WhatsApp Flows are a seamless way to engage with your audience or collect information without leaving WhatsApp. They let you streamline data collection and automate interactions directly through WhatsApp.
Prerequisites
- A WhatsApp Business Account
- Access to WhatsApp Manager
Building Your First WhatsApp Flow
Creating your first WhatsApp Flow is straightforward with the WhatsApp Manager. There are two approaches to start building them:
- Using the Flows API — The Flows API is a powerful Graph API that lets you conduct a range of operations with Flows. It suits those comfortable with API integrations seeking greater control over the Flow creation process.
- Using WhatsApp Manager — Within WhatsApp Manager, you have two mechanisms to create Flows:
- Flows Builder — This is the primary area where you can edit your Flow JSON inside a code editor. The Flows Builder is best suited to users wanting a hands-on, customizable approach to Flow creation. Within Message
- Templates creation — This feature lets you build Flows as part of the Message Templates creation process. It uses a drag-and-drop Form Editor, ideal if you prefer a more visual and less code-intensive approach. You don’t need to write any Flow JSON code, making it accessible for users without coding knowledge.
Creating Flows Within Message Templates
This section uses a couple practical examples to demonstrate creating a WhatsApp Flow specifically within message template creation.
Message templates are crucial for starting dialogue with your customers. They are the only way to contact users who have not yet messaged your business. Templates must follow the WhatsApp business and commerce policies to receive approval, at which point you can begin using them.
To follow along with this section, ensure you have a WhatsApp Business account.
Customer Feedback Flow for Customers
There are numerous ways to use Flows for your customer interactions. In this example, you'll generate a customer feedback Flow to gather feedback after a purchase or service experience that you would have previously gathered via messaging platforms or emails. This Flow sends a follow-up message with a questionnaire to customers, aiming to understand their experience and identify areas for improvement.
Let’s explore how to create this kind of Flow.
- Log in to your WhatsApp Business Account and access the WhatsApp Manager.
- Click Create Template at the top right of the page
- Use a blank template.
- Fill in the Flow details:
- Choose a relevant category for your message template (or "Other" if none applies). For this example, select "Utility".
- Pick a template that aligns with your Flow's goal (e.g., "Flows").
- Enter a unique Flow name (e.g., "customer_feedback").
- Choose your desired language(s) and click Continue.
- In the Body text box, craft an engaging message thanking the customer for their order and summarizing key details. For instance:
"Hi [Customer Name], thanks for shopping with us! We'd love to hear your feedback on your recent purchase. Could you spare a few minutes to answer a quick survey?"
Note: In the body text, you can include a variable like {{1}} to dynamically insert the customer's name. This adds a personal touch and improves engagement.
- At the bottom of the template window, add text for the call-to-action button (e.g., "Get started"). Under Type of flow, choose a template relevant to your needs (collecting customer feedback). For this demonstration, select Get feedback and click Create.
- A dialog box will open for building your Flow. Use the following panels:
- Left panel: Add new screens to your Flow.
- Middle panel: Add fields for the current screen.
- Right panel: Visualize your Flow in real-time.
- Rename the first screen for better organization (e.g., "Get Started").
- Delete any pre-built questions in the second screen.
- Start adding questions to your Flow, including multiple-choice or open-ended text responses. Examples of questions include:
- How satisfied were you with the overall shopping experience? (Scale: Very Satisfied, Satisfied, Neutral, Dissatisfied, Very Dissatisfied)
- How easy was it to find the product you were looking for? (Multiple Choice: Very Easy, Easy, Neutral, Difficult, Very Difficult)
- Were the product descriptions accurate and helpful? (Yes/No)
- How likely are you to recommend us to others? (Scale: Extremely Likely, Likely, Neutral, Unlikely, Extremely Unlikely)
- Is there anything we can do to improve your experience in the future? (Open-ended text response)
- To add the first question (single-choice), select the Add content drop-down menu in the middle panel, hover over Text, and choose Small heading.
- Add the question "How satisfied were you with the overall shopping experience?" in the text area that appears.
- To add answer choices, select the Add content drop-down menu, hover over Selection, and choose Single choice.
- In the added block, replace the text "Label" with "Select one option" to instruct your users.
- Accordingly, under Options, add the provided options in the example question.
Adding More Questions
To add the second question (multiple-choice), select the Add content drop-down menu in the middle panel, hover over Text, and choose Small heading.
You can follow this process to add the rest of the questions, whether single-choice or multiple-choice. For multiple-choice questions, ensure you choose Multiple choice under Selection.
Adding Open-Ended Questions
To add open-ended questions, select the Add content drop-down menu in the middle panel, hover over Text, and select Small heading. Add your question body in the text area.
Adding an Input Field
To add an input field where readers — in this case, your customers — can enter their responses, you first need to determine what kind of response you’re expecting: a short answer, a paragraph, or a date. For this demonstration, you can expect a paragraph as the response.
To add an input field for a paragraph, select the Add content drop-down menu in the middle panel, hover over Text answer, and pick Paragraph.
Replace the text “Label” with any placeholder text that you like — for example, “Enter your response here”.
Adding More Questions and Saving
Use these steps to add as many questions as needed. Once you've finished adding questions, click Save.
Submitting the Flow
- After the dialog closes, click Submit.
- If you choose not to submit a completed language now, it will not be saved and you‘ll lose the content.
- Your Flow will be submitted for review. You can track its status in the Status column.
Using the Flow
Once approved, this Flow is attached to the message template. You can send this template just like any other message template, using the API or WideBot platform. Any information users enter into the Flow will be sent to you as a webhook notification.
Additional Considerations:
- Keep the survey concise and avoid overwhelming customers with too many questions.
- Offer the option for customers to skip specific questions if they don't feel comfortable answering.
- Analyze the feedback data regularly to identify trends and areas for improvement.
- Respond to negative feedback promptly and professionally, demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction.