WhatsApp catalog, product messages and cart orders

🎯 Goal

Customers browse your products inside WhatsApp, add them to a cart and send you an order. You process it in MeAPI, and the customer is updated automatically.

🧰 What you need

• Admin access to your Meta Business portfolio (to create the catalog)
• Product photos, names, prices and an SKU (retailer ID) per product
• For payments: Razorpay connected (Payment links)

Part 1: create and link the catalog (in Meta)

1. Open business.facebook.com/commerce (Commerce Manager) → Add catalog → type E-commerce → Upload product info.
2. Add products by hand, with a spreadsheet (data feed), or connect Shopify/WooCommerce through Meta’s partner integration. Every product needs a content ID / retailer ID (your SKU), a name, a price, an image and a link.
3. In Commerce Manager → Catalog → Settings (or WhatsApp Manager → Catalog), connect the catalog to your WhatsApp Business Account.

Part 2: connect it in MeAPI

1. Pick the number in the number switcher at the top, then open Orders → Catalog. Each number has its own catalog setting.
2. Pick your catalog under Catalog (Pick a catalog). If the list is empty, type the Catalog ID from Commerce Manager.
3. Choose the switches:
   • Let customers add to cart and send orders
   • Show the catalog on your WhatsApp profile
4. Save. You see Catalog connected. The catalog icon now appears in your WhatsApp profile and chats.

login.meapi.in/orders

• Tabs: Orders and Catalog. Filter chips: all, new, confirmed, packed, shipped, delivered, cancelled.
• One row per cart: customer, items, total, payment status and order status.
• Change the Status and the customer gets a message (inside the 24-hour window).
• Send payment link sends a Razorpay link for the order total in the chat; the chat icon opens the conversation.

Send products from the inbox or a flow

• Inbox: in the composer, click the shopping bag → Send products. Search the catalog and pick items, or type product IDs (SKU), comma-separated. Add an optional Message. One product sends as a product card; several as a list (up to 30). Needs an open 24-hour window.
• Inbox payment link: the same menu has Payment link: Amount (₹) and For (e.g. Advance for order #123). See Payment links.
• Flow builder: Product and Product list message steps. See Message steps.
• Templates: Catalog and Multi-product template types work outside the window. See Other template types.

SSharma Sweets✓

Our bestsellers 👇

☰ View items

🛒 Order: 2 × KAJU500, 1 × RAS1KG — ₹1,250✓✓

Your order #31 is confirmed. Thank you!

Message

A cart arrives as an order in the chat and in Orders.

Process orders

1. A new cart appears in Orders and as 🛒 Order: 2 × KAJU500, 1 × RAS1KG — ₹1,250 in the chat. The contact panel beside the chat shows the customer’s orders too.
2. Move the Status: new → confirmed → packed → shipped → delivered, or cancelled. For each change the customer gets a message, for example Your order #31 has shipped. You see Updated — the customer was told. Outside the 24-hour window the status still changes, but you get a warning instead.
3. Send payment link: sends a Razorpay link for the order total in the chat. The payment status shows on the order and updates when the customer pays.

Automate the follow-up

For COD or bank transfer, add a flow on the payment trigger, or send a template the day after delivery asking for a review.

Common mistakes

• Catalog not connected to the WABA. MeAPI can’t list it. Connect it in Commerce Manager first.
• Products “in review” or rejected by Meta’s commerce policy. They won’t show in WhatsApp until approved.
• Changing a status days later. The 24-hour window has closed, so the customer isn’t told. Use a Utility template for late updates.

What’s next

Payment links →Get paid by UPI in the chat.Tutorial: abandoned carts →Win back lost sales.