diff --git a/app/notifications/validators.py b/app/notifications/validators.py
index 8fd129896..2f8d7ae9e 100644
--- a/app/notifications/validators.py
+++ b/app/notifications/validators.py
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ def check_sms_content_char_count(content_count):
         raise BadRequestError(message=message)
 
 
+def check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty(template_with_content):
+    if len(template_with_content.__str__()) == 0:
+        message = 'This message is empty.'
+        raise BadRequestError(message=message)
+
+
 def validate_template(template_id, personalisation, service, notification_type):
     try:
         template = templates_dao.dao_get_template_by_id_and_service_id(
@@ -137,6 +143,7 @@ def validate_template(template_id, personalisation, service, notification_type):
     template_with_content = create_content_for_notification(template, personalisation)
     if template.template_type == SMS_TYPE:
         check_sms_content_char_count(template_with_content.content_count)
+    check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty(template_with_content)
     return template, template_with_content
 
 
diff --git a/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py b/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py
index 5692c160e..aae00199d 100644
--- a/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py
+++ b/tests/app/notifications/test_validators.py
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@ from flask import current_app
 from notifications_utils import SMS_CHAR_COUNT_LIMIT
 
 import app
+from app.dao import templates_dao
 from app.models import SMS_TYPE, EMAIL_TYPE, LETTER_TYPE
+from app.notifications.process_notifications import create_content_for_notification
 from app.notifications.validators import (
+    check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty,
     check_service_over_daily_message_limit,
     check_template_is_for_notification_type,
     check_template_is_active,
@@ -286,6 +289,30 @@ def test_check_sms_content_char_count_fails(char_count, notify_api):
     assert e.value.fields == []
 
 
+def test_check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty_passes(notify_api, mocker, sample_service):
+    template_id = create_template(sample_service, content="Content is not empty").id
+    template = templates_dao.dao_get_template_by_id_and_service_id(
+        template_id=template_id,
+        service_id=sample_service.id
+    )
+    template_with_content = create_content_for_notification(template, {})
+    assert check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty(template_with_content) is None
+
+
+def test_check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty_fails(notify_api, mocker, sample_service):
+    template_id = create_template(sample_service, content="").id
+    template = templates_dao.dao_get_template_by_id_and_service_id(
+        template_id=template_id,
+        service_id=sample_service.id
+    )
+    template_with_content = create_content_for_notification(template, {})
+    with pytest.raises(BadRequestError) as e:
+        check_if_notification_content_is_not_empty(template_with_content)
+    assert e.value.status_code == 400
+    assert e.value.message == 'This message is empty.'
+    assert e.value.fields == []
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('key_type', ['team', 'live', 'test'])
 def test_that_when_exceed_rate_limit_request_fails(
         key_type,