background-orange-slices_23-2148231462.jpg"
                ]
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "BODY",
              "text": "Rare lemons for unique cocktails. Use code {{1}} to get {{2}} off all produce",
              "example": {
                "body_text": [
                  [
                    "150FF",
                    "10%"
                  ]
                ]
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "BUTTONS",
              "buttons": [
                {
                  "type": "QUICK_REPLY",
                  "text": "Send more like this #1"
                },
                {
                  "type": "URL",
                  "text": "Buy now",
                  "url": "https://www.luckyshrub.com/shop?promo={{1}}",
                  "example": [
                    "summer_lemons_2023"
                  ]
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        },
       /* Second carousel card */
        {
          "components": [
            {
              "type": "HEADER",
              "format": "IMAGE",
              "example": {
                "header_handle": [
                  "https://img.example.com/top-view-citric-fruit-slices-table_23-2148495686.jpg"
                ]
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "BODY",
              "text": "Exotic fruit for unique cocktails! Use code {{1}} to get {{2}} off all exotic produce",
              "example": {
                "body_text": [
                  [
                    "20OFFEXOTIC",
                    "20%"
                  ]
                ]
              }
            },
            {
              "type": "BUTTONS",
              "buttons": [
                {
                  "type": "QUICK_REPLY",
                  "text": "Send more like this #2"
                },
                {
                  "type": "URL",
                  "text": "Buy now",
                  "url": "https://www.luckyshrub.com/shop?promo={{1}}",
                  "example": [
                    "exotic_produce_2023"
                  ]
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Placeholder	Description	Example Value
BUBBLE_TEXTString	Required..Message bubble text string. Supports variables.Maximum 1024 characters.	Summer is here, and we've got the freshest produce around! Use code {{1}} to get {{2}} off your next order.
BUBBLE_TEXT_VAR_EXAMPLEArray of strings	Required if the message bubble text string uses variables.Array of example variable strings. Number of strings must match the number of variables included in the string.	"15OFF","15%"
CARD_BODY_TEXTString	Required.​Card body text. Support variables.Maximum 160 characters.	Rare lemons for unique cocktails. Use code {{1}} to get {{2}} off all produce.
CARD_BODY_TEXT_VAR_EXAMPLEArray of strings	Required if using card body text with variables.Card body text example variables.	"15OFF","15%"
CARD_HEADER_FORMATEnum	Required.Card media header format. Must be IMAGE or VIDEO.	IMAGE
CARD_HEADER_HANDLE	Required.	​
QUICK_REPLY_BUTTON_TEXTString	Required if using a quick reply button.Quick reply button label text.Maximum 25 characters.	Send more like this
TEMPLATE_CATEGORYEnum	Required.Must be MARKETING or UTILITY.	MARKETING
TEMPLATE_LANGUAGEEnum	Required.Template language and locale code.	en_US
TEMPLATE_NAMEString	Required.Template name.Maximum 512 characters.	summer_carousel_promo_2023
URL_BUTTON_TEXTString	Required if using a URL button.URL button label text.25 characters maximum.	Buy now
URL_BUTTON_URLString	Required if using a URL button.​URL of website that loads in the device's default mobile web browser when the URL button is tapped by the app user.​Supports 1 variable, appended to the end of the URL string.​Maximum 2000 characters.	​https://www.luckyshrub.com/shop?promo={{1}}​
URL_BUTTON_VAR_EXAMPLEString	Required if using a URL button.​URL of website. Supports 1 variable.​If using a variable, add sample variable property to the end of the URL string. The URL loads in the device's default mobile web browser when the customer taps the URL button.​Maximum 2000 characters.	​https://www.luckyshrub.com/shop?promo=summer_lemons_2023​