WhatsApp Business Catalog: Setup, Limits and Selling From Chat
How to set up a WhatsApp Business catalog, what to put in each item, collections and carts, the limits people quote, and how to turn a catalog into orders.
The Chatmizer team7 min read
The short answer
A WhatsApp Business catalog is a product list inside your WhatsApp profile: photos, names, prices, descriptions and links that customers can browse and send to you in chat, or add to a cart. You build it in the WhatsApp Business app under Business tools, then Catalog. The common figure quoted is up to 500 items; group them into collections and keep prices current.
Most customers who message a small business ask the same thing first: "what do you have and how much is it?" A catalog answers that before they type, and turns "send me photos" into "I'll take this one". It's free, it lives in your profile, and it works in the plain WhatsApp Business app.
How to set up a WhatsApp Business catalog
- 1Open WhatsApp Business, then Settings (or the three-dot menu), then Business tools, then Catalog.
- 2Tap Add new item. Add up to several photos, a name, a price, a short description, a link and an item code if you use one.
- 3Save. New items may be reviewed against WhatsApp's commerce policies before they appear.
- 4Group items into collections, for example by category or by this week's offers.
- 5Share the catalog link on Instagram, your website and in status updates.
What to put in each catalog item
| Field | What makes it sell |
|---|---|
| Photo | The product alone first, then in use, then a close-up |
| Name | What people search for: "Linen shirt, white", not a model code |
| Price | The real price, or leave it blank only if it truly varies |
| Description | Sizes, material, what's included, delivery time |
| Item code | Your stock code, so the order matches your system |
WhatsApp Business catalog limits worth knowing
- Number of items: the figure most often quoted is 500 per catalog. WhatsApp's own pages don't state one clear number for every account, so treat it as a practical ceiling.
- Commerce policy: some products can't be listed at all (for example, weapons, tobacco and certain health products), and items can be rejected.
- Prices aren't payments: the catalog and cart don't charge anyone; payment still happens your usual way.
- One catalog per number in the app, connected to your business profile.
Carts: when a customer sends you an order
Customers can add items to a cart and send it to you as one message. It looks like an order, but nothing has happened yet: you still confirm availability, delivery and payment in the chat. This is where most catalog sales are won or lost, because a cart sent at 11 pm and answered at 10 am has usually gone cold.
Chatmizer's AI agent answers product questions from your own catalogue or price list, takes the order in the chat with size, address and delivery fee, and sends it to your team as a confirmed order.
See order-taking in chatMake the catalog work harder
- Answer catalog shares fast. A shared item is a buying signal; reply with price, availability and one question.
- Keep it current. Remove sold-out items the same day; nothing kills trust like "sorry, finished".
- Use collections for campaigns, like "Ramadan offers" or "New this week".
- Add a WhatsApp link to every Instagram bio and ad: see how to link WhatsApp to Instagram.
Selling in chat goes beyond the catalog. For the full playbook, read how to sell on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
How many products can a WhatsApp Business catalog have?
The figure most often quoted is 500 items. WhatsApp doesn't publish one clear limit for every account, so treat 500 as a practical ceiling and use collections to keep it browsable.
Is the WhatsApp Business catalog free?
Yes. Creating a catalog and sharing it costs nothing in the WhatsApp Business app.
Can customers pay through the WhatsApp catalog?
Not in most countries. The catalog and cart only send you the order; payment happens your usual way, such as cash on delivery or a payment link.
Why was my catalog item rejected?
Usually because it breaks WhatsApp's commerce policies, or the photo or description doesn't match the product. Check the rejection note, fix the item and submit again.
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