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# What is Message Trail and how do I use it to track automated WhatsApp template messages in MyOperator?

Quick answer — Message Trail lets you tag any WhatsApp template message sent via our API with a custom trail name (e.g., "OrderStatusUpdates") and then view real-time delivery, read, and reply stats—plus export a detailed CSV report—right from your dashboard.

## When should I use this guide?

Use these steps if you:

* Send WhatsApp template messages programmatically (API calls, not CSV uploads).
* Need to monitor OTPs, order updates, or any automated notifications.
* Want CSV or on-screen analytics without building your own log parser.

---

## 1. Feature overview

Message Trail is a grouping and reporting layer on top of the WhatsApp Business API:

| What you send | What you see |
| --- | --- |
| Template + `trail.name = "OrderStatusUpdates"` | A dashboard card called "OrderStatusUpdates" showing sent, delivered, read, failed & replied counts |

### Typical use cases:

* Order confirmations, shipping, and delivery updates
* OTP / authentication messages
* Trigger-based welcome or utility messages

### Key benefits:

* ✓ Live health-check on critical messages
* ✓ Logical grouping instead of one massive log
* ✓ One-click CSV exports for audits and analytics

---

## 2. When does Message Trail NOT work?

* Accounts on the "Compact" plan (feature unavailable).
* Messages uploaded via CSV (only API-triggered messages are tracked).
* Trails older than 6 months (data auto-archives and disappear from UI).
* Trail names that violate the naming rules (see table below).
* Link-tracking columns stay empty unless link-tracking is enabled for that template.

---

## 3. Prerequisites & plan limits

| Requirement | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Eligible plans | All except "Compact" |
| Max trails per WABA phone number | 1,000 |
| Trail name rules | Alphanumeric, hyphen (-) or underscore (_), ≤ 30 chars, string only |
| Data retention | 6 months in dashboard; older trails auto-archived |

---

## 4. Step 1 – Add the `trail` parameter (developer setup)

One-time setup:

* To track a category of messages, add an extra parameter called "trail" when sending a template message through our API.
* Inside this, specify a "name" that describes the message type. For example:

```json
{
  "trail": { "name": "OrderStatusUpdates" }
}
```

* Trail Name Rules:
  * It must be a string (text). Numbers, boolean values (true/false), or objects are not allowed.
  * It must be alphanumeric and can include - (hyphen) and _ (underscore).
  * The maximum length is 30 characters.

That’s it—no additional endpoints or headers.

---

## 5. Step 2 – Monitor trails in the dashboard (for the user)

1. Log in and open Message Trail in the left-hand menu.
1. Use the date-range picker (Today, Yesterday, Last 7 Days, or Custom).
1. Each card shows Sent, Delivered, Failed, Read, and Replied totals.
1. Click a card to drill into real-time message-level events.
1. Use the search bar to locate any trail by name.

![](https://content.api.getguru.com/files/view/c507b4e0-fd26-474d-808d-dc01f7896c6f)

![](https://content.api.getguru.com/files/view/1d152ec6-e7e0-4367-a172-35133f54f1ea)

---

## 6. Step 3 – Download a CSV report

1. In the Message Trail list, click Download next to the desired trail.
1. Choose the same date range used in Step 2.
1. A CSV file downloads with these columns:

| Column | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Name | Recipient’s name (if available) |
| Mobile Number | Destination number |
| Template Name | WhatsApp template ID |
| Template Category | Marketing, Utility, Auth, etc. |
| Message Status | Sent, Delivered, Read, Failed |
| Sent At | Timestamp |
| Delivered At | Timestamp |
| Read At | Timestamp |
| Replied At | Timestamp |
| Reply Type / Text | Text, Media, etc. |
| Failure Reason | If status = Failed |
| Link | Tracked URL (if link-tracking enabled) |
| Link Clicked At | Timestamp of first click |

---

## 7. Auto-archiving & data retention

* Trails with no activity for 6 months are automatically archived.
* Archived trails no longer appear in the dashboard but still count toward the 1,000-trail limit. Rename or delete old trails if you hit the cap.

---

Keywords - WhatsApp Message Trail, template message analytics, trail parameter, delivery tracking, OTP monitoring, order status reports