WhatsApp Business Catalogue: How to Set It Up and Sell Without a Website

A lot of small businesses in Pakistan and India already sell on WhatsApp. A customer asks "price?", you send ten photos one by one, they ask about another colour, you scroll through your gallery again, and twenty minutes later they say "OK, I'll let you know."

The WhatsApp Business catalogue fixes most of that. It's a free product list that lives inside your WhatsApp Business profile. Customers can browse it, open any item, add things to a cart and send you the order as a message. And because every catalogue has its own link, it works like a simple mini-website you can share anywhere.

In this guide I'll walk through setting it up properly, the review step that trips people up, collections, sharing links, the cart, and the rules you need to know before you list anything.

Everything about features and rules comes from the WhatsApp Help Center, the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy and WhatsApp's own catalogue guide for businesses, all checked on 23 October 2026. (WhatsApp spells it "catalog" in the app, so that's the word you'll see on screen.)

What the catalogue can and can't do

Here's the short version:

• It can: show up to 500 products or services, each with up to 10 photos or videos, a name, price, sale price, description, website link and product code.
• It can: group items into collections, like "Lawn suits" or "Under Rs 2,000".
• It can: give you a link to the whole catalogue or to any single item, which you can share in chats, on your WhatsApp status, or in other apps.
• It can: let customers add items to a cart and send it to you as a WhatsApp message.
• It can't: take payment for you. WhatsApp's commerce policy says the business is responsible for its own transactions, and that WhatsApp isn't responsible for processing, paying for or fulfilling sales. You still agree on the total, delivery and payment in the chat.
• It isn't: a replacement for good replies. A catalogue gets people to the right product faster. You still close the sale.

You need the WhatsApp Business app for this, not regular WhatsApp. If you're still running your shop from a personal WhatsApp account, switching is the first step.

Before you add a single item: get these ready

Doing this first saves you a lot of editing later.

1. Your product list in a notes file. Name, price, sale price (if any), a two-line description, and a short code for each item. The code can be anything you'll recognise, like LS-014 for lawn suit number 14.
2. Clean photos. Plain background, good daylight, the product filling most of the frame. Add a close-up of the fabric, stitching or label, and one photo showing size or scale. Each item takes up to 10 photos or videos.
3. Short videos, if you have them. A 10-second clip of the fabric moving or the product in use does more than five still photos. WhatsApp's limit is 50 MB per video, and the thumbnail is generated automatically (you can't edit it yet).
4. The country of origin for every item. WhatsApp makes this field compulsory when you add or edit an item, so check your stock before you start.
5. A complete business profile. WhatsApp's policy says businesses must keep a profile with customer support contact information and at least one of email, website or phone number, and keep it accurate. Add your address, hours and a clear description while you're at it.

If you sell in India, there's an extra step. WhatsApp asks businesses in India for business details the first time they create a catalogue: legal business name, business type, business address, customer care contact (an email plus at least one phone number), and a grievance officer's name and contact. If an item's country of origin isn't India, you also add the importer's name and address. For services, you choose "Not applicable" as the country of origin. WhatsApp's India selling guide has the full list.

Step 1: Add your first items

On Android, the steps in the Help Center are:

1. Open the Tools tab and tap Catalog. (On some versions you'll find it under More options > Business tools > Catalog instead.)
2. Tap Add new item.
3. Tap Add photos and videos, then pick from your gallery or take new ones.
4. Enter the product or service name.
5. Tap Country of origin, pick the country and tap Save.
6. Add the optional details: price, sale price, description, website link and product code.
7. Tap Save.

My tips for each field:

• Name: write it the way customers ask for it. "Black cotton kurta, men's, size M-XL" beats "Article 2291".
• Price: if your price is fixed, add it. The most common WhatsApp question is "price?", and a visible price answers it before it's asked. If you only quote after a chat, at least say "from Rs X" in the description so serious buyers aren't surprised.
• Description: two or three short lines. Material, sizes or variants, delivery areas, and how long delivery takes. Skip long paragraphs; people read this on a phone. If you have a lot of items, my guide to writing product descriptions with ChatGPT includes a Roman Urdu prompt that fits catalogue descriptions well.
• Website link: if you don't have a website, leave it empty. If you have an Instagram post or a Daraz/Amazon listing for the same item, you can use that.
• Product code: always fill this in. When a customer says "I want the blue one", you can ask them to send the item from the catalogue and you'll see the code straight away.

