Meta rates every template from usage, customer feedback and engagement. Negative feedback from multiple users or low read rates push a template toward medium or low. A new template shows as quality pending until there is enough data. Meta does not publish the thresholds or the weight of each signal.
What it changes for a template. Quality feeds into template pacing and pausing, so a poorly received template can slow down or stop during a campaign. A template that leaves approved status cannot be sent.
What it changes for the account. Messaging limits scale on quality: Meta raises a portfolio's limit automatically only if it sends high-quality messages across its numbers and templates and has used at least half of its current limit in the last 7 days. Reaching 2,000 without business verification also requires high-quality templates.
Where to see it. WhatsApp Manager shows the rating on each template, and a business phone number's status reflects its quality and limit.
Why it matters for brands
Quality is the cost that never appears on the invoice. A broad promotional send to weakly consented contacts can pause the template you needed for the next campaign and hold back growth in reach. Sending to people who asked to hear from you, with a clear reason and an easy opt-out, protects the rating better than any copy trick.