Messaging
How to Use the WhatsApp Flow Builder in Inaiy
Use the WhatsApp flow builder in Inaiy to create in-chat forms for leads, bookings, and surveys, publish them, send them from chats, and read every response.
Updated · 6 min read
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The WhatsApp flow builder lets you create forms that customers fill in without leaving the chat, such as a lead form, an appointment request, or a delivery address. In Inaiy, open Flows, click Create Flow, pick a starter template, add or change fields in the builder, then publish. You can then send the Flow from the inbox, a template button, or a workflow, and read every answer on the Flow's page.
Forms inside WhatsApp get more answers than links to a web page, because the customer never leaves the conversation.
Who this is for and what you need first
This guide is for marketers and operations teams who collect details from customers on WhatsApp.
You need:
- A connected WhatsApp number. See connect WhatsApp Business API.
- A verified business and an approved display name on Meta, to publish. Drafts work without them.
- The fields you want to collect, such as name and email.
Steps to build a form with the WhatsApp flow builder
1. Open Flows
Click Flows under Messaging. The list shows each Flow with its status, category, JSON version, and last update. Filter by status: Draft, Published, Deprecated, Blocked, or Throttled. Click Create Flow (callout 1).
Only Flows marked PUBLISHED (callout 2) can be sent to customers.
2. Name the Flow and pick a starter
Under Flow details, choose the WhatsApp channel, enter a Name, and pick a Category (callout 1), such as LEAD_GENERATION, APPOINTMENT_BOOKING, CUSTOMER_SUPPORT, or SURVEY.
Under Starter template, pick the closest match (callout 2): Delivery address, Welcome message, Lead capture, Appointment booking, Customer survey, or Dynamic survey (data-exchange). The Screen preview shows the form. To copy an existing Flow instead, enter its Meta Flow ID under Clone existing Flow.
Click Create Flow at the bottom. This creates a draft Flow in your WhatsApp Business account.
3. Edit screens and fields in the builder
Click Edit on the Flow to open the builder. It has three parts:
- Screens on the left. Click + to add a screen. Tick Terminal on the last screen, the one that ends the Flow.
- Components (callout 1): Heading, Body text, Text input, Text area, Radio buttons, Dropdown, Checkboxes, Date picker, Opt-in, and Footer button. Drag one onto the canvas, or click it to add it.
- The canvas (callout 2) in the middle shows the screen's components in order, with a live Preview on the right.
4. Set each field's properties
Click a component on the canvas. Properties shows its settings:
- Field name (callout 1): the key the answer is saved under, such as
email. Use short lowercase names. - Label: what the customer sees.
- Required: tick it if the field must be filled in.
- Input type: for text inputs, such as Email, so WhatsApp checks the format.
- Up, Down, and Delete to reorder or remove it.
Advanced users can switch to JSON to edit the Flow JSON directly. Click Save draft (callout 2) to save without publishing.
5. Publish the Flow
Click Save & publish in the builder, or open the ⋯ menu on the Flow's page (callout 1 in the next image) and choose Publish. The status changes to PUBLISHED. To retire a Flow later, choose Deprecate from the same menu.
6. Send it to customers
You can send a published Flow three ways:
- From a chat: in the inbox, open the attachment menu, choose Flow, pick the Flow, write a short message, set the Button label (default Open), and click Send Flow.
- From a template: add a WhatsApp Flow button to a template, so you can send it outside the 24-hour window.
- From a workflow: add the Launch WhatsApp Flow step, and set Max wait for how long the workflow waits for the answers.
How to confirm it worked
- Check the Flow shows PUBLISHED on the Flows page.
- Send it to your own WhatsApp number from the inbox, open it on your phone, fill it in, and submit.
- On the Flow's page, click Refresh under Responses (callout 2). Your answer appears. Before anyone submits, it reads No responses yet.
Common mistakes
- No ending screen. At least one screen must be ticked Terminal and have a footer button that completes the Flow. Without it, the builder will not save.
- Unclear field names. Names like
field_1make responses hard to read and use in workflows. Use names likefull_nameandemail. - Trying to publish before business verification. Publishing needs a verified business and an approved display name. Build and test as a draft while verification finishes.
Related guides
- Add a Flow button to a message with WhatsApp template approval.
- Send a Flow automatically with WhatsApp workflow automation.
- Send a Flow during a chat from the WhatsApp shared inbox.
Frequently asked questions
What is a WhatsApp Flow?
A WhatsApp Flow is a form that opens inside WhatsApp when the customer taps a button in a message. It can have several screens with text fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and date pickers. The customer fills it in and submits without leaving the chat, and the answers come back to your business.
Can I send a Flow to a customer who has not messaged me?
Yes, but only through an approved template with a WhatsApp Flow button, because free messages are only allowed within 24 hours of the customer's last message. Inside that window, you can send the Flow directly from the inbox. Workflows can use either, depending on when they run.
Where do Flow responses go?
Every submission appears under Responses on the Flow's page in Inaiy, with the answers stored under the field names you set. Workflows that launch the Flow can also use the answers in later steps, for example to update the contact or tag the conversation. Click Refresh to load new responses.
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