Creating a Flow

In this section, we'll walk you through creating your very first Flow. At the end of this tutorial, you'll have a completed and published demonstration Flow, ready to be sent to other WhatsApp users.

To do this, we'll use the Flows Builder UI in WhatsApp Manager, but you're welcome to use the Flows API instead if you prefer.

Remember, if you haven't already gone through the prerequisites, be sure to read through Get Started with WhatsApp Flows before starting this guide.

Step 1: Create Your Flow

In the WhatsApp Manager of your WhatsApp Business Account, select Account tools on the left-side menu and then click Flows.

On the top right of the page, click the button titled Create Flow. This is only true if you have already created a Flow. If this is your first Flow, you will see a button titled Start building Flows instead.

A new screen will open where you can enter some details about your Flow.

What do these fields mean?

• Name: The name is a unique identifier for your Flow across your business account. Generally, try to choose a name that describes your Flow and its purpose. In this case, enter my_first_flow.

• Categories: Choose any categories that match the purpose of your Flow from the list of options. If none of the categories listed make sense for your Flow, just check "Other". In our case, choose "Other".

• Template: Template Flows have been developed to make it easier for you to get started. If any of the templates are similar to what you'd like your Flow to do, use a template as a starting point for your Flow, and customise the experience to suit your use case, audience, and market. For this tutorial, leave this as “Default”. You can see the preview of the template on the right side under “Preview” section and interact with it as well. More detail on templates can be found here.

Step 2: Build Your Flow JSON

To help you move quickly, here's a very simple demonstration ("Hello World") Flow. You can edit it here and then copy-and-paste it over to the Flows Builder UI when you're ready. (You can also preview it inside the builder.)

Once you've pasted the JSON into the Flows Builder UI, click Run to preview the Flow. If you're happy with the demonstrate Flow, click Save.

Learn more about Flow JSON and Components

Step 3: Test Your Flow

The easiest way to test a Flow is by using the Interactive preview option which simulates the real experience. You can click on the Flow's green Complete button to see the Flow in action.

Step 4: Publish Your Flow

When you first created your Flow, it entered the Draft state. And as you edited and saved the modified Flow JSON content, it remained in the Draft state. You are able to send the Flow while it's in the Draft state, but only for testing purposes. If you want to send the Flow to a larger audience, you'll need to Publish the Flow.

You can publish your Flow once you have ensured that:

• All validation errors and publishing checks have been resolved.
• The Flow meets the design principles of WhatsApp Flows
• The Flow complies with WhatsApp Terms of Service, the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and, if applicable, the WhatsApp Commerce Policy

To publish your Flow, open the menu to the right of the Save button and click Publish. Once published, the Flow can be sent to anyone!

What's Next?

Congratulations! 🥳 Your Flow can now be sent to real users.