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Buttons

Ask a question with up to 3 tap-to-reply buttons, and send each answer down its own path.

What it does#

Buttons asks a question with up to 3 buttons and waits for the customer to tap one. Each button has its own connection on the canvas, so every answer can lead somewhere different.

Use it for quick choices such as Book / Prices / Talk to us. For more than 3 choices use List or Options. To send a message without waiting for an answer, use Send Message.

Set it up#

  1. 1

    Add the step

    Drag Buttons from the WhatsApp (Meta) group in the Steps panel onto the canvas, and connect the step before it.

  2. 2

    Write the question

    Click the step. Under Message, replace Buttons Question with your question, for example What would you like to do?

  3. 3

    Add the buttons

    Type the first Title, for example Book a visit. Click Add option for a second and third button. Keep each title to 20 characters.

  4. 4

    Connect every button

    On the canvas, drag each button's handle to the step that should come next. Drag the grip next to a button to change the order; its connection moves with it.

  5. 5

    Add a header or footer (optional)

    Under Header and footer, pick a Header type: Text, Image, Video or File. For media, Upload a file or use Or paste a link. Add a short Footer if you like.

  6. 6

    Check how it looks

    Open the Phone preview tab to see the message as the customer will, then test each button in Preview.

The answer is saved under the step name, for example {{@appointmentChoice}}, so later steps can use it. To keep a copy in another variable, fill in Save answer to (optional).

What the customer sees#

  • WhatsApp (official API): real buttons under the message, with your header and footer.
  • Website: the choices as buttons in the chat.
  • WhatsApp through Green API (QR): the question with numbered choices, without the header and footer. The customer replies with the number or the text.

On the official WhatsApp API and the website, the customer has to tap a button. If they type instead, they're asked to pick one of the buttons.

Header file limits#

Images: JPG or PNG up to 5 MB. Videos: MP4 or 3GP up to 16 MB. Files: PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, TXT or CSV up to 100 MB. For File, you can set the name the customer sees in File Name (optional).

Messages#

Click the step and open Messages at the bottom of its settings to change what the bot says on its own here. Messages has Typed instead of tapping a button, The answer matches no option, A number that isn't on the menu (where buttons show as numbers) and Text sent with the buttons when the step has none.

Each field shows the default in grey. Leave it empty to keep the default, or write your own: it applies to every Buttons step in this chatbot and goes live with Publish. Use for all my chatbots makes it the text for all your chatbots (account owner or admin). More texts are in Settings > System messages.

Errors and what you see#

  • "Connect a step into this one, and connect every option to a next step." Connect the step before it, and connect every button.
  • A button title shows shortened on WhatsApp. WhatsApp allows 20 characters, including text from variables. Shorten the title.
  • Two buttons show as "Book" and "Book 2". Two titles were the same after variables were filled in. Give each button a different title.
  • Logs: "Sent without its image, video or file". The header link was empty when the step ran. Check the link, or that the variable has a value by then.
  • "Please select an option above". The customer typed instead of tapping a button. That's expected: they tap a button to continue.
  • Only 3 buttons. WhatsApp shows up to 3. Use List for up to 10 choices.
  • A file won't upload. The message under the field says why (type, size or connection). Use a supported file within the limits above.

Examples#

Confirm an appointment. Ask Can you make it on Tuesday at 10:00? with Confirm and Reschedule. Connect Confirm to a thank-you Send Message and Reschedule to a Date step.

A menu with a picture. Set Header type to Image, upload a photo of the clinic, and add Book a visit, Opening hours and Talk to us. Keep the question clear on its own: Green API (QR) sends it without the image.