WhatsApp Catalog

A WhatsApp Catalog is your product or service showcase within WhatsApp. Customers can browse your catalog directly in the chat, view product details, and add items to their cart. This guide covers catalog creation, product management, and sharing catalogs with customers.

What Is a WhatsApp Catalog?

A catalog is a structured collection of your products or services that is displayed within WhatsApp. It is hosted on Meta's infrastructure and linked to your WhatsApp Business Account.

Catalog Components

Component	Description	Limit
Catalog	The container for all your products	1 catalog per WABA
Products	Individual items in your catalog	Up to 500 products
Sections	Groupings for organizing products	Used in multi-product messages

Creating a Catalog

Via Meta Commerce Manager

1. Go to Meta Commerce Manager.
2. Click Add Catalog.
3. Select E-commerce as the catalog type.
4. Choose Upload product info (manual) or Connect a partner platform (automated).
5. Name your catalog (e.g., "My Store Products").
6. Click Create.

Via Meta Business Manager

1. Go to business.facebook.com.
2. Navigate to Data Sources > Catalogs.
3. Click Create Catalog.
4. Follow the setup wizard.

Adding Products

Manual Entry

1. In Commerce Manager, go to your catalog.
2. Click Add Items > Add Manually.
3. Fill in product details:

Field	Required	Max Length	Description
Product name	Yes	200 chars	Clear, descriptive name
Product image	Yes	8 MB	Min 500x500 px, JPEG or PNG
Description	Yes	5,000 chars	Detailed product information
Price	Yes	--	Numeric value in local currency
Currency	Yes	--	ISO currency code (e.g., INR)
Content ID (SKU)	Yes	100 chars	Unique product identifier
Product URL	Yes	--	Link to product on your website
Availability	Yes	--	in stock or out of stock
Condition	No	--	new, refurbished, or used
Brand	No	100 chars	Brand or manufacturer name

Bulk Upload via Data Feed

For catalogs with many products, use a CSV or TSV data feed:

CSV Format

id,title,description,availability,condition,price,link,image_link,brand
SKU-001,Wireless Earbuds Pro,Premium wireless earbuds with ANC,in stock,new,2499 INR,https://example.com/earbuds,https://example.com/images/earbuds.jpg,AudioTech
SKU-002,Phone Case Ultra,Shockproof case for smartphones,in stock,new,799 INR,https://example.com/case,https://example.com/images/case.jpg,CasePro
SKU-003,USB-C Fast Charger,65W GaN fast charger,out of stock,new,1499 INR,https://example.com/charger,https://example.com/images/charger.jpg,ChargeTech

Upload Steps

1. In Commerce Manager, go to Data Sources > Data Feed.
2. Click Add Data Feed.
3. Choose File Upload or Scheduled Feed (for automatic sync).
4. Upload your CSV/TSV file.
5. Map columns to catalog fields.
6. Submit for processing.

API-Based Product Management

Use Meta's Catalog API to manage products programmatically:

# Add a product
curl -X POST "https://graph.facebook.com/v18.0/<catalog_id>/products" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <access_token>" \
  -F "retailer_id=SKU-001" \
  -F "name=Wireless Earbuds Pro" \
  -F "description=Premium wireless earbuds with ANC" \
  -F "price=2499" \
  -F "currency=INR" \
  -F "availability=in stock" \
  -F "url=https://example.com/earbuds" \
  -F "image_url=https://example.com/images/earbuds.jpg"

Connecting Catalog to WhatsApp

Step 1: Link Catalog to WABA

1. In Meta Business Manager, go to WhatsApp Account > Settings.
2. Under Catalog, select your catalog.
3. Click Save.

Step 2: Verify in Exotel

1. Log in to the Exotel Dashboard.
2. Navigate to WhatsApp > Commerce.
3. Verify that your catalog is connected.

note

Only one catalog can be linked to a WhatsApp Business Account at a time. To switch catalogs, disconnect the current one first.

