The WhatsApp Business catalog: how to build it, and how the bot sells from it inside the chat
What the WhatsApp catalog is and where it is built (the app or Commerce Manager), how it differs from your connected store, how it syncs to the platform from Meta and the agent sends product cards and takes the order — and five mistakes that turn a catalog into a list nobody buys from.
The ArabyBot teamOfficial Meta partner · written from our own platform data
On this page 4
The short answer
The WhatsApp catalog is your product list with photos and prices, owned by your business's Meta account and shown on your number's WhatsApp profile. You build it from the WhatsApp Business app or Meta's Commerce Manager, and it syncs to our platform from Meta itself, so nothing is typed twice. Inside the chat the agent sends the requested product card from the catalog, collects the order and confirms it — and products you switched off it never shows. The catalog shows the product; the order, confirmation and shipping stay in the conversation.
Also asked as: «كتالوج واتساب بزنس» · «ازاي اعمل كتالوج على الواتساب» · «كيف أضيف منتجاتي بالواتساب» · «البوت يبيع من الكتالوج»
Three things people mix up: the catalog, the store, and the bot
| Thing | Who owns it | What it does | What it does not |
|---|---|---|---|
| The WhatsApp catalog | Your business's Meta account | Shows products with photos and prices on the profile and in the chat | Knows no stock and takes no payment |
| The connected store | You — Shopify or WooCommerce | Live stock, prices and orders | Does not appear on the WhatsApp profile |
| The AI agent | You — on the platform | Sends the right card, answers from your files, collects and confirms the order | Shows nothing you switched off and sells nothing that ran out |
Building and connecting in four steps
- Build the catalog at Meta
From the WhatsApp Business app for dozens of products, or from Commerce Manager for hundreds and by file. Per product: a clear name customers search by, a square photo, a price, and a two-line description with the size. The catalog belongs to the same WhatsApp Business account that is on the platform.
- Sync it to the platform
From WhatsApp tools → catalog → "Sync from Meta". Products appear with their photos as they are at Meta, and nothing is typed twice. Sync again after every edit there.
- Switch off what the bot should not sell
A switch per product: what is off stays at Meta and the bot never offers it. Seasonal and sold-out products are switched off here, not deleted.
- Teach the agent how to sell
In its instructions: answer the question from your files first, then send the requested product's card rather than the whole list, then collect the order (size, colour, address) and confirm before shipping. Order confirmation.
Five mistakes that turn the catalog into a list nobody buys from
Sending the whole catalog in reply to "how much is the shirt?" — one card sells, a list gets ignored. Internal names ("SKU-1042") instead of what customers search for. Photos with different backgrounds, so the catalog looks like a market, not a shop. One price in the catalog and another in the chat — update both together or let the connected store lead. No confirmation before shipping: an order from the catalog is an order like any other, and the silent do not ship.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the WhatsApp catalog and my connected store?
The catalog is a display list owned by your Meta account, shown on your number's profile, from which the bot sends product cards inside the chat. The connected store (Shopify or WooCommerce) is the live source of stock and orders. They work together: the card from the catalog, availability and the order from the store. Whoever has no store uses the catalog plus a Google Sheet for stock.
Where do I build the catalog?
In the WhatsApp Business app (business tools → catalog) for a few dozen products, or in Meta's Commerce Manager for hundreds and for file uploads. Both reach the same catalog attached to your WhatsApp Business account, from which it syncs to the platform with "Sync from Meta".
Can customers buy straight from the catalog?
The customer browses, adds to a cart inside WhatsApp and sends the order in the chat. Payment and shipping are completed by the bot or the team from the same thread: a payment link, or cash on delivery with confirmation before shipping. There is no in-WhatsApp payment in our markets.
A product ran out — how do I hide it from the bot?
From the catalog screen in the dashboard: a switch per product turns it off in the bot without deleting it from Meta. If your store is connected, stock is read from it and what ran out is not offered.
Does a product card cost anything?
Inside the open conversation window, nothing — it is a reply like any reply. A card you start a conversation with after the window needs an approved template at Meta's rate for your country.
How we write these guides Figures come from our platform and Meta's actual invoices, dated with their sample; we describe what works today, not what we plan, and say what we do not do and when someone else is the better choice. Reviewed by the ArabyBot team on 23 September 2026.
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