--- title: "Create a template draft" canonical: "https://bird.com/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft" --- # Create a template draft `POST /v1/whatsapp/templates/{template_ref}/versions` Opens the template's draft, seeded from the newest submitted version, or an empty draft if the template has none. A template has at most one open draft. The API returns `200` with an existing draft and `201` when this call opens one; both responses use the same body shape. Read the template's `draft_version_id` first if you do not want to open a draft. A WhatsApp template has no draft until this call opens one. The email channel has no equivalent operation, because an email template's draft always exists. ## Servers - `https://{region}.platform.bird.com`: Regional API endpoint. Use the host for the region your organization is hosted in. Official Bird SDKs and the CLI select it automatically from your API key, so you rarely need to set it by hand. - `region`: `us1`, `eu1`. Default: `us1`. The region your organization's data is hosted in. - `https://platform.bird.com`: Region-independent endpoint for authentication and account administration. - `http://localhost:8080`: Local development. ## Authentication Use one authentication option: - `BearerAuth`: HTTP bearer authentication. Pass the API key as a bearer token in the `Authorization` header. Workspace keys use `bk_{region}_*`; organization master keys use `bm_{region}_*`. The prefix identifies the region and selects the API endpoint. Official Bird SDKs and the CLI derive the region from the key. - `CookieAuth`: Send `bird_session` in cookie. Session cookie set after signing in to the Bird dashboard. The cookie value is an opaque session token; no session data is stored in the cookie itself. ## Code samples **TypeScript** ```ts const draft = await bird.whatsapp.templates.versions.create("order_update"); console.log(draft.id); ``` Examples: [TypeScript](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.ts.md) · [Python](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.py.md) · [Go](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.go.md) · [PHP](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.php.md) · [CLI](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.cli.md) · [MCP](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.mcp.md) · [cURL](/docs/api/reference/create-whatsapp-template-draft.curl.md) ## Example response `200` ```json { "id": "wav_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg", "template_id": "wat_01krdgeqcxet5s7t44vh8rt9mg", "version_number": 4, "submitted_at": "2026-07-20T11:04:00Z", "languages": { "en": { "status": "approved", "components": [ { "type": "body", "text": "Your verification code is {{1}}.", "example_parameters": [ { "type": "text", "text": "123456" } ] } ] } }, "created_at": "2026-07-20T10:31:00Z" } ``` ## Path parameters - `template_ref` (string, required): Template ID (`wat_` prefix) or slug. A value that parses as a valid ID resolves by ID; any other value resolves as a slug. ## Header parameters - `Idempotency-Key` (string, optional) Client-supplied key. On operations supporting request deduplication, a retained response is replayed for duplicate requests with the same key within the idempotency window (3 hours by default). This protection requires a workspace, organization, or staff-account scope. User-only and unscoped unauthenticated operations, streams, and operations with a separate replay contract do not use this response replay. On a supported operation, if idempotency protection is unavailable before execution, the API returns `503 IdempotencyUnavailable` (E01033) without executing this attempt. Retry with backoff using the same key and request. An operation that takes effect before its response is retained can still execute again on retry. Two distinct 409 errors signal misuse: - `request_in_progress` (E01004): The same key is currently being processed by a concurrent request. Wait briefly and retry. The lock expires within 30 seconds. - `idempotency_key_reuse` (E01005): The same key has already completed against a different request body or method. Generate a new key. Recommended key format is `/` (for example `welcome-user/usr_abc123`). - `X-Workspace-Id` (string, optional): Workspace context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication and master keys. Workspace keys and access tokens already identify their workspace; send that workspace or omit the header. A different one is rejected. - `X-Organization-Id` (string, optional): Organization context for the request. Required for dashboard authentication. An API key or access token carries its own organization, so send either that organization or no header at all; a different one is rejected. ## Response body - `id` (string, required): Stable Bird identifier for the version. - `template_id` (string, required): The template this version belongs to. - `version_number` (nullable integer): The version's sequence number, assigned when it is submitted. Null on a draft, which has not been submitted and has no place in the sequence yet. - `submitted_at` (nullable string, required): When this version was submitted to Meta. Null on a draft, which has not been submitted, and null for a built-in template's version, which Bird ships already approved rather than submitting on your behalf. - `languages` (object, required): This version's content, keyed by BCP-47 language tag, with what its submission did with each language. - `created_at` (nullable string, required): When the version was opened. Null for a built-in template's version, which Bird ships rather than stores. ## Related resources - [Should I use a Bird SDK or call the API directly?](/explained/platform/should-i-use-an-sdk-or-call-the-api-directly) (answer) - [Build your first integration](/learn/paths/integration) (course) - [Send your first email](/docs/get-started/send-your-first-email) (docs) [Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=api-basics)