Services work the same way. A salon can list "Bridal makeup", a tutor can list "O Level Maths, 8 classes", and a repair shop can list "Screen replacement". Use photos of your real work.

Step 2: Understand the review (this is where people get stuck)

Every photo, video and item you add is reviewed by WhatsApp to confirm it meets the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy. Until an item is approved, customers can't see it. Once it's approved, it's added to your catalogue automatically.

If an item is rejected, you'll see a red exclamation icon next to its image. If you think that's a mistake:

1. Tap the rejected item.
2. Tap Request another review.
3. Explain why, and tap Continue.

Two things I'd do to avoid rejections in the first place:

• Read the prohibited list before you list. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy doesn't allow selling things like firearms, alcohol and tobacco, drugs (prescription or otherwise), medical and healthcare products, live animals other than livestock, adult products, real or virtual currency, and multi-level marketing, among others. Catalogues also have to follow the Meta Commerce Policy. So pharmacies, vape shops and pet sellers, for example, should check carefully before they rely on a catalogue at all.
• Keep photos about the product. Don't use photos with phone numbers, prices and "ORDER NOW" stamped all over them. Put the details in the fields instead.

Step 3: Organise items into collections

Once you have more than about ten items, group them. Collections make it easier for customers to find what they want, the same way a shop has sections.

1. Go to Tools > Catalog.
2. Tap More (three dots) > Collections, then the Add icon.
3. Name the collection and tap Next.
4. Select the items for it and tap Done.

Collections are reviewed too. WhatsApp says this should take no more than 24 hours. You can also reorder collections, and reorder the items inside a collection, so put your bestsellers first.

Collection ideas that work for most small shops:

• By what people ask for: "Bridal", "Eid collection", "Office wear"
• By price: "Under Rs 2,000", "Gift boxes under Rs 5,000"
• By status: "New this week", "Bestsellers", "Sale"
• For services: "Packages", "Single sessions", "Home visits"

One surprise from the Help Center: you can't share a collection as a single link. You can share the whole catalogue or individual items. If you want someone to see a collection, send the catalogue link and tell them which collection to open, or send the items one by one.

Step 4: Share your catalogue everywhere

This is how the catalogue becomes your "website without a website".

Inside a chat:

1. Open the chat and tap Attach (paper clip) > Catalog.
2. Tap Send catalog to send the whole thing, or tap one or more items to send just those.

As a link (from Catalog Manager): tap More options > Share (or Share link), then choose Send link via WhatsApp Business, Share to my status, Copy link or Share link to send it through another app. You can do the same for a single item from its detail page.

The link opens the catalogue or item straight inside WhatsApp. WhatsApp also notes that the link is auto-generated, can't be customised, and may break if you try to edit it, so always copy it exactly.

Where I'd put that link:

• Your Instagram and Facebook bio, with a line like "Browse everything here, order on WhatsApp".
• Your Google Business Profile, as part of your weekly posts. I share what to post each week in my guide to Google Business Profile post ideas.
• Your WhatsApp status, whenever you add new stock. Remember status updates go to all your contacts by default.
• The first reply to every new chat. Save a quick reply (type "/" in a chat to use it) that says hello, shares the catalogue link, and asks one question, like "Which item caught your eye?"
• Your ads. If you run click-to-WhatsApp ads, the catalogue is what you send right after the first message. My guide to click-to-WhatsApp ads covers the full ad setup and the follow-up scripts.

One rule matters here: WhatsApp's policy says you may only message people who gave you their number and agreed to hear from you, and you must respect anyone who asks you to stop. So share the link with customers who came to you. Don't buy number lists and blast them. The same goes for text messages: if you want to tell customers about new stock by SMS, my guide to SMS marketing in Pakistan, including PTA's consent rules explains how to do it properly.

