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MESSAGING AND TEMPLATES
Interactive message
An interactive message is a WhatsApp Cloud API message type that carries structured, tappable elements instead of plain text: reply buttons (up to three), a list (up to ten rows), a single or multi-product message from a catalog, a WhatsApp Flow launcher, a call-to-action URL button, or a location request. Interactive messages are free-form, so they can only be sent inside an open 24-hour window.
reply button messagelist messagewhatsapp flowsproduct message
Why it matters
Interactive messages are what make a WhatsApp bot usable: customers tap instead of typing, replies are unambiguous, and flows branch reliably. Because they are session messages they cost nothing in-window, and the customer's tap comes back with a stable ID rather than free text, which is what routing logic needs.
In VGraple CRM
The flow builder has a node for each interactive type with a handset preview, and the tap comes back into the flow as a choice you can branch on. The inbox composer offers buttons and lists to agents for quick questions, and the API accepts every interactive type Meta supports.
Related terms
Reply button message, List message, WhatsApp Flows, Product message, Session message.