The WhatsApp Business catalog: setup, what it can and cannot do, and how to make an AI agent answer from it
The WhatsApp Business catalog is a good browsing tool and a poor answering tool. Customers can scroll photos and prices, but "do you have this in blue and can you deliver Friday?" still lands in your inbox. Here is how to set the catalog up, what it will not do, and how to give an AI agent the same information so it answers the questions the catalog cannot.
Quick answer
In the WhatsApp Business app, open Business tools, Catalog, and add items with a photo, name, price, description and link; you can list up to 500. Customers browse it from your profile and tap items into a chat. It has no stock levels, no variants and no answers. Export the same items as one-line text (name, variant, price, availability) into your AI agent's knowledge so it can quote and check stock in conversation.
Setting up the catalog
- Open the WhatsApp Business app, Business tools, Catalog.
- Add an item: photo, name, price, description, and a website link if you have one. Product codes help later.
- Group items into collections for large ranges.
- Share the catalog link on your profile and in chats; customers can send an item into the conversation to ask about it.
What it cannot do
- No stock levels or availability. A sold-out item still shows.
- No variants. A shirt in four sizes and three colours is one item or twelve.
- No answers. Delivery, sizing, care and returns questions still need a person or an agent.
- No order taking beyond a cart request; payment and confirmation are manual.
- Not searchable by an AI agent on a official-platform connection; the agent cannot read the catalog directly.
Making the agent answer from it
Export or type the catalog as one line per sellable variant: "Linen shirt, white, M: RM 89, in stock. Linen shirt, white, L: RM 89, pre-order 2 weeks." Add delivery, sizing and returns as text. Give that to the agent as knowledge, and when a customer taps a catalog item into the chat and asks a question, the agent answers from the matching line. Update the text when stock changes; the catalog and the knowledge should say the same thing. The price list guide has the format, and the online shop guide the workflow.
Frequently asked questions
How many items can a WhatsApp Business catalog hold?
Up to 500 items, each with photos, a price, a description and a link.
Does the catalog show stock?
No. It has no stock levels or variants. Keep availability in your agent's knowledge or say so in the description.
Can an AI agent read my WhatsApp catalog?
Not directly on a official-platform connection. Give it the same items as one-line text and it answers from that.
Can customers order from the catalog?
They can send items into a chat as a cart request. Confirmation and payment are manual or handled by an agent collecting details for the team.
Should I keep the catalog if I use an agent?
Yes. The catalog is for browsing; the agent is for answering. Keep both saying the same thing.
Let the catalog browse and the agent answer
Same items as text, quoted with stock and delivery in the chat. 7-day free trial.
Sources and further reading
- WhatsApp Help Center
- WhatsApp Business app, official overview
- WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy · opt-in, opt-out and prohibited-use rules every business must follow
ReplyKit is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta or WhatsApp. This article is general guidance for running a small business, not legal, financial or regulatory advice.