# Using Flow Builder to send WhatsApp messages

Flow Builder allows you to configure all actions with respect to the WhatsApp channel including rich capabilities like reply buttons, list messages, and template messages.

 

#### Table of contents <a href="#id-01g1gfm7g9ps9nej6fk50ra187" id="id-01g1gfm7g9ps9nej6fk50ra187"></a>

[How does this step benefit you?](#h_01G1GEHERJTAQD239N2TQP5VC8)

[Before getting started](#h_01G1GESZHAHN77945R03RV1NA9)

[How to configure the step](#h_01G1GEKAMQJNDR2FMQ5NJACFXX)

* [Send Settings](#01G1GFM7GAA8QTNPHKPREQCA34)
* [Message Settings](#01G1GFM7GA18RE4NYFQ9HJE2KA)
* [Response settings](#01G1GFM7GA4GRSP2A79WX31XDC)
* [Advanced Settings](#01G1GFM7GAFX6VGK0PDDGHJFBS)

#### How does this step benefit you? <a href="#h_01g1geherjtaqd239n2tqp5vc8" id="h_01g1geherjtaqd239n2tqp5vc8"></a>

The “Send WhatsApp Message” step allows you to maximize the customization of your messages to your users. It provides interactive features that allow end-users to swiftly select through options instead of typing text when replying to a conversation.

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#### Before getting started <a href="#h_01g1geszhahn77945r03rv1na9" id="h_01g1geszhahn77945r03rv1na9"></a>

You will need:

* A [MessageBird account](https://dashboard.messagebird.com/)
* [WhatsApp business account](https://support.messagebird.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000258437-WhatsApp-Business-step-by-step-onboarding)
* An [Inbox account](https://inbox.messagebird.com/) (this is optional)

#### **How to configure the step** <a href="#h_01g1gekamqjndr2fmq5njacfxx" id="h_01g1gekamqjndr2fmq5njacfxx"></a>

**Step 1:** Log in to your MessageBird [Dashboard](https://dashboard.messagebird.com/en/user/index) and navigate to Flow Builder.\ <br>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-661df6d62ba3c0c707dd5e4ce7038827fd504e09%2Fblobid0.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Step 2:** Create a new flow or choose an existing flow. If you selected a new flow please choose a trigger that applies to you and an available channel.&#x20;

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**Step 3:** Add a step “Send WhatsApp Message”.&#x20;

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<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4cd304c756c0f3ae9a16d580ba5f652b4a138d21%2Fblobid2.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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The components of the step are *Send Settings, Message Settings*, *Response Settings,* and *Advanced Settings*:

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-9ff2eaa3e3d018c68f37bb91a394c10772721ae0%2Fmceclip7.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Send Settings**

Here you are able to configure how the message will be sent, either as a reply back to the current conversion, from a different channel, or in a specific conversation.

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<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-480fa6574bc0c78f1a5cc3886f1d5a0ff01ff98d%2Fblobid4.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Message Settings**<br>

There are five available message types: *text*, *media*, *interactive,* *product* and *template*.

**Text**

You are able to modify the message content:

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-cc4b96781c29a295a4f09c381effb2d8f41f8af1%2Fmceclip0.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fb8be9b167004530554c5d5cb5a2d389d0a9446a%2FScreenshot_20220520_102128.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Media**

You are able to modify:

* the media type
* the URL to the media
* the caption of the media

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-eb9d6bd33815a5022b3c743c7fee975d930be70c%2Fmceclip1.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-b230a79d1316697a04217017321a5aa83c54ee72%2FScreenshot_20220520_102343.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Interactive**

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e188b46e052a5d963bea773abd469955eeb38321%2Fmceclip2.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

You are able to modify:

* The type of interactive content: *Reply Buttons* (max. of 3 buttons) or a *List* (max. of 10 list items)
* Message content, including header, body, and footer:

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4e8ee7779186fda89e36aa364c80952e22d7168b%2Fmceclip3.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* Define the reply buttons

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-ca9c806fc0f924cad6d53358f354350975c32ccf%2Fmceclip5.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* or the list items:

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f7f97d2c651526251f9f4bb85bc2bef60780aca9%2Fmceclip4.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fdb60f2706acd4f5b4fc88a0f46a4193267bb1d8%2FScreenshot_20220520_104909.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-b2c6ababa16e078444203e778aefa10472663976%2FScreenshot_20220520_104925.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-280a710c09506c4205050e0729704b14f5f82f11%2FScreenshot_20220520_104951.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Product**

You are able to modify:

* the type of product message:<br>
  * Single Product Message: *Messages with a single product item from a business inventory*
  * Multi-product Message: *Messages containing up to 30 items from a business inventory*
* Messages body, footer, and the text of the *call-to-action* button:
  * The *call-to-action* button is shown underneath the message. If your customers click on it, it will take them to your product catalog. You are able to modify the text that will be shown on that button.

For this step to work, we'll need you to add the *Catalogue ID* and the *Product Retail ID*. The two enable us to fetch the needed information on the product/products from the [Meta Commerce Manager](https://business.facebook.com/commerce).\
A general guide on how to add products in the Meta Commerce Manager can be found [here](https://support.messagebird.com/hc/en-us/articles/6318337642513).

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-cc4b96781c29a295a4f09c381effb2d8f41f8af1%2Fmceclip0.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-35b461536250cd90f594a7d9cc348e00873df361%2FScreenshot_2022-05-13_at_11.52.02.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Template**

You are able to:

* Choose the template you would like to use, out of your approved ones in the [Template Manager](https://dashboard.messagebird.com/en/whatsapp-template-manager/)
* Modify the templates header (supported types are: *plain text including variables, image, video, and document*)
* the variables in the body
* and the footer of the template (*only plain text is supported in the footer*):

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-12fc001016994a30f15631a5e6d936cb3fcf3819%2Fmceclip6.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Response settings**

When enabled, response settings allow for an automatic configuration of the branching in interactive messages such as the reply buttons and lists.\
At the same time, you can also configure the *Wait for response* section:

* the step would wait for an end-user to respond to it for a predefined ‘x’ amount of time.
* If there is no response within that time the user would move to the next step in the flow automatically.

You could also configure a separate expired case from the same section.\ <br>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-488f7f25e2f68e99ebdf338c54e0d363974be95b%2Fmceclip8.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Advanced Settings**

Available advanced settings are:

* *Status reports enablement:* sending reports on the status of the message sent it the step via a GET request to a URL provided
* *TrackID enablement:* when filled out, the *trackID* will be sent as a parameter in the messages, allowing you to track insights such as read, delivered, failed or rejected using the reporting API\ <br>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-a80754d7eb3779cc630a924ac5ad492917244a6e%2Fmceclip9.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Step 4:** Configure the message as per your choice in the **message settings** section of the Send WhatsApp Message step.

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Shared below is an example message that’s configured using an **interactive message** with **Response settings** where **branching** is enabled.<br>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-38f937c205c30a3c775ce90c10dd4cc86fca420e%2Fblobid11.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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**Step 5:** Build out your flow with the combination of several *Send Whatsapp Message* steps as per your use case and don’t forget to **Save** and **Publish** the Flow.\
Here is an example of what it would look like for your end-user:\ <br>

<figure><img src="https://675349995-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FUJNEE9TMK4fU91VKstBr%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-2d91d1ff1c6019a7f2e6e667dde22f425629955f%2Fblobid12.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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📤  Feel free to [contact our Support](https://support.messagebird.com/hc/en-us/requests/new) in case you might need some help!