Facebook Utility Messages

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Facebook limits when a Page can message a customer. Utility Messages are templates you get approved once, so Boxify can keep sending order updates to a customer even when they have not messaged you recently.

Which messages Boxify sends as Utility Messages

Message type	Sent when
Cart & payment link	The customer’s cart and payment link go out — tries a normal message first, see below
Payment reminder	Automatically, after an order goes unpaid — see Automatic payment reminders
Payment confirmed	You mark a receipt from an order as Paid
Ready to ship	You change the order to Ready to Ship
Shipped	You change an order to Shipped, and it is not a self-collect order
Shipped Self Collect	You change an order with the Self Collect shipping option to Shipped
Waitlist	You notify customers waiting for an item

Each type is a separate template and needs its own Facebook approval. Set up the ones you actually use — at minimum Cart & payment link, since that is how customers pay.

Caution

The Payment confirmed message only goes out when you mark a receipt as Paid yourself. An order created with its payment status already set to Paid never triggers it.

How these messages are sent

Every type above is sent as an approved Utility template, with one exception.

Cart & payment link tries a normal Messenger message first. Boxify falls back to the Utility template only when Facebook refuses that message because the customer has not written to you recently.

Caution

This is why an unapproved Cart & payment link template can look like it is working. Customers who messaged you recently still receive their cart, while quieter customers silently receive nothing. Get the template approved before you rely on it.

Keep templates transaction-only

Caution

Facebook rejects templates containing promotional content, and repeated attempts can restrict your Page’s ability to message customers at all.

Do not include:

• Discounts or sale wording
• Limited-time offers
• Live session invitations
• New product announcements
• Marketing phrases, for example “Don’t miss out!”

You may include:

• Order number
• Cart link
• Payment reminder
• Payment deadline
• Order amount
• Customer support contact

Step 1: Open the template editor

1. Go to Settings › Messaging › FB Utility Messages Templates.

Step 2: Select a message type

1. Click the Message Type you want to configure.

Step 3: Fill in the header

1. Type a name for this template in the Header field.

Suggested names:

• Order Payment Reminder
• Cart Payment Link

Caution

Do not use promotional words in the header. Facebook will reject templates with marketing language.

Step 4: Fill in the body message

1. Edit the message body as needed. Boxify provides a default template you can customise.

Keep your message:

• Short and clear
• Focused on the transaction
• Free from promotional language

Safe example:

Your order {{orderNumber}} is ready. Please proceed with payment using the link below. If you need assistance, feel free to contact us.

Placeholders you can use

Boxify replaces these with each customer’s real order details when the message is sent:

Placeholder	Shows
{{customerName}}	Customer’s name
{{orderNumber}}	Order number
{{invoiceNumber}}	Invoice number
{{trackingNumber}}	Tracking number
{{total}}	Order total
{{paidAmount}}	Amount already paid
{{currencyCode}}	Currency code, for example MYR
{{description}}	List of items ordered
{{paymentLink}}	Link to the customer’s cart
{{waitlistKeyword}}	Keyword the customer joined the waitlist for

Step 5: Add the cart button

1. Tick Add “View Cart” button. On a Waitlist template this is labelled Add “Order Now” button.

This is important. Some customers cannot receive clickable links directly in a message. Enabling this option adds a button they can tap to open their cart and complete payment.

Step 6: Save and wait for Facebook approval

1. Make sure Enabled is ticked — an unticked template is never sent.
2. Click Save.
3. Wait for Facebook to approve the template before it can be sent.

Caution

Each message type must be approved separately. Editing an approved template may require re-approval.

Automatic payment reminders

The Payment reminder template works differently from the others: once approved, Boxify sends it on its own. You do not press anything.

When a customer places an order and does not pay, Boxify waits for the delay you set, then sends the reminder with their cart link.

Selecting Payment reminder as the message type reveals two extra fields:

Field	What it does	Default
Delay hours	How long after the order Boxify waits before reminding (1–72 hours)	2
Quiet hour start / end	Hours (0–23) when reminders are held instead of sent	23 → 6

Quiet hours stop Boxify from messaging customers overnight. A reminder that comes due inside the window is not cancelled — it is held and sent once the window ends.

Caution

Quiet hour start and end cannot be the same value. Boxify will refuse to save the template.

Two limits protect your customers from being pestered, and your Page from Facebook:

• Each customer receives at most one reminder every 7 days, no matter how many unpaid orders they have.
• If the customer pays before the reminder is due, it is cancelled automatically.

Tip

Start with the 2-hour default. It is long enough that customers who are still shopping are not interrupted, and short enough to catch someone who got distracted before paying.

See also:

• Order Notification
• Message Settings
• Check Your Facebook Business Setup