Request:

In GoHighLevel WhatsApp messaging (outside of workflows), we currently can:

Reply to an incoming WhatsApp message (only after the contact messages us), or

Send a WhatsApp template to initiate outreach

But when sending a template, the content is too rigid—there’s no clean way to input a custom message at send-time beyond fixed placeholders. This forces us to create lots of near-duplicate templates just to change the wording for different scenarios.

What I’m asking for:

When we choose a pre-approved WhatsApp template, add a “Custom Variables / Message Input” section where we can:

Fill template variables with custom text (not just single-word fields)

Optionally have a dedicated variable like {{custom_message}} that opens a larger text box so we can type a contextual message at send time

Keep it compliant by still requiring the outbound initiation to use the approved template structure

Example:

Template: “Hi {{name}}, {{custom_message}} Reply YES to confirm.”

At send-time, we type: “Just confirming your appointment is tomorrow at 3pm—can you make it?”

Why this matters:

Other WhatsApp providers support this model: you initiate with an approved template, but you can customize the variable content (including longer free-text) per send. This reduces template sprawl and makes WhatsApp outreach usable for real sales/support scenarios.

Impact:

Initiate WhatsApp outreach cleanly without requiring inbound messages first

Fewer duplicate templates

Faster, more human personalization at send-time

Better sales + support operations

Implementation (what GHL would likely build)

Add a large-text input for one or more variables in template messages (e.g., {{custom_message}})

Allow multi-sentence variable values (within WhatsApp limits)

Keep approval/compliance intact by not altering the template structure—only variable values