WhatsApp Business Catalog: Sell Step by Step
Set up your WhatsApp Business catalog with clear product photos, prices, groups, and links, then take orders honestly and smoothly in chat.
Key takeaways
- A WhatsApp Business catalog is your in-app product display: each item has a photo, name, price, and short description, and customers can browse without leaving the chat.
- Organize products into a few clear groups, and hide or remove anything sold out right away so customers do not order unavailable items.
- Share your catalog link in your profile bios, ads, and WhatsApp Status, but do not mass-message it to numbers that did not ask for it; that can get your number banned.
- A catalog is enough to get started and works well for a small product range, but if orders grow and you need online payments and automatic inventory, a full online store is a better fit.
To sell through a WhatsApp Business catalog, add each product with a clear photo, an easy-to-understand name, a clear price, and a short description that mentions size or dimensions and preparation time. Then organize products into a few groups, share the catalog link in your profile bios, ads, and WhatsApp Status, and take orders in chat using quick replies and labels to track each order. Be clear from the first message about payment method, delivery time, and delivery cost. This guide walks you through every step, and shows when a catalog is enough and when you need a full online store.
What is a WhatsApp Business catalog?
A WhatsApp Business catalog is a list of products or services you display inside your WhatsApp Business account, the version of WhatsApp made for shops and businesses. Customers see products arranged with photos and prices, open any item to read its description, then send it to you in chat to ask about it or order it. Its advantage is that the customer stays inside an app they already use every day, and you do not have to resend photos and prices in every conversation.
The catalog does not collect payment for you or handle shipping for you. It is a display window, while the actual sale happens in the conversation between you and the customer. That is why success depends on two things: clearly presented products and fast, organized replies to inquiries.
How to prepare each product before adding it
A good catalog product answers the customer’s questions before they ask them. Prepare these five elements for each product before you even open the app:
- Clear photo: use daylight, a simple plain background, and place the product in the center without lots of text or stickers on top of it. Two or three photos from different angles are better than one.
- A descriptive name: “Black crepe abaya with wide sleeves” is clearer than “Model 12.” Write the word your customer is most likely to search for first.
- A clear price: enter the actual price in the currency you sell in. Leaving the price blank makes most messages about one thing only: how much is it?
- A short description: two or three lines about sizes or dimensions, material, and preparation time if the product is made to order.
- Availability: do not display a product that is sold out. Hide or delete it as soon as it runs out, and add it back when it is available again.
Set aside one day to photograph all your products with the same lighting, background, and angle. That makes the catalog feel consistent, like one organized shop rather than a collection of unrelated images.
Organize products into groups customers understand
Groups divide your catalog into sections, such as “Everyday Abayas,” “Occasion Abayas,” and “Scarves and Shawls.” A customer looking for a gift does not want to scroll through 50 products to find the right one. A few simple rules help:
- Start with just three to five groups, and name them using customer language, not stockroom terms.
- Put your best-selling products in the first group, because that is what visitors see first.
- Add a temporary group for offers or seasons like Ramadan, Eid, and back-to-school, then remove it when the season ends.
- Do not repeat the same product in too many groups. It only makes the catalog longer for no benefit.
Where should you share the catalog link?
Each catalog and each product has a link you can copy and share, and anyone who opens it goes straight to your products in WhatsApp. Share it in places where customers come to you on their own:
- In your Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat bios, with a short line like “Browse our products and order on WhatsApp.”
- In paid ads that send customers to a WhatsApp chat, using the link for the specific promoted product rather than the full catalog.
- In WhatsApp Status: a product image or short clip with its link, so people who saved your number can see it.
- In your welcome message: mention that the catalog is available to browse so new customers start there.
- On printed materials in your shop or with orders: a QR code that opens the catalog when scanned with a phone camera.
Do not send the link in bulk messages to numbers that did not ask to hear from you, and do not buy number lists for this purpose. Unwanted messages make people report your number, and the number may be banned, costing you your current customer conversations along with it.
Taking orders inside the chat
When a customer sends a product from the catalog, reply quickly and gather what you need in one message: size or quantity, city and address, and the payment method that suits them. To keep orders organized, use these two WhatsApp Business tools:
- Labels: colored tags you add to the chat, such as “New Order,” “Awaiting Payment,” “Shipped,” and “Delivered,” so you can tell each customer’s status at a glance.
