WhatsApp error 132015: template paused — cause and fix

WhatsApp error 132015 means the template is paused: its quality rating dropped to the lowest level after negative feedback or low read rates, and Meta suspended it. It cannot be sent while the pause lasts. Wait for the pause to lift or edit the template, and switch to another template in the meantime.

What does error 132015 mean?

"Template is paused due to low quality so it cannot be sent in a template message." — Meta, Cloud API error codes

Meta's fix: edit the template to improve its quality, then try again once it is approved. Its neighbouring code marks the next step:

"Template has been paused too many times due to low quality and is now permanently disabled." — Meta, code 132016

For 132016 there is only one way out: create a new template, with different content.

How does pausing work?

Every template has a quality rating, based on usage, user feedback and engagement: GREEN, YELLOW, RED, or UNKNOWN until there is enough data (Meta, Template quality). According to Meta's page on pausing, a template that reaches the lowest rating (RED through the API) is paused automatically (Meta, Template pausing). Its page on quality says, however, that a RED template "can be sent, but is in danger of being paused or disabled soon". Meta is not consistent from one page to the other: treat RED as an imminent pause. The pause schedule:

During the pause, Meta does not charge you for send attempts and does not count them against your messaging limit, but the API rejects them. When the pause ends, the template becomes active again on its own and its rating is recalculated. Meta notifies you through a WhatsApp Manager notification, an email and the message_template_status_update webhook.

A pause does not affect the number at first: its other high-quality templates keep going out. But a number that keeps sending low-quality templates may eventually be affected.

When does error 132015 happen?

• In the middle of a campaign, when the template collected negative feedback on the first sends.
• On an automated template (cart reminder, follow-up) going to people who were not expecting it.
• Right after a pause, if the cause was not addressed: the next pause lasts longer, and the third one is final.

Where do you see it in Genuka WA?

As soon as Genuka WA knows the template is paused, after GET /api/v1/templates/{id} or GET /api/v1/templates?sync=true, it refuses the send before Meta, with the same 132015 code so your error handling reacts the same way:

{
  "error": "send_template",
  "message": "Template \"october_promo\" is paused by Meta after negative recipient feedback and cannot be sent. Wait for the pause to lift or edit the template",
  "meta": { "errorClass": "template", "retryable": false, "code": 132015 }
}

A disabled template is refused the same way with code 132016. Note that Genuka WA also records as disabled a template that Meta has only flagged (the FLAGGED webhook event, "at risk of being disabled" according to Meta), even though it can still be sent. Before recreating a template refused with 132016, read it again with GET /api/v1/templates/{id}: if Meta still reports it approved, Genuka WA sets it back to approved and the refusal goes away.

How do I fix error 132015?

Meta also lets you unpause a paused template manually, from WhatsApp Manager or through its unpause API, and requires it for pauses caused by template pacing. Genuka WA does not expose that action: use WhatsApp Manager.

curl https://wa.genuka.com/api/v1/templates/tpl_123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GENUKA_WA_API_KEY"
# { "data": { "name": "october_promo", "status": "paused", "qualityScore": { "score": "RED", ... }, ... } }

How do I prevent error 132015?

• Watch the rating before the pause. At YELLOW, Meta warns the template is at risk of being paused; at RED, treat the pause as imminent. That is the moment to slow down.
• Only send to people who opted in to your messages, and at the right time.
• Make every message useful and expected: an appointment reminder is rarely reported, a generic promotion sent to your whole list often is.
• Keep a backup template for every critical message, under another name.

Related error codes

• 131048: no longer a template but the number is restricted for low quality.
• 132001: the template cannot be found in that language, or is not approved.
• 131049: a marketing template held back for one specific recipient.

FAQ

How long does a template pause last?

3 hours the first time, 6 hours the second. The third time, the template is disabled (error 132016) and you need to create a new one. Once the pause has lifted, read the template again with GET /api/v1/templates/{id} so Genuka WA stops refusing it.

Are send attempts during the pause billed?

No. Meta states that you are not charged for attempting to send a paused template, and that the attempt does not count against your messaging limit. It is simply rejected.

Does editing the template lift the pause?

Not right away: editing sends it back to review, and it cannot be sent until it is approved again. It helps when the content is the cause, not to save time.

Sources

• Meta — Error codes
• Meta — Template pausing
• Meta — Template quality rating
• Meta — message_template_status_update webhook