Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.eat-now.io/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

​
WhatsApp Templates on EatNow

When connecting your WhatsApp Business account to EatNow, a set of templates is automatically created and approved by Meta (usually within a few minutes). These templates are divided into two categories:
Templates power the automatic, business-initiated messages (confirmations, reminders…). They require Meta approval, plus an approved display name and a payment method. Replies you or the AI agent send within the 24-hour window are free-form and don’t use templates. To create your own, see Add templates.

​
1. Default Templates

Default templates are provided directly by EatNow and cover the main interactions related to bookings, including:
  • Booking Request
  • Confirmation
  • Payment Link
  • Modification
  • No-show
  • Rejection
  • Cancellation
  • Double Confirmation
  • Follow-up
  • Reminder
  • Refund
  • Payment Expired
These templates can not be deleted, as they are essential for the proper functioning of the notification system.

​
2. Template Customization

To adapt the notifications sent to customers, you can add new custom templates. You can create as many as needed, but only the template marked as Active will be used for sending messages. Custom templates can include an image or video header, action buttons, or a carousel of cards — see Add templates. Once a template is created, it can only be modified once every 24 hours. This ensures stability in communication with customers while offering flexibility for adaptation.

​
Special template types

A few template families work a little differently from the standard booking notifications:
  • Missed-call templates — sent automatically when a customer calls and you miss it (see Missed Calls). There are two: a generic one, and one for callers who already have a reservation. Both include a button to book.
  • Activity templates — the same notifications, but for your activities/experiences instead of table bookings.
  • Marketing templates — for promotional campaigns, and a bit special: they use a different set of variables (restaurant_slug, customer_id, …), can’t use EatNow smart-action buttons (plain website links only), respect each customer’s marketing opt-out, and Meta bills them as Marketing conversations.

​
Approval Process

All templates (including those automatically created by EatNow) are subject to Meta’s approval. This process is generally very fast and takes a few minutes. Once approved, a template can be used immediately to notify your customers.

​
Managing Templates on EatNow

  • Default templates are automatically created and cannot be deleted.
  • You can add new templates from the EatNow interface.
  • Each new template must be validated by Meta before being usable.
Thanks to this integration, you can ensure smooth and efficient communication with your customers, while respecting WhatsApp Business best practices.