Flow Builder
Flow Builder decides what happens when a customer messages you. One published flow handles inbound messages for your whole number; drafts are invisible to customers.
Flows are graphs of conversation nodes built on a canvas. The simulator walks them without messaging anyone, publish validation blocks disconnected handles and unapproved templates, and publishing replaces the live graph from the next inbound message onward.
Working the canvas
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Edit copy | Click the text on a node to edit it in place. |
| Open full settings | Double-click a node to open its properties panel. |
| Connect nodes | Drag from an output handle to the next node. Branch nodes have several outputs. |
| Add a node | Drag it from the palette, or search the palette by name. |
| Test | Toolbar → Test Flow opens the simulator. |
| Go live | Publish. Validation runs first and blocks on errors. |
Node types
| Node | What it does | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Message | Sends text or media. | Long text is truncated behind "Read more" on WhatsApp. |
| Buttons | Quick-reply buttons. | Three per message. |
| List | A tappable list of options. | Up to ten rows. |
| Template | Sends an approved template. | Required outside the 24-hour window. |
| Capture | Stores the customer’s reply in a variable. | Reusable by later nodes. |
| Condition | Branches on a keyword, tag or stored field. | Each output must be wired. |
| Live chat | Hands over to the inbox and pauses the bot. | Stays paused until released. |
| Shopify | Looks up an order or product mid-chat. | Needs Shopify connected. |
The simulator
The simulator is a phone preview that walks your buttons and lists without sending anything to a real customer. Use it on every branch, including the paths you expect nobody to take — those are exactly where dead ends hide.
Publish validation
Publish runs a preflight check and refuses to go live with errors. Each error links to the node that caused it.
- Disconnected node — an output handle with no edge. Wire it to a node or to an explicit end.
- Template node with no template — pick an Approved template in the node’s properties.
- Unreachable node — nothing points at it. Either connect it or delete it.
Folders and multiple flows
Flows can be organised into folders. Journeys can hand a customer to a specific flow with a connect-to-chatbot node, and that handoff always uses the flow’s latest published version — so republishing a flow upgrades every journey pointing at it.
- Build your first flow — The guided version of this page.
- AI brain — Answering what a menu cannot.
- The 24-hour window — When a template node is required.
Frequently asked questions
How many flows can be live at once?
One flow handles inbound messages for your number, so that is the one customers meet first. Other flows can still be live as handoff targets — a journey or a live-chat node can route a customer into a specific flow by name.
Why does publish say my flow has disconnected nodes?
Every output handle has to lead somewhere. A buttons node with three buttons needs three edges, even if two of them go to the same reply. Leaving one unwired means a customer could tap it and receive nothing, so publish blocks it.
Updated 2026-10-04