Glossary
What are WhatsApp Flows?
Multi-screen forms that open inside a WhatsApp chat, used for bookings, lead capture and sign-ups, with how they are sent and when an endpoint is needed.
By Broadchat teamPublished 2 min read
Definition
WhatsApp Flows: WhatsApp Flows are structured, multi-screen forms that open inside a WhatsApp chat on the WhatsApp Business Platform. A business designs screens with fields such as text inputs, dropdowns, date pickers and options, then sends the Flow through a message template or an interactive message. The customer completes it without leaving WhatsApp, and the answers return to the business, optionally through an encrypted data endpoint.
Also called: Flows, WhatsApp forms, Mini-apps (in some panels)
How WhatsApp Flows work
WhatsApp Flows turn a back-and-forth questionnaire into one tidy form. Instead of a bot asking for the name, then the date, then the time in separate messages, the customer taps a button and a full-screen form slides up inside WhatsApp. They fill it in, tap submit, and the chat shows a short confirmation.
A Flow has three moving parts:
- Screens: one or more pages, each with fields (short text, dropdowns, radio options, checkboxes, date pickers) and a button to go on.
- Sending: the Flow is attached to an interactive message inside the 24-hour window, or to a message template when you start the conversation.
- Data: simple Flows just return the answers when the customer submits. Flows that need live data, such as available slots, call the business's endpoint, and that traffic is encrypted with a key the business registers.
Meta brought Flows to WhatsApp Web in November 2025, so people chatting on a computer can open them too.
Worked example
Sunrise Clinic sends a booking Flow when a patient taps Book a visit:
Meera fills in both screens and submits. The clinic's system receives one complete record instead of five separate chat replies, so nothing is lost when she forgets to answer a question.
When Flows are worth it
- Good fit: appointment booking, lead qualification, loan or admission enquiries, feedback surveys, address collection for COD orders.
- Overkill: a single yes/no question; use reply buttons.
- Plan for: endpoint hosting and encryption if the form needs live data, plus testing on both Android and iPhone before a big send.
WhatsApp Flows in Broadchat
Broadchat calls Flows mini-apps. Under WhatsApp Mini-Apps → Mini Apps you build a Flow and can start from ready templates; the channel settings hold the encryption key Flows use. In Chatbots → Chatbots, a mini-app (Flow) submission can trigger a chatbot, so a completed form can tag the contact, notify an agent or start the next step. The chatbot builder and the WhatsApp Business API overview explain where Flows fit.
Sources
- WhatsApp Flows — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
- WhatsApp Business Platform changelog — Meta for Developers, checked 12 October 2026
Broadchat team · Product and partner success team
The people who build and support Broadchat, the white-label WhatsApp Business API platform. We write from what we see while onboarding partners and their clients on the official WhatsApp Cloud API, and we check every article against Meta's current documentation.
Last updated:
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a developer to use WhatsApp Flows?
Not for simple forms that only collect answers. A visual builder is enough. Flows that look up live data, such as open slots or stock, need an endpoint, which usually means some developer work.
Can I send a Flow to someone who has not messaged me?
Only inside an approved message template that carries the Flow button, and only to people who opted in. Inside the 24-hour window you can send it as an interactive message.
Where do Flow answers go?
They return to the business with the submission. In a platform such as Broadchat they can start a chatbot or automation that saves the answers to the contact.