WhatsApp welcome message after opt-in: 4 templates

The welcome message is the first thing a new subscriber gets from you on WhatsApp, right after they opt in. On TextYess, the median brand’s welcome flow brings an order from 10.2% of delivered messages within 48 hours, and 87.4% of those messages are read. The short ones do much better than the long ones.

What works, from the messages brands send on TextYess

• Keep it short. Welcome messages under 250 characters bring orders from 12.4% of delivered messages for the median brand, against 4.8% for longer ones.

• A welcome code helps a little. Flows with a code reach 11.1%, against 9.6% without.

• Remind people before the code expires. One fashion brand sends a short “your welcome discount is about to expire” message and gets 23.0%, one of the best welcome results on TextYess.

• Opt-ins started by the customer convert higher. When the customer messages you first and then opts in, welcome flows reach 12.7%, against 7.1% for sign-ups from a pop-up or form. Those people were already reaching out, so part of the gap is who they are.

• A person’s voice works here too. One home and food brand has a named team member write the welcome, with the code and an offer to help, and gets 18.9%.

Templates

1. Ask for consent, then welcome

Two messages. The first asks for explicit consent with two quick replies; the second, sent when they tap yes, gives the welcome code. This is the TextYess preset, and a fragrance brand gets 22.0% with it.

Consent request:

• Header: none

• Buttons: quick reply “Yes, I agree”, quick reply “No, thanks”

Welcome, after “Yes”:

• Header: none

• Buttons: copy code, URL “Shop now”

• Example values: {{brand}} = Casa Lino, {{discount}} = 5, {{discount_code}} = WELCOME5

2. A welcome from a real person

After a sign-up on your site. A named person says thank you, gives the code and offers to help. Modelled on the 18.9% example above, trimmed to stay short.

• Header: none

• Buttons: copy code, URL “Use my discount”

• Example values: {{first_name}} = Emma, {{brand}} = Casa Lino, {{discount}} = 15, {{discount_code}} = WELCOME15

3. Your code is about to expire

The follow-up for subscribers who haven’t used their welcome code. Short, with the code and the expiry, and nothing else. A fashion brand gets 23.0% with this message. Send it only if the code really expires.

• Header: none

• Buttons: URL “Use my discount”

• Example values: {{first_name}} = Emma, {{deadline}} = Sunday, {{discount_code}} = WELCOME5, {{discount}} = 5, {{brand}} = Casa Lino

4. Customer service opt-in, no promo

For brands that use WhatsApp mainly for support. It confirms the subscription and opens the conversation, with no offer. A beauty brand sends this and gets 21.7%, probably because people who ask for help are often close to buying.

• Header: none

• Buttons: quick reply “Yes, I confirm”, quick reply “No, thanks”, quick reply “STOP”

Reply after “Yes”: “You’re subscribed ✅ How can we help?”

When to send it

Send the welcome right after the opt-in: the moment someone taps “Yes”, fills in a pop-up or messages you first. If you give a code with an expiry, add one reminder before it runs out (template 3) and stop there. With TextYess the welcome goes out automatically on opt-in, whether it comes from your site, a pop-up or a customer’s first message.

Meta category

A welcome with a code or an invitation to shop is marketing, and so is a consent request that promises offers. A plain subscription confirmation with no offer, like template 4, is closer to utility, but Meta treats mixed or unclear content as marketing, so submit it as marketing unless the text is purely about the subscription. Source: Meta template categorisation.

Avoid rejection

• Opt-in must be explicit and specific to WhatsApp messages. Don’t send a marketing welcome to someone who only gave you an email address.

• Don’t start or end the body with a variable. Put the code in the middle of a sentence, as in templates 2 and 3, and close with fixed words.

• Keep % outside the variable ({{discount}}% with the sample value 15).

• Up to 10 quick replies, each 25 characters at most, and keep them grouped together rather than mixed with URL buttons. Full rules: Meta template review.

FAQ

Related templates

VIP early access, Birthday message and Abandoned cart reminder.

See all 20 WhatsApp message templates for ecommerce.