How to set up List Messages on the WhatsApp Business API
List Messages let you pack up to 10 tappable options behind a single button on WhatsApp — perfect for menus, appointment slots, product categories or support routing without cluttering the chat. This guide walks you through building your first interactive list end to end on the official WhatsApp Business API with InfiQ: how the payload is structured, how to send it from the no-code builder or the API, how to capture the reply, and the mistakes that quietly break lists in production.
What you'll do
Build a WhatsApp List Message (a menu of up to 10 tappable rows grouped into sections), send it inside the 24-hour service window or after an approved template reopens that window, capture the reply via webhook, and test on your own number before going live. InfiQ handles the API plumbing so you configure it no-code.Step 1 — Understand what a List Message is (and isn't)
Before you build anything, get the anatomy right, because it dictates every limit you'll hit later. A List Message is an interactive message with four moving parts: an optional header, a body of text, an optional footer, and a single action button that opens a bottom sheet. Inside that sheet you place sections, and inside each section you place rows — the actual tappable choices. A list is not a template and not a broadcast; it is a free-form interactive message, which means it can only be sent while a 24-hour service window is open with that contact. Understanding this one rule prevents the most common failure: trying to send a list to someone who hasn't messaged you recently.
- Header, body, footer, one button — the button label maxes at 20 characters
- Up to 10 sections, and up to 10 rows across the whole list combined
- Each row has an id (your value), a title (max 24 chars) and an optional description (max 72 chars)
- Row ids are the values returned when tapped — keep them stable and human-readable, e.g. book_slot_morning
Step 2 — Prepare your InfiQ account and the 24-hour window
Confirm your WhatsApp Business API number is active and verified in InfiQ, and that your Meta Business Manager verification is complete — a list will silently fail to deliver on an unverified or restricted number. Next, decide how the conversation opens. If the customer has messaged you in the last 24 hours, the service window is already open and you can send the list immediately at no messaging charge. If the window is closed, you cannot start with a list; you must first send an approved template to re-engage, and only after the customer replies does the window reopen for your list to follow. This sequencing is the difference between a list that lands and one that never appears.
- Verify the number and Business Manager before your first send
- Open window (customer messaged within 24h) → send the list directly
- Closed window → send an approved template first, then the list once they reply
- The window is a service window, not a billing unit — free-form service messages are free today but chargeable from 1 October 2026; today you are billed only if a template is delivered
Step 3 — Build the list in InfiQ (no-code or JSON)
In the InfiQ builder, create a new interactive message and choose List. Write a clear body — this is the sentence people read before opening the menu, so make the ask obvious ('Pick a time that suits you'). Set a short button label such as 'View slots'. Then add your sections and rows: group related choices under section titles so a 10-row menu still scans cleanly. Give every row a stable id you can route on, a concise title, and a description only when it adds real clarity. If you prefer code, developers can post the same structure as interactive list JSON — the fields map one-to-one to the builder, so the mental model is identical whichever path you take.
- Body copy: state the choice plainly; it sets expectations for the menu
- Button label: an action verb under 20 characters ('Choose', 'View slots')
- Sections: use titles to chunk long menus into scannable groups
- Rows: id (for routing) + title (≤24 chars) + optional description (≤72 chars)
Step 4 — Wire up the reply so taps go somewhere
A List Message is only useful if the tap does something. When a customer selects a row, WhatsApp returns a structured interactive reply carrying the row's id and title — not free-form text — which you catch on your webhook or route inside an InfiQ flow. Branch on the id: 'book_slot_morning' triggers your booking step, 'talk_to_agent' hands off to a human, and so on. Because the id is exact and predictable, this routing is far more reliable than parsing typed messages where customers misspell or add extra words. Map every row to a next action before you test — an unrouted row leaves the customer at a dead end.
- Tap returns the row id + title as an interactive reply, not text
- Route on the id in an InfiQ flow or your own webhook handler
- Give each row a distinct next step — confirmation, handoff, or another list
- For more than 10 choices, chain lists: category first, then items
Step 5 — Test on a real phone, then go live and monitor
Never launch a list from the preview alone. Send it to your own WhatsApp number and physically tap each row on a real device, watching for truncated titles, a missing row, or a tap that routes nowhere. Character limits behave differently on small screens, so this is where you catch copy that looked fine in the builder but cuts off on a phone. Once every path works, enable the list for customers and keep an eye on the numbers: delivery and read status confirm messages are landing, and your number's quality rating warns you early if content or pacing is upsetting recipients. If you're sending from a fresh number, ramp volume gradually rather than blasting from day one.
- Test-send to yourself and tap every single row on a real device
- Watch for truncation: title >24 or description >72 chars will clip
- Confirm each tap lands on its intended next step before going live
- After launch, monitor delivery, read status and quality rating; warm up new numbers slowly
Frequently asked questions
How many options can a WhatsApp List Message hold?+
Can I send a List Message as a broadcast to cold contacts?+
Do List Messages need to be submitted as templates for approval?+
What do I receive when a customer taps a row?+
How much does sending a List Message cost?+
Do I need a developer to set up List Messages?+
Why is one of my rows showing cut off?+
How long does it take to set up my first list?+
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