📱 Creating Your First WhatsApp Flow: Practical Example
In simple steps we'll show you how to bring your first interactive form to life in Atom. To make it clearer, we'll use a real use case: Scheduling a technical appointment at a mechanical workshop.
Before entering the platform, define what data you need to collect from your customer. For our workshop, we'll request: Identity Document, Driver's Name, License Plate Number, Vehicle Type (car, van or motorcycle), Day, Time and Branch.
🛠️ Step by Step for Creation
Location in Atom: Go to the left sidebar menu and navigate to Settings > Messaging > WhatsApp Flows.
Channel Selection: If you have more than one WhatsApp number, select the channel where you want to operate and click the Create Flow button.
Choose Method: The system will ask how you want to build it. You can import one from WhatsApp Business Manager or use native templates. We'll click on Predefined Forms.
Template Selection: You'll see general templates and suggestions based on your industry. For our case, we'll choose the "Maintenance Appointment" template, which is the most appropriate for this scenario.
Field Configuration: Select the fields you need to request in your form. If you're missing any specific one (like "Vehicle Type"), you can generate it and add it directly from this screen.
Publishing: Click Save and you're done! Your template is now published and associated with your WhatsApp channel.
💡 Note on Forms by Industry: Depending on the industry you configured in the "My Company" module, you'll have access to different forms. For example:
Automotive: Test Drive, Maintenance Appointment, Quote Your Car.
Education: New Students, Student Support.
Financial/Insurance: Loan Application, New Customers, Insurance Quote.
Other (Retail, Tourism, Health): Satisfaction Surveys and Support.
🚨 Troubleshooting: Common Errors When Connecting Flows
When implementing a WhatsApp Flow within a bot, there are key details you must verify to ensure the customer doesn't get stuck:
⚠️ 1. The flow stops in the first messages
Probable cause: One or more buttons within the configuration contain text that exceeds Meta's limit.
Solution: Review the buttons and reduce them so they don't exceed 20 characters.
❌ "I don't need to speak with an advisor" (29 characters)
✅ "Talk with an advisor" (18 characters)
⚠️ 2. The flow doesn't respond or advance
Probable cause: The WhatsApp Flow is not published on the same channel where the bot is running.
Solution: Flows are not universal. Make sure to create and publish the flow on the specific channel where it will be used. If your test bot is on the number +57316..., the flow must live there.
Tip: If you created the perfect flow in production and want to test it, simply duplicate it and publish it on your test channel before embedding it.
✅ Final Recommendations
Always simulate: Test the flow before publishing it to production to ensure that all paths and forms respond correctly.
Define actions: Verify that each button has an action or path defined in Flowbuilder.
Respect limits: Make sure all elements comply with WhatsApp's current character rules and limitations.
Interactive forms ready for action! 🚀
Creating a WhatsApp Flow doesn't have to be complicated if you take advantage of industry-specific predefined templates. Just remember the golden rule: keep buttons short (fewer than 20 characters) and make sure the flow is published on exactly the same phone line as your bot. Now you're ready to connect it to Flowbuilder and automate your data collection! ✅