An order status message template is a short, reusable message you send at each stage of an order: preparing, ready, out for delivery, delivered, and the awkward ones like delayed or cancelled. For a food business, these messages replace the phone calls that start "bhaiya, kitna time lagega". Sent at the right moments, they cut those calls to almost nothing. Sent at every moment, they annoy people.
Below are templates for each status, grouped by delivery, pickup and dine-in, plus a short rule set for which ones to send and when.
The statuses that matter to a customer
A kitchen tracks six or seven internal states. A customer cares about three or four. The table shows the full set and what the customer actually needs from each.
| Status | When it happens | What the customer needs to know | Send it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Received | Order lands | You have it; confirmation follows | Only if acceptance is manual |
| Confirmed / preparing | Kitchen accepts | Items, total, expected time | Always |
| Ready for pickup | Packed at the counter | Come now, where, what to show | Always for pickup |
| Out for delivery | Rider leaves | Rider name, rough ETA, how to reach them | Always for delivery |
| Delivered | Handed over | Closure, how to report a problem, review request | Yes, combined with review |
| Served | Dine-in food reaches the table | Usually nothing; useful for pre-orders | Rarely |
| Delayed | ETA will be missed | New time, reason, option to cancel | Always, before the old ETA passes |
| Cancelled | Either side cancels | Refund amount and timing | Always |
For a standard 35-minute delivery, that is three messages: confirmed, out for delivery, delivered. Adding "preparing" as a separate message is one too many; fold it into the confirmation. The internal workflow behind these states is in order status workflow from pending to served.
Preparing and confirmed templates
Confirmed and in the kitchen
Order #2101 is confirmed and in the kitchen, [Name]. 1 chicken biryani, 1 raita, ₹329, paid. Expected delivery to [address] by 8:25 pm. We will message when it leaves.
Preparing, longer wait than usual
Order #2102 is being prepared, [Name]. The kitchen is busy tonight, so delivery will be closer to 50 minutes, around 9:10 pm. Reply CANCEL within 5 minutes if that does not work and we will refund in full.
Preparing, scheduled order
Good morning, [Name]. Your Sunday brunch order #2103 is being prepared now for the 11:30 am slot. No action needed; we will message when the rider leaves.
Ready for pickup templates
Ready now
Order #2104 is ready, [Name]. Collect from [Restaurant], [address], and show this message at the counter. We will keep it hot for 20 minutes.
Ready at the chosen time
Order #2105 will be ready at 1:00 pm as requested, [Name]. Pickup counter is on the left as you enter. Running late? Reply with a new time.
Out for delivery templates
Standard
Order #2106 is out for delivery, [Name]. [Rider name] is bringing it on a bike and should reach [address] in about 15 minutes. Please keep your phone handy.
With cash on delivery reminder
Order #2107 is on its way, [Name], about 12 minutes to [address]. Total to pay in cash is ₹360. [Rider name] will call from [number] if he cannot find the gate.
Rider cannot reach the customer
Hi [Name], [Rider name] is at [address] with order #2108 but cannot reach you. Please reply or call [number] in the next 5 minutes so the food reaches you hot.
If you use a third-party rider service, the rider name and number may not be available until the pickup is assigned; send the message when you have them rather than with blanks. Live-tracking options are compared in delivery tracking on WhatsApp without an app.
Delivered and served templates
Delivered, with review request
Order #2109 delivered. Thank you, [Name]. If anything is wrong, reply here within 30 minutes and we will fix it. Otherwise, how was it? Reply with a number from 1 to 5.
Delivered, left at the door
Order #2110 has been left at the door of [address] as requested, [Name]. Please collect it soon so it stays hot. Reply if it is not there.
Served, dine-in pre-order
Your pre-ordered starters have been served at table 6, [Name]. Mains are in the kitchen and will follow in about 10 minutes. Anything else, just ask the staff or reply here.
Delay, problem and cancellation templates
Delay with a new time
Sorry, [Name], order #2111 is running about 15 minutes late because of rain on the route. New expected time is 9:20 pm. We have added a free dessert to the bag. Reply CANCEL for a full refund if you would rather not wait.
Item unavailable mid-order
Hi [Name], the gulab jamun on order #2112 has run out. We can send rasmalai at the same price or refund ₹90. Reply 1 for rasmalai, 2 for refund. The rest is being packed.
Cancellation with refund
Order #2113 has been cancelled as requested, [Name]. ₹520 will be refunded to the UPI account you paid from within 3 to 5 working days. We hope to serve you next time.
Delay messages must arrive before the original time passes. A message at 9:05 saying "it will be 15 minutes late" lands very differently from one at 8:50.
Timing rules and the 24-hour window
Three rules keep status messages useful. Send one message per real change the customer can act on, not per internal step. Put the time in the first line. Combine the last status with the review request so the customer gets one closing message, not two.
On the WhatsApp Business API, status updates are utility messages. Because the customer ordered by messaging you, most of them fall inside the 24-hour reply window and, under current Meta pricing, are not charged. Scheduled orders placed days ahead are the exception: a "preparing" message sent two days after the order needs an approved utility template. Keep offers out of status messages so they stay in the utility category. The wider picture, including what belongs in marketing messages instead, is in our complete guide to WhatsApp marketing for restaurants, and the message that comes before all of these is covered in WhatsApp order confirmation message templates.
On an ordering platform these go out as staff move the order along. On Tezzu, for example, orders move through their statuses on the live dashboard and the staff app, dine-in orders have a served status alongside table numbers, and a review request goes to the customer after delivery. The dine-in side is described in dine-in with Tezzu.
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Start your free 7-day trialFrequently asked questions
How do you write an out for delivery message?
State the order number, say it has left, give the rider's name and a rough arrival time, and tell the customer how the rider will contact them. For cash on delivery, repeat the amount. Example: "Order #2106 is out for delivery. Ravi is bringing it and should reach you in about 15 minutes. Please keep your phone handy."
How many order update messages should a restaurant send?
Three for a normal delivery: confirmed, out for delivery, and delivered with a review request. Two for pickup: confirmed and ready. Add a delay message only when the promised time will be missed, and send it before that time passes. More than four messages for a 35-minute order feels like noise and increases blocks and mutes.
Are order status messages charged on the WhatsApp Business API?
They are utility messages, priced far below marketing messages in India, and most of them are sent inside the 24-hour window after the customer's own message, where Meta currently does not charge. Status updates for orders scheduled days ahead may fall outside the window and need an approved utility template. Keep offers out of them so they stay in the utility category.
What should a delivery delay message say?
Apologise briefly, give the new expected time as a clock time, give a one-line reason, and offer a way out such as cancellation with a full refund. A small goodwill gesture, like a free dessert, helps but is optional. The most important rule is timing: the delay message has to arrive before the original delivery time, not after the customer has already started asking.