Character Limits for Media Message Templates in ChatSyncs
The character limits for a WhatsApp template's header, body, footer, and buttons, including why a media header cuts the body limit from 4,096 to 1,024 characters.
On this page
Every WhatsApp template is made of up to four parts, each with its own character limit:
- Header (optional) — text or media
- Body (required) — the main message text
- Footer (optional) — small static text
- Buttons (optional) — a few Call-to-Action or Quick Reply buttons
Stay inside these limits while building a template in Message Templates to avoid a rejection or save error — the ChatSyncs builder stops you the moment you hit one.
Limits by field#
| Component | Type | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Text | 60 characters |
| Header | Caption (for an image/video/document header) | 256 characters |
| Body | Media template (has an image, video, or document header) | 1,024 characters |
| Body | Standard template (text header or no header) | 4,096 characters |
| Footer | Text | 60 characters |
| Button | Button text | 20 characters |
| Button | Quick reply payload | 256 characters |
Why media templates get a shorter body#
A template with an image, video, or document header is a media template — its body is capped at 1,024 characters even though a plain text template can go up to 4,096. If your message needs to be long, either drop the media header or trim the body to fit.
Frequently asked#
My template body got cut off — what's the limit?
4,096 characters for a standard template (text header or no header), but only 1,024 characters if the template has an image, video, or document header. At submission time, Meta enforces 1,024 either way.
Does a #name# placeholder count as 1 character or the length of the actual name?
1 character, when Meta checks the body against its submission limit. The real value (e.g. "Rahul") only appears when the message is actually sent.
Why is my button text getting truncated?
Button labels are capped at 20 characters. Keep them short and action-focused — "Shop Now" or "Book Now" rather than a full sentence.
Gotchas & common mistakes#
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