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New templates are reviewed by Meta before they can be sent, and sending also requires an approved display name and a payment method. See Templates for the full picture.

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Interface Overview

The template editor mirrors Meta’s own, and builds a message from these blocks:
  • Header (optional) — choose None, Text, Image or Video.
  • Body — the main message, where you insert dynamic variables.
  • Footer (optional) — a small note at the bottom.
  • Buttons (optional) — links, a call button, quick replies, or EatNow smart actions (below).
  • Carousel (optional) — a swipeable series of cards, each with its own image/video, text and buttons.
A live preview on the right shows the message exactly as your customers will see it, updating as you type.

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Header: text, image or video

Pick the header format at the top of the editor:
  • Text — a short title, which can include a variable.
  • Image / Video — upload the file directly; EatNow hosts it and sends it to Meta with the template.
Once a template is approved, Meta doesn’t allow changing the header format (Text ↔ Image/Video). To switch formats, create a new template.

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Buttons

You can add:
  • Visit website (URL) — opens a link.
  • Call — dials a phone number.
  • Quick reply — a tappable canned response.

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EatNow smart actions

On a URL button you can pick an EatNow action instead of typing a link — EatNow then points the button to the right page automatically, per customer. Available actions depend on the template type:
  • View reservation — opens the booking.
  • Pay — opens the payment page (payment templates).
  • New reservation — starts a new booking (e.g. booking requests, expired holds).
  • Confirm — confirms the booking (double-confirmation).
  • Feedback — opens the review/feedback page (follow-ups).
Smart actions aren’t available on marketing templates — those must use a plain website link.
A carousel sends 2 to 10 swipeable cards. Each card has an image or video, a short body (up to 160 characters) and 1–2 buttons — great for showcasing menus, offers or rooms. A few rules Meta enforces:
  • A carousel can’t be combined with a top-level header or footer.
  • All cards must use the same header format (all image, or all video).
  • All cards must have the same number and types of buttons.

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Dynamic variables

Insert variables in the body (and text header) by wrapping them in double curly braces — e.g. {{guest_name}} becomes the customer’s name. Available variables depend on the template type. Booking templates
  • restaurant_name
  • guest_name
  • guest_email
  • guest_phone
  • reservation_date
  • reservation_time
  • group_size
  • total_paid
  • total_refunded
  • total_pending
  • payment_details
Activity templates also include:
  • product_list
Marketing templates use a different set:
  • restaurant_name
  • restaurant_slug
  • guest_name
  • guest_email
  • guest_phone
  • customer_id

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Meta approval

Once created, a template is submitted to Meta for review (usually a few minutes). It may be rejected for:
  • Prohibited promotional content in non-marketing templates.
  • Vague or unclear wording.
  • Incorrectly used variables — make sure they’re wrapped as {{variable}} and relevant.
  • Policy violations — offensive, misleading or non-compliant content.
If rejected, edit and resubmit. Note that an existing template can be edited once every 24 hours.