> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mindosoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Send templates from the chat
> How to send a WhatsApp template right from the conversation when the 24-hour window has closed, without going through Campaigns
On WhatsApp, if **more than 24 hours** have passed since your customer's last message, you can no longer send a free-form message: WhatsApp only lets you reopen the conversation with an **approved template**. When that happens, Mindo shows a banner and puts your templates **one click away, right inside the chat**. In this guide you'll learn how to use that shortcut, and also how to **create** a new template or **choose** which ones appear, without leaving the conversation.
## Demo video
Templates must be **approved by WhatsApp (Meta)** before they can be sent. If you want to learn how to build one from scratch, check the [Create a WhatsApp template](/en/guias/crear-template) guide.
## Steps to send a template from the chat
When you open a conversation where 24 hours have already passed, a banner appears below the messages: **"24-hour window expired (Meta restriction)"**. Right below it are your templates ready to send (grouped by label, such as *campaña\_administracion* or *Test*), and on the right the **Create** and **View** buttons.
To send, simply **tap the template you want to use** (for example *nuevo\_mensaje*).
If the template has parts to fill in (a name, your company, a date…), a form asks for them. At the top you'll see a **preview** of how the message will look. Fill in the fields and tap **Send**.
The message appears in the conversation with the fields already filled in. When the customer replies, the window reopens and you can write freely again.
The **View** button opens the list of templates for your number. There you decide which ones you want **handy in the chat** (with *Show / Hide from chat*) and you add **labels** to group them. That way, in the closed window you only see the ones you use most.
Don't have the template you need? The **Create** button takes you straight to creating a new one (custom or from a library of pre-approved templates), without losing track of the conversation.
## How do I know it worked?
You'll see the template message inside the chat, on the side of the messages you send, with the time. It will also show up as the last message in the chat list.
## Frequently asked questions
It's a WhatsApp rule: 24 hours after the customer's last message, the "window" closes and you can only reopen it with an approved template. When the person replies, it reopens and you can write freely again. More detail in the [The 24-hour window](/en/guias/ventana-24-horas) guide.
No. That was the long way. Now, when the window is closed, you have the templates directly in the chat: you tap them and they're sent.
They group your templates and let you choose which ones to show in the chat. You configure them from **View**. It's optional, but it helps keep the ones you use most organized.
New templates have to be **approved by WhatsApp** before they can be used, and that can take a while. Once approved, you enable it for the chat from **View**.
Until they reply you're still within the 24-hour limit, so you'd have to use another template. When they reply, the conversation reopens.
Send templates straight from the conversation in the Mindo platform.