- Quick replies: saved text for common questions about shipping, sizing, and returns, so you can send them instead of typing them every time. The Hylance blog also has a separate guide on writing AI-powered ready-made customer replies if you want more detail.
Before you confirm the order, send the customer a written summary: product, size, price, delivery cost, total, and estimated arrival time. This summary prevents most disputes later and gives you a reference point if the customer asks again a few days later.
Be honest about payment and delivery
The catalog shows the price, but the customer decides to buy when they know the final total and when the order will arrive. So be clear about these points from the first message:
- State the delivery fee clearly, and do not add it as a surprise after the customer agrees to the product price.
- Mention the payment methods you actually accept, and when payment is required: before shipping or on delivery.
- Estimate delivery time realistically, and if an order is delayed, tell the customer before they ask.
- Write your exchange and return policy in a quick reply, and apply it exactly as written.
- Do not mark a product as “available” if you are still waiting for it to arrive. Give the real preparation time instead.
WhatsApp catalog or a full online store?
A catalog is faster to launch and lower cost, while a full online store is better at handling large order volume. This table shows when each one fits:
| Situation | WhatsApp Business Catalog | Full Online Store |
|---|---|---|
| Number of products | Low to medium, easy to update manually | Large, with sizes, colors, and inventory for each option |
| Number of orders | You can reply to every order yourself or with one other person | High order volume that needs semi-automated processing |
| Payment | Agreed in the chat | Cart and online payment inside the store |
| Inventory | You hide the product manually when it sells out | Updates automatically with each order |
| Getting started | Fast and mobile-based | Needs setup, design, and more time |
| Search visibility | Limited, depends on sharing the link | Product pages can appear in search engines |
Many businesses start with a catalog to test demand for their products, then move to a store when orders increase, while keeping WhatsApp as a communication and follow-up channel alongside it.
Common mistakes in a WhatsApp catalog
- Dark photos or images taken from other websites, which makes customers doubt the product will arrive as shown.
- Number-based names like “Model 7” that say nothing about the product.
- No price, or “price in private,” which fills chats with one repeated question and makes customers hesitate.
- Products that sold out weeks ago are still displayed.
- A catalog with no groups, forcing the customer to browse the whole thing.
- A late reply to someone who sent a product, while the customer who waits too long continues searching elsewhere.
- Sending the link in bulk messages to people who do not know you, which is the fastest way to get the number banned.
When should you get help setting up the catalog?
If you have many products or do not have time to write names and descriptions and organize groups, you can hire a specialist to do it. At the time of writing, Hylance has a service to set up your WhatsApp Business product catalog for about SAR 50 (about $13), a service that prepares your WhatsApp Business texts, including a welcome message, away message, quick replies, and labels setup guide, for about SAR 45 (about $12), and a service for five promotional voice clips for WhatsApp Status for about SAR 50 (about $13). These are approximate figures, and you can find the exact price and what is included on each service page.
Send the seller your product photos, prices, and your shipping and return policy in the order chat on the platform. You pay from your Hylance wallet, and the amount stays on hold and does not reach the seller until you confirm delivery. Before delivery, you can cancel the order and the amount returns to your wallet. After delivery, if the work does not match what you agreed on, you can open a dispute for the platform team to review. You also get 10% off your first service order as part of the launch offer.
WhatsApp Business Services on Hylance
WhatsApp Business product catalog setup
- Digital Marketing
- New service
WhatsApp Business setup texts and guide: greeting, away, quick replies, labels
- Business
- Recently added
- New service
5 promotional audio clips for WhatsApp Status, up to 30 seconds each
- Music & Audio
- Recently added
- New service
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a catalog in WhatsApp Business?
Prepare a clear photo with a simple background for each product, a descriptive name, a clear price, and a short description with the size or dimensions and preparation time. Then add them in the catalog section of your WhatsApp Business account settings, organize them into a few groups, and share the catalog link in your profile bios and ads.
Can a WhatsApp catalog replace an online store?
It can at the beginning if you have only a few products and you can handle daily order replies yourself. But the catalog does not manage inventory or provide a full online checkout, so if your products or orders grow, a full online store becomes more suitable. The catalog can still remain an extra sales channel alongside it.
Can my WhatsApp number get banned because of the catalog?
The catalog itself does not cause a ban, but sending its link in bulk messages to people who did not ask to hear from you can lead them to report your number, which may get it banned. Share the link in places customers come to on their own, such as your profile bio, ads, and Status.
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