Overview
On the WhatsApp Web channel (device connection, paired by QR via WazMeow) you can send interactive messages — the ones where the customer taps a button, picks a list item, answers a poll or opens a flow — directly from the conversation's reply field. A single visual composer ("Interactive message") builds every type in one window: pick the type tab, fill in the fields and send. It's the native way to create rich experiences without relying on Meta's official API (Cloud API).
Every interactive message you send shows up in the platform conversation as a normal bubble, and the button/option text the customer replies with is recorded in the conversation.
Prerequisites
- A WhatsApp Web inbox already paired and in the connected state (Connect WhatsApp Web by QR pairing).
- Agent access to the conversation where the interactive message will be sent.
- For Flows: have flows already captured on the number itself. The composer lists the flows available for that number — you pick one and fill in the parameters. If the list is empty, no flow has been captured for that number yet.
Step by step
- Open the WhatsApp Web conversation and click the Interactive message icon in the reply field (Set up to build from scratch; Edit to adjust before sending).
- Choose the type tab you want to send: Buttons, List, Carousel, Flow, Poll or Event.
- Fill in the fields for the chosen type:
- Main text (body) and, when available, header/footer.
- The interactive items (buttons, list options, carousel cards, poll options, event details) and the fallback text shown where the interactive doesn't render.
- Review the preview and click Send.
- The message is sent through WhatsApp Web right away and stays recorded in the conversation. When the customer taps/replies, the choice comes back as a new message in the conversation.
Settings & options
The composer sends 6 interactive types from WhatsApp Web:
| Type | What it is | Renders in groups? |
|---|---|---|
| Buttons | Quick replies and/or URL buttons | Yes |
| List | Menu with sections and selectable options | No — 1:1 only |
| Carousel | Swipeable cards with media + buttons | Yes |
| Flow | Opens a flow already captured on the number (native button, galaxy_message) |
No — 1:1 only |
| Poll | Poll with options and a selectable count | Yes |
| Event | Invite with date/time (start and, optionally, end), location and description | Yes |
- Groups nuance (important): Lists and Flows only render in 1:1 conversations. In groups, recipients see the fallback text (so always fill in a clear fallback). Buttons, Carousel and Event work in groups normally.
- No license gate: on WhatsApp Web (WazMeow) the interactive types — buttons, list, carousel, flow, poll and event — are available without an "Enterprise license". There is no license block to send any of them.
- Status does not support interactive/poll: interactive messages and polls cannot be sent to Status (nor on channels other than WhatsApp Web).
- Flow uses what already exists on the number: the composer does not create the flow — it lists the flows already captured on that number for you to pick and parameterize.
Use cases
- Buttons: offer 2–3 quick replies ("Talk to sales", "Support", "See pricing") or a URL button that takes the customer to a page.
- List: present a menu organized by sections (e.g. services, hours, locations) in a 1:1 conversation.
- Carousel: showcase several products/plans with image and action button, including in groups.
- Flow: trigger a guided form/experience (scheduling, sign-up, qualification) already captured on the number, appearing as a native button.
- Poll: quickly collect preferences ("Which time works best?") in 1:1 or groups.
- Event: invite to a meeting, live session or visit with date, time and location.
Tips, limits & best practices
- Always write a good fallback: in groups, Lists and Flows only deliver the fallback text — it has to make sense on its own.
- Anti-ban: interactive messages are messages like any others — respect WhatsApp's limits and the platform's per-number throttle. Avoid identical mass sends.
- Forwarding keeps the real interactive: when you forward an interactive message on WhatsApp Web, the platform re-sends the actual interactive (it does not turn it into text). See Forward messages.
- Save and reuse: while building an interactive message, use "Save to quick replies" with a short code. Later, in the composer, type "/" and pick the short code — the platform reopens the composer prefilled with your buttons, list, carousel, flow or poll (it does not become plain text).
- Buttons: at most 3, titles up to 20 characters. That is WhatsApp's own limit, and the platform applies it identically on WhatsApp Web and on Cloud — what you compose works on both with no rework. Longer titles are cut on send; write short labels instead of letting the cut decide for you. Accented characters take up more room than they look, so leave margin.
- A tapped button is identified, not guessed: the platform records which button was tapped, not just its text. Two buttons sharing a label stop being indistinguishable, and an option wait in the Flow Builder keeps matching even when the customer sees the title truncated.
- Prefer a few clear items over long menus — tap rates drop on huge lists.
Troubleshooting
- The customer only sees text (no buttons/list): it's probably a List or Flow sent to a group — in those cases only the fallback renders. Use 1:1 or switch to Buttons/Carousel/Event.
- The Flow tab is empty: there's no captured flow on that number; capture the flow on the number before sending.
- I can't send to Status: interactive/poll is not supported in Status — send it in a WhatsApp Web conversation.
- The message failed to send: confirm the inbox is connected and try Send again; a send error shows on the bubble with a retry option.