Step 5: Turn on the cart

The cart lets customers pick several items, change quantities and send the whole order to you as one message. WhatsApp describes it as a way for customers to begin the order process.

To turn it on or off:

1. From the Tools tab, tap Catalog.
2. Tap More options > Settings.
3. Turn Show add to cart button on or off.

Changes can take up to 24 hours, and both you and your customers need the latest version of WhatsApp. If you turn the cart off, you may still get carts for up to a day.

When a cart arrives, reply fast with three things: the total including delivery, the delivery time, and how they can pay. For example:

Thank you, Ayesha! Your order: 2 x LS-014 (Rs 4,500 each) + delivery Rs 250 = Rs 9,250. Delivery in Lahore takes 2-3 days. You can pay by bank transfer or cash on delivery. Shall I confirm it?

(The prices and city here are just an example. Use your own.)

Keep it fresh: a 10-minute weekly routine

A catalogue full of sold-out items is worse than no catalogue. Once a week:

1. Hide what's out of stock. Open the item, tap More > Hide. You can also press and hold to hide several at once. Hidden items stay in your catalogue manager, so you can unhide them when stock is back. WhatsApp's own catalogue guide suggests exactly this.
2. Add new arrivals and put them in a "New this week" collection.
3. Update prices and sale prices before you announce a sale, not after.
4. Share one item to your status with a short line about why it's worth looking at.
5. Check for rejected items (the red icons) and appeal or fix them.

If you film products for Reels anyway, reuse those clips as catalogue videos. My phone-only workflow for short-form video works for both.

Mistakes I'd avoid

• Listing everything on day one. Start with your top 20 sellers, get them approved, and grow from there.
• No prices, no codes. Customers ask anyway, and you lose the speed advantage.
• Using the catalogue as a broadcast tool. Sending the link to people who never messaged you is how numbers get reported and blocked.
• Forgetting the follow-up. After the sale, ask happy customers for a review. I've written WhatsApp templates for asking for Google reviews in English and Roman Urdu.
• Expecting automation to sell for you. A bot can answer "what are your timings?", but keep a human on orders. If you want to try automation, read my guide on building a no-code AI chatbot first.

You'll find more guides like this on my blog, and more about me on my home page.

FAQ

Is the WhatsApp Business catalogue free?

Yes. The catalogue is a free feature inside the WhatsApp Business app. You don't pay to create it, add items or share catalogue links.

How many items can I add to a WhatsApp Business catalogue?

WhatsApp's guide for businesses says you can upload up to 500 items to your catalogue. Each item can have up to 10 photos or videos.

Why can't customers see my catalogue items?

Every item is reviewed against the WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy, and it only becomes visible after it's approved. Items that are pending or rejected stay hidden. Rejected items show a red exclamation icon, and you can tap the item and choose Request another review.

How do I share my WhatsApp catalogue link?

Open Tools, then Catalog, then More options and Share (or Share link). You can send the link in a WhatsApp chat, share it to your status, copy it, or share it to another app. You can also share a single item from its detail page.

Can I share a single collection as a link?

No. WhatsApp's Help Center says there's no option to share a collection on its own. Share your catalogue link and ask the customer to open that collection, or share the items in it one by one.

Can customers pay through the WhatsApp catalogue?

The catalogue and cart let customers choose items and send you the order as a message. WhatsApp's policy says the business is responsible for its own transactions, so you confirm the total, delivery and payment method with the customer in the chat.

Keep reading

• Click-to-WhatsApp ads: how to turn chats into sales
• WhatsApp templates to ask customers for Google reviews (English + Roman Urdu)
• How to build a no-code AI chatbot for your business (WhatsApp or website)
• Short-form video marketing for small brands: a phone-only workflow for Reels and Shorts
• Google Business Profile posts: what to post every week (with examples)
• How to write product descriptions with ChatGPT for Daraz and Shopify
• SMS marketing in Pakistan: branded (masked) SMS, PTA rules and what to send
• See all posts on the blog
• Back to my home page