Sending a Flow

On this page, we will explore the different ways of sending a Flow to users.

Postman Collection

All the API requests mentioned below are documented in the Flows API postman collection which you can use to make API requests and generate code in different languages.

Business Initiated Conversations

To send a business initiated message with a Flow, you can create and send a message template with a WhatsApp Flow attached to it. We introduced a new button type called FLOW. Use this type to specify the Flow to be sent with the message template.

To send Flow message template you need to:

  1. Create a message template with Flow
  2. Send a message template with a Flow

Create a message template with a Flow

You can quickly build a Flow in the playground and pass the Flow JSON in the message template creation request. Or you can specify the ID or name of an already published Flow.

Below is an example request to create a message template with a Flow, see this page for full reference:

Sample request

curl -i -X POST \
https://graph.facebook.com/v16.0/<waba-id>/message_templates \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer TOKEN' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
-d'
{
  "name": "example_template_name",
  "language": "en_US",
  "category": "MARKETING",
  "components": [
    {
      "type": "body",
      "text": "This is a flows as template demo"
    },
    {
      "type": "BUTTONS",
      "buttons": [
        {
          "type": "FLOW",
          "text": "Open flow!",
          "navigate_screen":  "WELCOME_SCREEN",
          "flow_action": "navigate",

          "flow_id" : "<flow_id>",
          // or
          "flow_name" : "<flow_name>",
          // or
          "flow_json" : "{\"version\":\"5.0\",\"screens\":[{\"id\":\"WELCOME_SCREEN\",\"layout\":{\"type\":\"SingleColumnLayout\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"TextHeading\",\"text\":\"Hello World\"},{\"type\":\"Footer\",\"label\":\"Complete\",\"on-click-action\":{\"name\":\"complete\",\"payload\":{}}}]},\"title\":\"Welcome\",\"terminal\":true,\"success\":true,\"data\":{}}]}"
       }
      ]
    }
  ]
}'
ParameterDescription
buttons
flow_id
string
The unique ID of the Flow. Cannot be used if flow_name or flow_json parameters are provided. Only one of these parameters is allowed.
flow_name
string
The name of the Flow. Cannot be used if flow_id or flow_json parameters are provided. Only one of these parameters is allowed. Supported in Cloud API only. The Flow ID is stored in the message template, not the name, so changing the Flow name will not affect existing message templates.
flow_json
string
The Flow JSON encoded as string with escaping. The Flow JSON specifies the content of the Flow. Cannot be used if flow_id or flow_name parameters are provided. Only one of these parameters is allowed. Supported in Cloud API only.
nagivate_screen
string
Required if flow_action is navigate. The unique ID of the Screen in the Flow.
flow_action
string
Either navigate or data_exchange.
(Default value: navigate)

Message templates can be created and sent in these languages.

Sample Response

{
  "id": "<template-id>",
  "status": "PENDING",
  "category": "MARKETING"
}

Send template with Flow

Ensure that your template passes all required reviews so that status is APPROVED instead of PENDING.

Now you can send a message template with a Flow using the request below

Sample request

curl -X  POST \
 'https://graph.facebook.com/v16.0/FROM_PHONE_NUMBER_ID/messages' \
 -H 'Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN' \
 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
 -d '{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "to": "PHONE_NUMBER",
  "type": "template",
  "template": {
    "name": "TEMPLATE_NAME",
    "language": {
      "code": "LANGUAGE_AND_LOCALE_CODE"
    },
    "components": [
      {
        "type": "button",
        "sub_type": "flow",
        "index": "0",
        "parameters": [
          {
            "type": "action",
            "action": {
              "flow_token": "FLOW_TOKEN",   //optional, default is "unused"
              "flow_action_data": {
                 ...
              }   // optional, json object with the data payload for the first screen
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}'

Sample Response

{
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "contacts": [
    {
      "input": "<phone-number>",
      "wa_id": "<phone-number>"
    }
  ],
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "<message-id>"
    }
  ]
}

User-Initiated Conversations

You are able to send your WhatsApp Flow once you have created it. You can send a Message with a Flow in a user-initiated conversation using a Message with a Call To Action (CTA). You send this message either through the On-Prem client or Cloud API with information specific to the Flow. The Flow is triggered when the user taps the CTA button.

Go here to read more about message types, limits, and timing.

As mentioned earlier, a message with a Flow is not much different from other types of messages. It uses the existing APIs, which are described on the following pages:

To send a message with a Flow, we have introduced a new type of the Interactive Object named flow with the following properties.

Interactive message parameters

ParameterDescription
interactive
object
The interactive message configuration
type
(required)
string
Value must be "flow".
action
(required)
object
ParameterDescription
name
(required)
string
Value must be "flow".
parameters
object
mode
string
The Flow can be in either draft or published mode.
(Default value: published)
flow_message_version
string
Value must be "3".
flow_token
string
Flow token that is generated by the business to serve as an identifier.
flow_name
string
The name of the Flow that you created. Cannot be used with the flow_id parameter. Supported in Cloud API only. Changing the Flow name will require updating this parameter to match the new name.
flow_id
string
Unique ID of the Flow provided by WhatsApp. Cannot be used with the flow_name parameter.
flow_cta
string
Text on the CTA button. For example: "Signup" Character limit - 20 characters (no emoji).
flow_action
string
navigate or data_exchange.
(Default value: navigate)
flow_action_payload
string
Required if flow_action is navigate. Should be omitted otherwise.
ParameterDescription
screen
string
The ID of the screen displayed first. It needs to be an entry screen*.
data
object
Optional input data for the first Screen of the Flow. If provided, this must be a non-empty object.

*See Flow JSON reference for entry screen details.

Now let's consider what a message sending request might look like using Cloud API:

Sample Request

curl -X  POST \
 'https://graph.facebook.com/v18.0/FROM_PHONE_NUMBER/messages' \
 -H 'Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN' \
 -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
 -d '{
  "recipient_type": "individual",
  "messaging_product": "whatsapp",
  "to": "whatsapp-id",
  "type": "interactive",
  "interactive": {
    "type": "flow",
    "header": {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Flow message header"
    },
    "body": {
      "text": "Flow message body"
    },
    "footer": {
      "text": "Flow message footer"
    },
    "action": {
      "name": "flow",
      "parameters": {
        "flow_message_version": "3",
        "flow_token": "AQAAAAACS5FpgQ_cAAAAAD0QI3s.",

        "flow_name": "appointment_booking_v1",
        //or
        "flow_id": "123456",

        "flow_cta": "Book!",
        "flow_action": "navigate",
        "flow_action_payload": {
          "screen": "<SCREEN_NAME>",
          "data": { 
            "product_name": "name",
            "product_description": "description",
            "product_price": 100
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}'

Sample Response

{
  "contacts": [
    {
      "Input": "+447385946746",
      "wa_id": "47385946746"
    }
  ],
  "messages": [
    {
      "id": "gHTRETHRTHTRTH-av4Y"
    }
  ],
  "meta": {
    "api_status": "stable",
    "version": "2.44.0.27"
  }
}