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Interactive messages: buttons and lists

Last updated: 16 July 2026

Reply buttons and list messages let a customer tap an option instead of typing a reply. In Stravax Engage these messages are currently produced by automated chatbot flows, not typed manually in the inbox composer; the thread displays the message and its option titles exactly as sent, and shows which option the customer tapped.

What's the difference between buttons and a list?

Type Options offered Good for
Reply buttons Up to 3 A short, either/or style choice
List message Up to 10 rows, grouped into sections A longer menu of choices

Both types require a body of text alongside the options, so the customer always sees what they are choosing between, not just a bare set of buttons.

Where can interactive messages be sent?

The same 24-hour window rule that governs regular text applies here. Inside the window, an interactive message sends like any other reply. Outside it, sending is blocked the same way a plain text message would be, and an approved template is required to restart the conversation first.

How do I see what a customer chose?

Once a customer taps a button or selects a row from a list, their choice appears in the conversation as their reply, showing the title of the option they picked, the same way a typed message would.

What does an interactive message look like in the inbox?

An outbound button or list message shows its body text plus every option that was offered, laid out as read-only rows in the thread. You can see exactly what was sent, but you cannot tap the options yourself from the inbox: only the customer, inside WhatsApp, can do that.

One current limit: on the conversation list, before you open a thread, an interactive message shows a generic label rather than its actual text. Open the conversation to see the full message and its options.

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