Reference
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.
Short answer
Flows are conversation graphs built on a canvas. The simulator walks them without messaging anyone, and publish validation blocks disconnected handles and unapproved templates. 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 messaging a real customer. Test every branch, especially the ones you expect nobody to take, because that is 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.
A journey can hand a customer to a specific flow with a Connect to chatbot node. That handoff always uses the flow’s latest published version, so republishing a flow upgrades every journey pointing at it.
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.