Sharing Catalog with Customers

Full Catalog Link

Customers can access your full catalog through your WhatsApp Business profile.

Single Product Message

Share a specific product from your catalog in a conversation:

{
  "type": "interactive",
  "interactive": {
    "type": "product",
    "body": {
      "text": "Here's the product you asked about:"
    },
    "action": {
      "catalog_id": "your_catalog_id",
      "product_retailer_id": "SKU-001"
    }
  }
}

Multi-Product Message

Share a curated selection of products:

{
  "type": "interactive",
  "interactive": {
    "type": "product_list",
    "header": {
      "type": "text",
      "text": "Recommended For You"
    },
    "body": {
      "text": "Based on your preferences, here are some products you might like:"
    },
    "action": {
      "catalog_id": "your_catalog_id",
      "sections": [
        {
          "title": "Audio",
          "product_items": [
            { "product_retailer_id": "SKU-001" },
            { "product_retailer_id": "SKU-004" }
          ]
        },
        {
          "title": "Accessories",
          "product_items": [
            { "product_retailer_id": "SKU-002" },
            { "product_retailer_id": "SKU-005" }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Inventory Synchronization

Keep your WhatsApp catalog in sync with your inventory system:

Manual Sync

1. Update product availability in Commerce Manager when stock changes.
2. Remove or mark products as "out of stock" when unavailable.

Automated Sync via Data Feed

1. Set up a scheduled data feed in Commerce Manager.
2. Configure the feed URL pointing to your product data export endpoint.
3. Set the update frequency (daily or hourly).
4. Commerce Manager automatically pulls the latest product data.

Automated Sync via API

async function syncInventory() {
  const products = await getProductsFromDatabase();

  for (const product of products) {
    await updateCatalogProduct(product.sku, {
      availability: product.stock > 0 ? 'in stock' : 'out of stock',
      price: product.price,
      name: product.name,
      description: product.description
    });
  }
}

// Run every hour
setInterval(syncInventory, 3600000);

warning

Out-of-stock products should be promptly updated in your catalog. Customers ordering unavailable products leads to poor experiences and potential quality rating drops.

Product Image Guidelines

Guideline	Details
Minimum resolution	500x500 pixels
Recommended resolution	1024x1024 pixels
Aspect ratio	1:1 (square) for best display
Format	JPEG or PNG
Max file size	8 MB
Background	Clean, white or light background preferred
Content	Product should be clearly visible and fill most of the frame
Text	Avoid text overlays on product images

Catalog Policies

Meta enforces policies on catalog content:

Rule	Details
Accurate pricing	Prices must match your website
Real products	No placeholder or stock photos for non-existent products
Prohibited items	No weapons, drugs, tobacco, adult content, or counterfeit goods
Image quality	Clear, professional product images required
Description accuracy	Descriptions must accurately represent the product

Best Practices

1. Use high-quality images -- Professional product photos significantly improve engagement and conversion.
2. Write detailed descriptions -- Include size, color, material, and key features.
3. Keep prices current -- Regularly sync prices between your website and catalog.
4. Organize thoughtfully -- Group related products in sections for multi-product messages.
5. Update stock regularly -- Mark out-of-stock items immediately.
6. Use unique SKUs -- Ensure every product has a unique Content ID for reliable referencing.
7. Automate sync -- Set up scheduled data feeds or API-based sync for large catalogs.

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Resolution
Product not showing	Product not approved by Meta	Check Commerce Manager for approval status
Image not loading	Image URL broken or too large	Use a reliable CDN; keep images under 8 MB
Catalog not linked	WABA not connected to catalog	Link catalog in WhatsApp Account settings
Product message fails	Invalid product_retailer_id	Verify the SKU exists in your catalog

Next Steps

• WhatsApp Commerce -- Commerce overview
• WhatsApp Payments -- In-chat payments
• Interactive Messages -- Product sharing
• WhatsApp API Reference -- API documentation