Message steps — every WhatsApp message type

🎯 Goal

Know every message your bot can send, and when each one is the best choice.

🧰 What you need

• A flow open in the builder
• For media steps: a file (upload it or pick one from the media library)

All of these are one step called Message with a Message type. In the Bot actions panel they appear under Messages. Messages that wait for the customer (buttons, list, ask for location, form) have one exit per answer.

The 24-hour window

Everything except Template needs an open 24-hour window. Message steps have a setting If the 24-hour window is closed: pick an approved template to send instead. Without one, the flow stops at that step. This matters after delays, drips and date triggers.

Text and media

Type	Limits	Example
Send message (text)	Up to 4,096 characters, {{variables}}, bold italic formatting, optional Show link preview	Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for your order!
Image	JPG / PNG up to 5 MB, optional caption (up to 1,024 characters)	Product photo with price
Video	MP4 up to 16 MB, optional caption	How-to video
Audio	MP3 / AAC / OGG up to 16 MB	Voice note from the owner
Document	PDF, Word, Excel… up to 100 MB; File name shown	Menu.pdf, Price-list-2026.pdf
Sticker	WebP 512×512	Fun brand sticker
Location	Latitude, longitude, place name, address	Your shop on the map
Contact card	Name, phone, optional email and company	Your sales manager’s card

Files you upload go to your media library and can be reused in other flows. A media step without a file shows Add the file and blocks publishing.

Interactive messages

Type	What the customer sees	Exits
Reply buttons	Up to 3 buttons (20 characters each) under the body text. Optional Header (text, image, video or document) and Footer. Use it for an image or video with buttons	One per button + typed something else
Link button	One button (Button label) that Opens this link; variables work in the link, e.g. https://yourshop.com/track/{{order_id}}. Optional header and footer	One
List	A Button that opens the list (e.g. Options) and up to 10 rows in sections. Rows have a title (24 characters) and optional description (72). With two or more sections, each needs a title	One per row + typed something else
Ask for location	A Send location button	location shared / typed instead
WhatsApp Flow form	A button that opens a native form. Pick the WhatsApp Flow, set the Button label, optionally a Prefix for saved answers. Send as draft (testing) sends an unpublished form to testers	form submitted / typed instead

CCity Clinic✓

Hi Priya 👋 How can we help today?

Book appointmentLab reportsTalk to us

Message

Reply buttons. Each tap follows its own path.

SSharma Sweets✓

What would you like to order?

☰ Menu

Kaju katli — 500 g✓✓

Message

A list: up to 10 rows in sections.

Example — main menu with a list: List with the button text Menu. Section Sweets: Kaju katli, Rasgulla. Section Help: Track order, Talk to us. Connect Track order to an Order status lookup and Talk to us to Human handoff.

Commerce messages

Type	Needs	Use
Product	Catalog ID + Product (retailer) ID, body text, footer	Show one item with View / Add to cart
Product list	Catalog ID, Header, up to 30 products in sections (product IDs, one per line)	“Bestsellers”, “Back in stock”

Customers add items to a cart and send it. It arrives as an order in Orders.

Template

Sends an approved template: pick it under Approved template (only approved ones are listed). Then fill what it needs: the header file or Header variable, each body variable (fixed text or {{fields}}), the link ending of URL buttons, a Coupon code, and the image and variables of each carousel card. Templates work outside the 24-hour window, so use them after long delays, in drips, for date-based flows and in webhook- or Shopify-triggered flows.

The Abandoned cart message action in Commerce & apps is a Template step pre-labelled for cart reminders.

Tips

• Buttons beat typing. Fewer typos, clearer paths. Use lists when there are more than 3 options.
• Watch the counters. Every field WhatsApp limits shows how many characters you have used (button titles 20, list rows 24, row descriptions 72, header and footer 60, text with buttons 1,024, plain text 4,096). Over the limit, the field turns red and says why, and Save draft and Publish wait until it fits. Nothing is cut off for you.
• Variables count at their longest. {{name}} counts as 25 characters (the longest WhatsApp name), other fields as 50. Hi {{name}} fits a button only if the rest is short. The counter shows “up to … with variables”.
• Always handle typed something else. Reply “Please tap one of the buttons 🙂” and go back with Go to step.

What’s next

Logic steps →Questions, conditions, waits.WhatsApp Flows →Build the forms the form step sends.