Tags vs. the API

Learn when template tags apply and why API sends do not use them.

Tags fill a template's blanks for campaigns sent from the web app. The API never uses them: you put the values in the request.

Tags only apply to web-app campaigns

The Channel360 web app and the API are separate sending methods. The API ignores template tag settings.

A tag is a web-app setting on a template placeholder. It tells a campaign where to get that placeholder's value.

A campaign is a bulk send to a group of subscribers from the web app.

Tag source	What a campaign does
hard-coded	Uses the same fixed value for every recipient.
subscriber-field	Uses each subscriber's stored detail, such as a first name.
csv	Uses a value from an uploaded spreadsheet column.
on-campaign-creation	Asks the campaign creator for a value.

API sends use components

When you send POST /org/<ORG_ID>/notification, provide every placeholder value in components.

• You can leave tags unset for templates used only through the API.

• Campaign tags never change or break API sends.

• Fix an incorrect API value in the request body.

Tags fill blanks for web-app campaigns. components fills blanks for API sends. They never mix.

The template must still exist under your organisation and be approved by WhatsApp.

Setting tags up (web-app campaigns only)

You can set a tag on each header, body and button placeholder. Tags are numbered by index, starting at 1, in placeholder order: the tag with index 1 fills {{1}}.

Tag type	What to set
hard-coded	value: the fixed text used for every recipient.
subscriber-field	fields: the subscriber field to use. Available fields are mobileNumber, firstName, lastName.
csv	fields: the spreadsheet column, and url: the uploaded file. Not available for headers.
on-campaign-creation	value: the prompt shown to whoever creates the campaign.
image	url: the image's public https:// link, hosted on your own storage.
video	url: the video's public https:// link, hosted on your own storage.

Most teams set tags in the web app when they configure the template.

Template Configuration

Related

Filling template placeholders