WhatsApp Business API buttons: support menu example

This scenario sends an interactive button message with sendButton during the 24-hour customer service window.

Use case overview

This scenario sends an interactive button message with sendButton during the 24-hour customer service window. Three quick replies let the client choose main menu, order status, or agent handoff without typing.

Template example

How can we help you today?

WhatsApp Business API for support menu — interactive buttons

When to use it

Reach for this scenario when a customer message opens or continues a WhatsApp support session and they need a quick self-service path before an agent reads free text. It fits tier-1 support queues where repetitive order status, menu, and escalation requests slow first response inside the 24-hour customer service window.

Less manual triage of repetitive questions

After the inbound webhook confirms the session, sendButton delivers three labeled quick replies — main menu, order status, and talk to agent — so agents are not decoding the same intents from free text every time.

Structured intent instead of ambiguous text

Each button tap returns a structured webhook payload with a fixed button id, so your backend receives menu, status, or agent selection without parsing what the client typed.

Automatic routing to the right flow

The webhook delivers the button id and your backend branches to menu, status, or agent handoff flows programmatically, matching the option the client tapped.

Self-service without typing every request

The interactive menu goes out during the open session with footer guidance, and the client picks main menu, order status, or agent handoff in one tap instead of retyping the request.

Workflow

Status tracked
A client message arrives via webhook and keeps the session open.
status: "read"
Build & send
Your backend sends the interactive button menu with footer guidance.
POST /send_button
Customer acts
The client taps one of the three options.
user action
Delivered
The webhook delivers the button id for routing to menu, status, or agent flows.
delivered

Technical implementation

Prerequisites

1MSG API Key · How to get API Key
WhatsApp Business account · How to Connect WABA
Open 24-hour session window · How the 24-hour window works
Customer opt-in · How to Manage Customers Consent
Webhook endpoint · How to Set Up Webhooks

Code examples

#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail

# === Configuration (replace "___" placeholders) ===
API_BASE_URL="https://api.1msg.io"        # production 1MSG API base URL
CHANNEL_ID="___"                           # channel ID from 1MSG dashboard
API_TOKEN="___"                            # channel JWT token (Bearer)



# === Test data ===
TEST_PHONE="___"                 # client phone in international format

PHONE_NORM="$(printf '%s' "$TEST_PHONE" | tr -cd '0-9')"
URL="${API_BASE_URL%/}/${CHANNEL_ID}/sendButton"

read -r -d '' PAYLOAD <<JSON || true
{
  "phone": "${PHONE_NORM}",
  "body": "How can we help you today?",
  "footer": "Choose an option",
  "sections": [
    { "type": "reply", "reply": { "id": "menu", "title": "Main menu" } },
    { "type": "reply", "reply": { "id": "status", "title": "Order status" } },
    { "type": "reply", "reply": { "id": "agent", "title": "Talk to agent" } }
  ]
}
JSON

RESPONSE="$(curl -s -w '\n%{http_code}' -X POST "$URL" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${API_TOKEN}" \
  -d "$PAYLOAD")"

HTTP_CODE="$(printf '%s' "$RESPONSE" | tail -n1)"
BODY="$(printf '%s' "$RESPONSE" | sed '$d')"

case "$BODY" in
  *'"sent":true'*) ok=1 ;;
  *) ok=0 ;;
esac

if [ "$HTTP_CODE" -ge 200 ] && [ "$HTTP_CODE" -lt 300 ] && [ "$ok" -eq 1 ]; then
  echo "Message sent to client."
else
  echo "$BODY" >&2
  exit 1
fi

Response and delivery status

HTTP 2xx and JSON "sent": true mean 1MSG accepted the message for sending — not that it already reached the customer's phone. Save the id field (looks like wamid.…) to correlate delivery callbacks.

200 OKResponse

{
  "sent": true,
  "message": "Sent to [email protected]",
  "description": "Message has been sent to the provider",
  "id": "wamid.HBgLMzgwNjM5..."
}

sent
Accepted for sending — not yet on the customer's phone
id
Store it; delivery callbacks and hookInfo are keyed on this

Delivery statuses and webhooks →

Common errors

Status	API response	Cause	Fix
200	Message was not sent: provide chatId, phone, bsuid, or username	No recipient the channel could resolve.	Pass exactly one recipient: phone (country code plus number, digits only), chatId (for example [email protected]) or bsuid.
200	Message was not sent: empty body	The body field is missing or empty.	Send a non-empty body string. It is required for text, reply-button and list messages.
401	token is required	The request has no token.	Add your channel token as the token query parameter: https://api.1msg.io/{channelId}/{method}?token=…