Skip to main content
A Carousel template lets subscribers swipe through multiple cards in a single WhatsApp message — each card with its own image or video, body text, and up to two buttons.
  • Built from the same Message Templates page as any other template.
  • This guide covers the full workflow: setup, video cards, product catalogs, sending, limits, and troubleshooting.
ChatSyncs Carousel Templates — create up to 10 carousel cards and send within the same notification to maximise your campaign on WhatsApp
Here’s what a carousel looks like once it reaches a subscriber on WhatsApp:
A real WhatsApp conversation showing a carousel message with a promotional text bubble, a swipeable card with a product image, caption, a Buy Now button, and a Send more like this quick reply

Before you start

You’ll need:
  • A connected WhatsApp Business Account (see How to Connect Your Number to ChatSyncs).
  • Your carousel content ready — images or videos, card text, and button labels/URLs for each card.
  • If you’re building a product carousel, your store connected to ChatSyncs first (see Connect a Store to ChatSyncs if you’re integrating a custom catalog via API).
Message Templates Create dropdown with Carousel Media Template highlighted, alongside General Template, WP Template, Mixed Template, Carousel Product Template, and Default Template
1

Go to Message Templates

Open Chatbot Manager → Automation → Message Templates.
2

Click Create

Click Create and choose Carousel Media Template.
3

Name it and set the category

Give it a descriptive name (e.g. summer_sale_carousel) and pick Utility or Marketing — carousels support both categories, the same as any other template. See Guidelines for Utility and Marketing Templates for which one fits your content.
Carousel Message Template builder with Template Name, Locale, Template Category toggle (Utility selected, Marketing available), the Message Bubble toolbar with Custom Fields, Variables, Name, and AI Re-write buttons, and a live WhatsApp preview showing a card with an Image placeholder and Battery Life body text
4

Write the message bubble

Add the intro text shown above the cards, using the same Custom Fields, Variables, Name, and AI Rewrite toolbar as any other template — see Custom Fields, Variables, Name, and AI Rewrite for the exact syntax (#field# for Custom Fields, #!variable!# for Template Variables).
5

Configure each card

For every card, choose Image or Video as the header, add body text, and upload the media file.
6

Add buttons to each card

Give each card up to two buttons — URL (links to a webpage) or Quick Reply (sends a predefined response).
Card button configuration with a URL button (Button Text 'know more', Action Value 'www.chatsyncs.com' with its own Variables button) and a Quick Reply button (Button Text 'Got it'), plus an Add Card button
A URL button’s Action Value has its own Variables button, so the destination can be personalized per subscriber too — e.g. https://example.com/product/#!ProductID!#.
Live preview of one carousel card with an Image placeholder, Battery Life header and body text, and two buttons: know more and Got it
7

Add more cards

Click Add Card to add the next one — repeat until you have all the cards you need (2–10).
8

Submit for approval

Save the template. Carousel templates typically take 24–48 hours for Meta’s first review — check status under Message Templates.
Every card must use the same button order. If Card 1 has a URL button followed by a Quick Reply, every other card must follow that exact pattern — mismatched button order prevents the template from saving. See Why Templates Get Rejected if yours won’t save for another reason.

Using video instead of images

Change a card’s Card Header from Image to Video — everything else (body text, buttons) works the same way. Videos must be MP4 format, under 16 MB, using the H.264 codec. If your store is connected, you can build a carousel that pulls products straight from your catalog instead of manually uploading each card’s image and text:
Carousel Product Template builder showing Message Body and a Number of Products dropdown set to 2
1

Connect your store

Make sure your ecommerce catalog is connected to ChatSyncs.
2

Create a Carousel Product Template

Pick Carousel Product Template from the Create menu, then select products from your catalog — image, name, and price are pulled in automatically.
3

Choose how many products

Set How many products you want to add into carousel? — from 1 up to 10.
How many products you want to add into carousel dropdown open, showing options 1 through 7 with 3 selected
4

Use it in a bot flow

Wire it into a Keyword Replies flow (see How to Create a Keyword-Based WhatsApp Chatbot) so it’s sent automatically when a customer asks about products or browses your catalog.
Once Approved, a carousel template can be sent three ways:
  • Bot flows — attach it to a Keyword Replies flow (see How to Create a Keyword-Based WhatsApp Chatbot) with a keyword trigger, so a matching customer message sends the carousel automatically.
  • Broadcasts — select the carousel template when creating a Broadcast Campaign.
  • Live chat — send it directly to a subscriber from the ChatSyncs inbox during a conversation.

Limits and requirements

Tips for effective carousels

  • Keep visuals consistent — same image dimensions, style, and layout across every card. Recommended size: 800×800 pixels.
  • Use high-quality images. Clear, well-lit product photos outperform blurry or low-res ones.
  • Write short card text. 160 characters is tight — highlight one point per card, not a paragraph.
  • Use clear button labels. “Shop Now” or “View Details” beats a vague “Click Here.”
  • Test before broadcasting. Send it to yourself or a test number first, and confirm every image loads, every button works, and cards display in the right order.
  • Fewer, focused cards win. 3–5 well-chosen cards usually perform better than a full 10 that subscribers won’t swipe through.

Troubleshooting

Check that every card uses the same button order. If Card 1 has a URL button then a Quick Reply, every other card must match that exact pattern.
Confirm URL buttons use a full, valid URL (not a shortened link). Quick Reply buttons need text labels under 25 characters.