WhatsApp lets a business reply freely for 24 hours after the customer's last message. Outside that window, and for any conversation the business starts, WhatsApp only delivers a message template that Meta has approved. Sektra's composer switches to template mode when the window has closed.
What the window is
The window is WhatsApp's rule, not Sektra's. Every inbound message from a customer opens or extends a 24-hour period in which the business can send free-form text, images and documents. When 24 hours pass with no new message from the customer, the window closes. Sektra tracks the time of the last inbound message per conversation and shows how long is left.
What happens in Sektra when it closes
The composer refuses a free-form send and offers the template picker instead. A scheduled free-form send whose time falls after the window closes is refused the same way, and the schedule picker is capped at the window's end. Composing to a number with no open conversation is template only, because no window exists yet. The assistant says the window is closed instead of drafting a free reply.
Creating a template
Templates live with the number. Open Settings, then Inboxes, then the WhatsApp inbox, and find Message templates. New template asks for a name (lowercase letters, digits and underscores), a language and a category (Utility, Marketing or Authentication). Then come an optional header, the body with numbered placeholders such as {{1}} and a sample value for each, and an optional footer. You can add up to ten buttons (quick reply, a link, or a call). Sektra checks WhatsApp's structural rules before anything is submitted, so a template is never rejected for a missing sample or a placeholder out of order.
Approval and status
A new template shows as Submitting, then Pending while Meta reviews it, then Approved or Rejected with the reason. Approval takes Meta minutes to hours. Templates created in Meta Business Manager or in your provider's panel are pulled in when the number connects and every 15 minutes after that. The card has a sync button for right now. A template cannot be edited once submitted: duplicate it as a new one and delete the old. Meta keeps a deleted name reserved for 30 days.
Sending one
The template picker in the composer lists approved templates only. Pick one, fill the placeholders, check the preview and send. The thread stores the final text the customer saw, so search, the summary and the assistant read it like any other message. Anyone with access to the inbox can send a template; creating, deleting and syncing need manage rights on that inbox.