What Are WhatsApp Interactive Button Messages?
WhatsApp interactive button messages replace open-ended text questions with tappable reply options. Instead of asking "Would you like to confirm your appointment? Reply YES or NO," you send a message with two clearly labelled buttons the customer taps in one touch. The result: faster responses, cleaner data, and higher engagement.
The WhatsApp Business API supports three interactive message formats: Reply Buttons (up to 3 quick-reply options), List Messages (up to 10 items in a scrollable menu), and CTA URL Buttons (one button that opens a URL). Tenreply supports all three and lets you save them as reusable presets.
Why Use Interactive Messages?
- Faster replies — customers respond with a tap, not a sentence
- Structured data — you receive a predictable reply ID rather than freeform text
- Higher open and response rates — visually distinct messages stand out in the chat
- Automation-friendly — the reply ID triggers downstream flows reliably
Step 1: Open the Interactive Preset Builder in Tenreply
Log in to Tenreply, go to Templates in the sidebar, then click Interactive Presets. Click + New Preset.
Choose your type:
- Buttons — for 2–3 quick-reply options (e.g. Confirm / Reschedule / Cancel)
- List — for 4–10 options displayed in a scrollable sheet (e.g. department selection)
- CTA URL — for a single button that links to your website or payment page
Step 2: Build Your Button Message
Fill in the Body (main message text), then add your buttons. Each button has an ID (used by automations to detect which option was picked) and a display label (shown to the customer). Keep button labels under 20 characters — WhatsApp truncates longer text.
Example — appointment confirmation:
- Body: "Hi {{name}}, your appointment is tomorrow at 2 PM. Would you like to confirm?"
- Button 1 ID: confirm — Label: ✅ Confirm
- Button 2 ID: reschedule — Label: 🔄 Reschedule
- Button 3 ID: cancel — Label: ❌ Cancel
Step 3: Save and Send
Click Save Preset. The preset is now available in the chat composer under the Interactive button (the grid icon). Open any conversation, click Interactive, pick your preset, and hit Send.
To send interactives in bulk via broadcast, you will need to embed the interactive structure in a template — contact Tenreply support for that setup.
Step 4: Trigger Automations on Button Replies
In Automations, create a flow with a Keyword trigger matching the button reply ID (e.g. "confirm"). When the customer taps Confirm, the flow triggers automatically — you can send a calendar invite, notify an agent, or update a CRM record.
Important Limits
- Reply Buttons: maximum 3 buttons, each label ≤ 20 characters
- List Messages: maximum 10 items, header is optional but recommended
- Interactive messages can only be sent within the 24-hour customer service window OR via a pre-approved template
Tenreply automatically shows the interactive composer only when the 24-hour window is open, so you never accidentally try to send one outside the allowed window.
Next Steps
Once you are comfortable with interactive messages, explore building a full WhatsApp chatbot that chains multiple interactive steps into a guided conversation.