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Reply when a lead taps a WhatsApp button

Make the quick-reply buttons on your WhatsApp templates do something: send the next message, tell your team, or run any other automation step.

Professional plan and above Last updated 29 Sep 2026 · 4 min read

When a lead taps a quick-reply button on one of your WhatsApp templates, an automation can answer for you. This guide builds one that sends the next question when a lead picks a day, and tells your team what they picked. It takes about five minutes.

Before you start

  • Automations are on the Professional plan and above. See pricing.
  • Automations has to be in your left sidebar. If it is not there, your role does not have the workflow permission yet, and an admin can add it.
  • A WhatsApp number must be connected, with an approved template that has quick-reply buttons. See Connect your WhatsApp number.
  • Nothing runs until you switch the automation on, so you can build it safely.

Steps

  1. Open Automations and click Create Workflow. The button sits at the bottom right of the list. In the builder, type a name at the top, such as “Reply when a lead picks a day”.

    The Automations list with the Create Workflow button outlined at the bottom right

  2. Click Choose a trigger and pick WhatsApp button tapped. It is the last trigger, under WhatsApp.

    The Choose a trigger list scrolled to the WhatsApp group, with WhatsApp button tapped outlined

    The trigger box now reads When: WhatsApp button tapped. It runs for a tap on any of your templates, whether the template went out from an automation, a broadcast or the inbox.

    The canvas showing When, WhatsApp button tapped, and the trigger panel with its note outlined: it runs on any template, including broadcasts

  3. Click the + under the trigger, choose If / else (filter), then click Add condition. Open the field list, which starts on Name, and scroll to WhatsApp button. It has two fields: Template is the template the lead tapped on, and Button is the text of the button.

    The If / else field list open, with the WhatsApp button group and its Template and Button fields outlined

  4. Pick Template, then is, then your template. Both lists come from your approved templates, so the names match exactly. To act on one button only, click Add condition again and pick Button the same way.

    The If / else panel with the condition Template is if_click_this_week outlined

  5. Under If matches, click the + and choose Send message. Pick the WhatsApp tab, choose your number under From (WhatsApp number), and pick the template to send back. Preview shows what the lead will get.

    The canvas with a Send message step under If matches, and the Send message panel with the WhatsApp tab and the day_timing template outlined

  6. Add a second Send message to tell your team. This one is optional. Pick the Notification tab, choose who to notify under Notify users, and write the Message. @button.text becomes the button the lead tapped and @button.template the template it was on.

    The Send message panel on the Notification tab, notifying Admin, with the message Tapped @button.text on @button.template outlined

  7. Click Save, then Activate. Activate only works on a saved workflow. The label next to the name changes from Not running to Running.

    The finished workflow: When WhatsApp button tapped, If / else, and under If matches two Send message steps, WhatsApp and Notification. Running is outlined next to the name

Check that it works

Send the template to your own WhatsApp number and tap a button. Open Marketing, then Inbox. The thread shows your tap, and the reply a few seconds after it.

A WhatsApp thread: the template asks which day is convenient with three buttons, the lead taps Wed-Thu, the automation sends the next template asking for a time, and the lead taps Morning

Here the lead tapped Wed-Thu and got the next question back. The second tap, Morning, was on a different template, so the If / else sent it down Else and nothing went out.

Click Executions at the top of the builder to see every run. 3/3 under Steps is a tap that matched and sent both messages. 1/1 is a tap that stopped at the If / else.

Execution History for the workflow with two runs marked Success, one with 1/1 steps and one with 3/3

Click View on a run to open Execution details, with the trigger and each step.

Execution details for a run triggered by WhatsApp button tapped, with three steps done: Filter and two Send communication

Good to know

  • Only taps start it. A lead who types the words on a button instead of tapping it does not.
  • Leave out the If / else and the automation answers a tap on any button of any template.
  • The reply goes out as a template, so pick an approved one.
  • A tap also counts as a reply. Another automation running for the same lead with Pause if the lead replies switched on stops, the same as it would for a typed reply.

If it does not work

What you seeWhat it meansWhat to do
Nothing happens when you tapThe automation is not switched onOpen it and check the label next to the name reads Running
The run shows 1/1 and nothing was sentThe tap was on a template or button your If / else does not includeAdd it to the condition, or use is any of to pick several
The Template list is emptyNo approved template with quick-reply buttons is on your connected numberCreate one under Marketing, WhatsApp, Templates and wait for Meta to approve it
A tap on the right button still goes down ElseThe template was sent from outside ViveLead, so its name is not known hereMatch on Button instead of Template
The reply shows as failed in the inboxThe reply template is not approved on the number it was sent fromPick a template that is approved on that number

Still stuck on this step?

Send us what you are seeing and we will sort it out with you.

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