WhatsApp Catalog for Business: How to Create and Sell from a Product Catalog in 2026
Build a WhatsApp Business catalog that turns chats into checkouts: how to create it, sync products from your store, and use the Catalog API to sell at scale.
A WhatsApp catalog is a built-in storefront inside the chat where customers browse your products, see prices and descriptions, and message you to buy without leaving WhatsApp. You build a basic one for free in the WhatsApp Business app, or run an unlimited, auto-synced catalog through the WhatsApp Business API and Meta Commerce Manager. For US businesses that already field product questions in chat, a catalog shortens the path from "do you have this" to a paid order.
This guide is for US store owners and sales teams who want to sell directly from WhatsApp. It covers the difference between the app and API catalog, how to create one, how to sync products from Shopify or WooCommerce, and how to push catalog items to your list. To promote your catalog to your whole audience at once, our WhatsApp bulk sender handles the outbound send.
Last updated June 2026.
What is a WhatsApp catalog for business?
A WhatsApp catalog is a feature that lets a business show products or services directly inside WhatsApp, like a mini storefront in the chat. Each item carries an image, name, price, description, and a link, so a customer can browse your range, tap an item, and start a conversation to order it, all without opening a website. It turns the messaging thread you already use for support into a place where people can actually shop, which is why it works so well for businesses that sell over chat.
How do I create a WhatsApp catalog?
Create a WhatsApp catalog in the WhatsApp Business app by opening Business Tools, tapping Catalog, then Add New Item, and uploading each product's image, name, price, and description. That is the fastest way to launch a small catalog with no technical setup. For a larger or auto-updating catalog, create it in Meta Commerce Manager instead and manage it through the WhatsApp Business API, which removes the item limit and lets the catalog sync from your store. Pick the manual app route to start, then graduate to the API once your range or volume grows.
App catalog vs Catalog API
| Factor | WhatsApp Business app | Catalog API (Commerce Manager) |
|---|---|---|
| Setup effort | Minutes, no developer | Connect Business Manager, sync feed |
| Product limit | Capped per catalog | Effectively unlimited |
| Updates | Edited by hand | Auto-synced from your store |
| Best for | Small ranges, solo sellers | Large catalogs, growing stores |
| Sends at scale | One chat at a time | Broadcasts and automations |
How do I use the WhatsApp Catalog API?
Use the WhatsApp Catalog API by creating a catalog in Meta Commerce Manager, linking it to your WhatsApp Business account and Facebook Business Manager, then feeding products in through a connected product feed instead of typing them by hand. Most providers offer a Shopify app or WooCommerce plugin that syncs your existing catalog automatically, so price and stock changes flow through without manual edits. The API also lets you attach catalog items to template messages, so a broadcast can show a real product card the customer taps to buy.
How do I sync my Shopify or WooCommerce products to WhatsApp?
Sync your store to WhatsApp by connecting Shopify or WooCommerce to a WhatsApp Business API provider, which maps your product feed into a Meta catalog and keeps it updated as your store changes. The connection usually runs through a one-click app install plus your Meta Commerce Manager account, so you avoid maintaining a separate product list. Once it is linked, new products, price changes, and out-of-stock flags update in the WhatsApp catalog on their own. That keeps what a customer sees in chat matched to what is actually for sale on your site.
Is the WhatsApp catalog free?
Yes, the catalog feature itself is free in the WhatsApp Business app, and creating a catalog in Meta Commerce Manager costs nothing either. What you pay for is sending: outbound template messages and broadcasts that promote catalog items run through Meta's per-conversation fees, and an API provider charges a software subscription on top. So building and hosting the catalog is free, while messaging your list about it follows normal WhatsApp pricing. For the full platform-versus-Meta-fee breakdown, see our WhatsApp Business API pricing page.
Can customers buy directly from a WhatsApp catalog?
Customers can browse a catalog, add items to a cart, and send that cart to you as an order inside WhatsApp, but the actual payment usually completes through a checkout link or your normal payment flow in the US. WhatsApp's native in-app payment is limited by region, so most US businesses use the catalog to capture intent and the cart, then send a pay link to close. The win is that the whole discovery and order step happens in chat, where reply and read rates are far higher than email or a website cart.
How do I promote my WhatsApp catalog?
Promote your catalog by broadcasting product highlights to your opted-in list, attaching catalog items to template messages, and linking the catalog from your website, ads, and click-to-WhatsApp buttons. A new-arrival broadcast with a product card and a clear call to action outperforms a plain text blast because the customer can act on it in one tap. Build the audience first with a clean opt-in list, then run regular, well-spaced product sends. Learn the consent step in our guide on building a WhatsApp opt-in list.
What products work best in a WhatsApp catalog?
Visual, repeat-purchase, and consideration products do best in a WhatsApp catalog: apparel, beauty, food, home goods, and any item a customer wants to ask a quick question about before buying. The format shines when an image plus a short description and a price answers most of the buying question, and a quick chat handles the rest. High-consideration or configurable products also fit, because the catalog opens the conversation that a website form would kill. If your buyers already DM you to ask "is this in stock," a catalog is built for you.
Turn your catalog into a sales channel
Start with the app catalog to learn what your buyers tap, then move to the Catalog API once you outgrow the item limit or want automatic store sync. Pair the catalog with order updates so a buyer hears from you from browse to delivery, and keep promotional sends on a separate opted-in track. The businesses that win on WhatsApp treat the catalog as the front of a full chat-commerce flow, not a static list. For the broader playbook, read our WhatsApp for ecommerce guide, and to send order updates automatically see WhatsApp order notifications.
Keep your storefront and your books in sync
As catalog orders come in, the back office still has to balance. At month end, reconcile your store's payouts by exporting the order CSV and converting it for accounting with a CSV to QuickBooks converter, so sales land in QuickBooks without manual entry. If you sell with cold outreach alongside WhatsApp, our sister tool for AI cold email outreach handles the email side of new-customer acquisition. The catalog drives the sale; these keep the rest of the operation clean.