List messages (selection lists)
Selection lists, or list messages, are WhatsApp interactive messages that open a menu of selectable options, up to ten items organized in sections. The user taps the menu button, scrolls the options and picks one, which arrives in the chat as a structured reply. They suit service menus, time slot choices and guided paths with many alternatives.
The list message solves the buttons' limit: when options exceed the three available as quick replies, the list menu presents up to ten items, each with a title and an optional description, groupable into sections. The advantage is twofold: the interface stays clean, because options appear only when the user opens the menu, and the choice arrives in the chat as a structured reply, recognizable by automations without interpretation.
Typical uses: choosing the service to book, selecting the branch or department, a restaurant menu by category, routing support requests by topic. The practices that work: short, distinctive titles for each item, descriptions only where they add information, and a clear path after the choice, because the selection is the start of the flow, not the end. For two or three clear-cut options, buttons remain preferable.
SendApp works on WhatsApp's official API, the same one list messages run on, and lets you build guided in-chat paths combining menus, quick buttons and AI assistant replies.
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