{"id":2182,"date":"2026-09-30T13:10:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T13:10:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/360dialog.com\/blog\/?p=2182"},"modified":"2026-10-01T09:06:58","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:06:58","slug":"whatsapp-flows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/360dialog.com\/blog\/whatsapp-flows\/","title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp Flows: How to Build Forms and Collect Data Inside WhatsApp"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WhatsApp Flows is a Cloud API feature that lets you build multi-screen forms directly inside a WhatsApp conversation.<\/strong> Users tap through input fields, dropdowns, and date pickers without leaving the chat, and your system receives the collected data as structured JSON. Meta describes Flows as a way to build structured interactions for business messaging, for tasks like lead generation and product recommendations.[1] If you are building on the WhatsApp Cloud API<\/a>, Flows give you a native way to collect structured input at the point of conversation. A Flow opens when a user taps a call-to-action button on an interactive message or a template message (the pre-approved message type a business can send at any time), and the form itself runs inside WhatsApp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Flows require the WhatsApp Cloud API and a WhatsApp Business account (WABA). Meta is splitting the WABA into two accounts: a WhatsApp account, which holds your business phone number, and a Messaging account, which holds your templates and billing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. A Flow without a data endpoint (a URL on your server that the Flow calls for live data) collects form responses and submits them when the user finishes. A Flow with an endpoint exchanges data with your server in real time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. A Flow can have up to 100 screens, but Meta recommends keeping each task under 5 minutes and each screen focused on a single task.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Flows that exchange data with your server need an RSA 2048-bit key pair, with the public key signed through the 360Dialog encryption endpoint.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. The cost of a Flow is the cost of the message that carries it. From October 1, 2026<\/a>, Meta also charges for replies sent inside the 24-hour customer service window, the period after a user’s last message when you can reply without a template.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Ready to build your first Flow? 360Dialog<\/strong> provides Cloud API access, encryption key management, and the infrastructure to create and deploy Flows, priced per number per month with no markup on Meta fees. Get API access<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Are WhatsApp Flows and How Do They Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    WhatsApp Flows is a structured interaction framework built into the WhatsApp Business Platform that lets businesses define multi-screen forms using a JSON definition, render those forms natively inside WhatsApp, and receive user responses as structured JSON payloads via webhook. The user never leaves the chat. Flows consist of screens (each screen is a node in a state machine), components (the UI elements on each screen), and actions (the logic that moves between screens or submits data).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A Flow starts when a user taps a call-to-action button attached to either an interactive message (type \"flow\"<\/code>) or a template message (button type FLOW<\/code>). The button opens the first screen, which contains the layout, components, and navigation logic defined in your Flow JSON. The user fills in fields and taps through screens. On the final screen, the complete<\/code> action submits the fields listed in its payload back to your system as a JSON payload delivered via webhook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The core difference from other data collection methods in WhatsApp:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Method<\/th>Data Structure<\/th>User Experience<\/th>Best For<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
    WhatsApp Flows<\/td>Structured JSON payload<\/td>Tappable form screens in-chat<\/td>Lead capture, booking, surveys, order forms<\/td><\/tr>
    Template quick replies<\/td>Single button selection<\/td>User taps one predefined option<\/td>Confirmations, opt-ins (consent to receive messages), simple routing<\/td><\/tr>
    Free-text collection<\/td>Unstructured text<\/td>User types open responses<\/td>Open feedback, support conversations<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Flows solve a specific problem: collecting structured data from users who are already in a WhatsApp conversation. If you need a name, an email, a date, and a preference in a single interaction, Flows let you collect all four in one tappable form. Free-text collection requires multiple message rounds and parsing logic on your backend to extract the same fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you need a Cloud API number to start building Flows, get API access<\/a> through 360Dialog.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Static vs Dynamic Flows: Which Type Do You Need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The practical distinction is whether your Flow connects to a data endpoint. A Flow without a data endpoint defines all its content in the Flow JSON and collects user input locally. A Flow with a data endpoint sends encrypted requests to your server at runtime and receives data that populates the next screen. The two labels describe data-handling approaches that determine how much backend infrastructure you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Without a data endpoint:<\/strong> The Flow JSON defines every screen, component, and navigation path at design time. User input is collected locally and submitted as a JSON payload when the Flow completes. This approach works for lead capture forms, feedback surveys, and registration flows where every field is known in advance. The main actions are navigate<\/code> (to move between screens) and complete<\/code> (to end the Flow and return the data). No server is involved until the final submission arrives via webhook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With a data endpoint:<\/strong> The Flow sends encrypted POST requests to your HTTPS endpoint at runtime using the data_exchange<\/code> action.[2][4] Your server decrypts the request, processes the data, and returns the content for the next screen. This enables appointment booking with live availability, product catalogs with real-time inventory, or any scenario where screen content depends on the user’s previous selections or your backend state. Requests to your endpoint time out after 10 seconds, and Meta recommends a flow_token<\/code> expiration of 2 to 3 days to give users time to engage.[6]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Both approaches use the same Flow JSON structure and the same components. The choice depends on whether your screens need data from your server at runtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    To connect Flow submissions to your existing automation stack, see how WhatsApp integrations<\/a> work with 360Dialog.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What Components Can You Use in a Flow?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Flows offer over 20 component types across input, display, navigation, and conditional categories. Each screen supports up to 50 components and uses a single-column layout (SingleColumnLayout, a vertical flexbox).[3] Meta limits the Flow JSON content itself to 10 MB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Core input components:<\/p>\n\n\n\n