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Awareness only. This page covers what Flows are and when to use them. Full API details (creating a Flow via the API, the Flow JSON schema, endpoint setup) are not yet documented here.
WhatsApp Flows is a Meta feature that lets businesses build structured, multi-step interactions inside WhatsApp — forms, surveys, product selectors, and more. Unlike regular messages (which require a back-and-forth exchange), Flows present the full interaction in one rich UI that the customer fills out or navigates.

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How it works

WhatsApp Flows lets you define a sequence of screens — each screen can contain input fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, or display content. The customer interacts with them without leaving WhatsApp. When they submit, the response data is sent to your server. Example use cases:
  • Lead capture form for a loan application (name, income, loan amount)
  • Insurance quote calculator (members covered, health risks, payment frequency)
  • Purchase intent survey (preferred products, budget)
  • Personalised offer selection with a payment link
Where the data goes: Your Flow can send the collected data to any endpoint — Google Sheets, a CRM, a database (MySQL), Airtable, or an automation tool like n8n. How it differs from buttons/lists: Regular interactive messages (buttons, list messages) offer simple choices. Flows support multi-step structured input with form fields — much richer than a list of options.

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Frequently asked

Flows are a Meta feature for building structured, multi-step interactions inside WhatsApp — think forms and surveys rendered natively in the chat. The customer fills out fields or makes selections without leaving WhatsApp, and the data is sent to your server.
Buttons and lists give customers a small set of options to tap. Flows support full form inputs — text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, multi-screen flows. They’re much richer and designed for collecting structured data.

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Gotchas & common mistakes

  • Flows require a separate setup — they are not a message type like text or buttons. You define a Flow in the WhatsApp Manager or via the Flows API, then trigger it with a special interactive message type.
  • Not all accounts have Flows access — availability may vary by region and account type.