WhatsApp Flows allow businesses to create structured, app-like experiences directly within a WhatsApp chat. Instead of a long back-and-forth conversation, users interact with native screens containing forms, date pickers, and selection menus. This reduces friction, prevents drop-offs, and leads to significantly higher completion rates for complex tasks.
Core Use Cases
Lead Generation: Capture and qualify leads with multi-step forms (e.g., name, budget, preferences).
Appointment Booking: Let customers pick dates and times from a calendar UI without leaving the app.
Customer Surveys: Collect structured feedback or NPS scores via radio buttons and text inputs.
Product Configuration: Guide users through selecting specific options (e.g., size, color, plan types).
Event Registration: Seamlessly collect attendee data for webinars or in-person events.
How it works in charles
In charles, WhatsApp Flows are integrated into Journeys to automate data collection and trigger downstream actions.
1. Template Creation
Before using a Flow in a journey, you must create the WhatsApp Flow template within their WhatsApp Business Manager (Meta). This involves designing the screens and fields (using the visual builder or JSON) and getting the template approved by Meta.
For a more detailed documentation, please refer to Meta's official documentation here. To find out more about which components are available, head over to the reference documentation.
2. Import in Journeys
Once the Flow is ready, it can be implemented in Journeys:
Button Type: In any message node, you can select "WhatsApp Flow" as a button type.
Template Selection: you can then selects the specific Flow template they created in the Business Manager.
3. Data Collection & Context
When a customer clicks the button and completes the Flow:
The information they entered (e.g., "Email: [email protected]", "Date: 2026-05-12") is automatically sent back to the chat.
charles collects this data and stores it in the Flow Context.
4. Advanced Logic & Actions
The collected data becomes a powerful asset for the rest of the journey:
Personalized Messages: Use the captured data in subsequent messages (e.g., "Thanks for booking for {{flow_date}}!").
Conditions: Create branching logic based on the data (e.g., if "Budget > 1000", route to a "High Value" sales agent).
External Integration: Send the collected data to your CRM, ERP, or other tools via webhooks, ensuring your entire tech stack stays in sync.