How to Build a WhatsApp Catalog for Your Business (Step-by-Step)
How to Build a WhatsApp Catalog for Your Business
Most customers who message a business on WhatsApp are asking one of three things: what do you sell, how much is it, and how do they order. A properly set-up WhatsApp Catalog answers all three before the conversation even starts — inside the app, with no link to click or website to load.
WhatsApp’s Catalog feature is a mini storefront that lives inside your business profile. Customers tap it, browse what you sell, and message you directly from the product page — all without leaving WhatsApp. For a salon, a food seller, a clothing brand, or any small business that currently answers “what do you sell?” on WhatsApp fifty times a week, this is the single most useful free feature available.
This guide covers the full setup from scratch — what to fill in, what to photograph, how to organise into collections, how to share it, and the common mistakes that cause items to sit in review or get rejected entirely.
Before You Start: What You Actually Need
The WhatsApp Business app is required — the regular WhatsApp app doesn’t have a Catalog feature. If you’re currently using a personal WhatsApp number for business, this is a good moment to switch: the Business app is free, works on the same phone number, and the Catalog is only one of several features you gain.
Gather these before opening the app:
- Product photos — minimum one per item, ideally 3-5 (covered below). Square or portrait works best.
- Product names — specific is better than vague (more on this shortly).
- Prices — optional in the form, but filling them in eliminates the most common customer question immediately.
- Descriptions — one or two lines per item. What it is, key specs (size, flavour, material), and anything that stops the customer needing to ask.
- Country of origin — Meta now requires this for every catalog item. Have it ready (usually your country).
Step-by-Step: Building Your Catalog
iOS: Settings (bottom right) → Business tools → Catalog
Desktop/Web: Menu (top left) → Catalog
Approved = live in catalog (visible to customers)
Rejected = red ! icon (edit and resubmit)
What to Write in Each Field
| Field | Required? | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Required | Specific and descriptive. Include the variant if relevant — size, colour, flavour. “Jollof Rice — Party Pack (10 portions)” beats “Jollof Rice.” |
| Price | Optional | Fill this in. It’s the #1 customer question. If prices vary (e.g. custom orders), put a “from GHS 80” style entry and note in the description that final price depends on requirements. |
| Description | Optional | 1-3 sentences: what it is, key specs, what’s included. Write for someone who’s never heard of your product. Avoid filler (“quality product at affordable price”) — be specific. |
| Link | Optional | If you have a product page, booking form, or Paystack/Flutterwave payment link for this item, add it here. Broken links cause errors — verify before saving. |
| Item code | Optional | Your internal reference number. Useful for businesses with many SKUs or shared between a team — put what you’d say on the phone when a customer asks about a specific item (“that’s SKU-042”). |
| Country of origin | Required | Where the item was manufactured. Required since Meta’s 2024 policy update — you can’t save without selecting this. |
Before vs After: Product Names
Item name: Bag
Description: Nice bag, good quality
Price: (empty)
Item name: Ankara Tote Bag — Medium (Available in 4 prints)
Description: Handmade from 100% Ankara fabric. Fits A4 documents, laptop up to 13″. Zip closure, internal pocket. Message us with your print preference after ordering.
Price: GHS 85
Before vs After: Service Listings (Salons, Consultants)
Item name: Hair braiding
Description: We do all styles
Price: (empty)
Item name: Knotless Box Braids — Medium (Waist Length)
Description: Price from GHS 250 depending on hair length and pack count. Includes wash and condition. Duration: 4-6 hours. Appointment required — message us to book.
Price: GHS 250
Product Photography: What Actually Works
The catalog photo is the first thing a customer sees. A blurry photo or a cluttered background doesn’t just look unprofessional — it creates doubt about the quality of the product itself. These tips work on a basic smartphone, no equipment needed.
Before vs After: The Product Photo
Organising with Collections
Collections are the catalog equivalent of sections in a physical shop — they group related items so a customer browsing doesn’t have to scroll through 80 products to find what they want. They become relevant once you have more than about 15 items, and essential beyond 30.
Collection naming ideas by business type:
By price: Under GHS 100, Premium
By occasion: Wedding Guest, Everyday
By size: Individual Portions, Family Pack
By use: Party Orders, Weekly Meal Prep
By duration: Under 2 Hours, Half Day
By price: From GHS 50, Premium Services
By brand: Samsung, Tecno, iPhone
By status: New, UK Used, Brand New Sealed
By price: Under GHS 50, Mid Range, Premium
By use: Gifts, Everyday Essentials
By type: One-off, Retainer, Training
By client: Individual, Business
Sharing Your Catalog
The catalog only helps if customers can find it. There are four main ways to share it:
Before vs After: How Most Businesses Share Products
Keeping Your Catalog Current
A catalog with out-of-stock items still listed, or prices that changed two months ago, creates more problems than no catalog — a customer who orders something that’s no longer available, or arrives expecting a different price, has a worse experience than one who was told “message us for current stock.”
- Items that sell out: Either delete them or update the description to “Currently out of stock — message us to be notified when available.” Hiding an item (rather than deleting it) keeps its details for when you restock.
- Price changes: Update immediately. Even a one-week lag in prices leads to pricing disputes.
- Seasonal items: Create a “Limited / Seasonal” collection, move items in and out rather than deleting and re-adding (which sends them back through review).
- New arrivals: Add a “New Arrivals” collection and move items out of it after 2-4 weeks — customers who check regularly appreciate knowing what’s actually new.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Frequently Asked Questions
My item was rejected — what does that mean and how do I fix it?
A rejected item shows a red exclamation icon in your catalog. Tap it to see the rejection reason. Common reasons include: the image contains heavy text overlays or a watermark, the product name is too vague to match what’s shown in the photo, the item appears to violate WhatsApp’s commerce policy (which prohibits alcohol, tobacco, adult content, weapons, and a few other categories), or the image is too low quality. Edit the flagged field, tap Save, and the item goes back through review. Clean, clear photos with matching accurate names are rejected far less often than edited promotional-style images.
Can I add services (not just products) to the catalog?
Yes — the catalog isn’t limited to physical products. Salons, consultants, tailors, cleaning services, tutors, and any service business can list their services, packages, or session types exactly like product items. The Name, Price, and Description fields work identically. Use the Description to include practical details like duration, what’s included, and how to book.
How is this different from the WhatsApp Business API’s catalog features?
The free WhatsApp Business app (covered in this guide) lets customers browse your catalog and message you from it. The WhatsApp Business API — used by larger businesses and platforms like ChatPadi (covered in the customer support guide) — also supports Multi-Product Messages, where the business can send a customer a message containing multiple items from the catalog in a structured format, and the customer can add items to a cart and send back a structured order. For most small businesses, the free-app catalog is the right starting point; the API’s catalog features become relevant when order volume justifies the additional setup.
Can I use the catalog link as the “Link” field inside product items?
You can link to any URL from the product’s Link field — a product page on your website, a Paystack/Flutterwave payment link for that specific item, a Google Form order form, or a booking link. Linking to your own catalog from inside an item doesn’t add much value since the customer is already in the catalog. The most useful link per item is something that moves the customer to the next step — a direct payment link, or a booking form, depending on your business type.
Your Catalog, Live in Under an Hour
The setup itself is straightforward. What takes time — and what separates a catalog customers actually use from one they glance at and close — is the quality of the photos and the specificity of the descriptions. Spend the first 30 minutes on those, and the technical steps take care of themselves.
Once it’s live, put the link in your bio today. Send it in your next customer conversation. The result — fewer “what do you sell?” messages, conversations that start at the point of buying rather than discovery — is immediate.
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