Meta has become significantly stricter about what qualifies as a Utility template. Even if you’re sending purely informational updates, like event reminders or confirmations, your template may still be reclassified as Marketing if the wording is even slightly warm, friendly, or promotional.
This decision is entirely made by Meta, not by Spur or any automation platform.
What Triggers Reclassification?
Templates are likely to be reclassified from Utility to Marketing if they:
Show excitement (e.g., “We’re excited to invite you…”)
Include phrases about connecting, learning, or networking
Use emojis or casual tone
Reference potential benefits for the user (even indirectly)
Could be interpreted as having commercial intent, i.e., generating revenue
How to Prevent Reclassification
To keep your templates classified as Utility (which is cheaper and allows for wider reach):
Keep the language dry, factual, and transactional
Avoid warm or promotional tone
No emojis, emotional hooks, or excitement
Stick to event info, confirmation, reminder, or status update style
Example of Template Reclassified as Marketing
This version was written warmly (“We’re excited to invite you…”) and got auto-converted by Meta into Marketing.
Result: Higher cost per message and limited reach.
Example of Template Approved as Utility
This version is cold and purely factual. No emotions, no excitement, just transactional info.
Result: Successfully approved as Utility. Much lower cost per message.
How You’ll Know if Meta Reclassifies Your Template
Meta will notify you via email when a template has been reclassified.
You can also see this directly on the Template Manager in your WhatsApp Business Manager.
Unfortunately, Meta does not notify Spur, so we cannot alert you directly.
What Should You Do If It Happens?
Reword the message with a more neutral, transactional tone.
Resubmit it for approval under the Utility category.
Double-check your Template Manager for any updates from Meta.