To create a WhatsApp catalogue, install the free WhatsApp Business app, open Settings → Business tools → Catalog, tap Add new item, and add a photo, name, price and description for each product. Customers can then browse your items inside your chat profile. It works well for a few physical products, but it has limits, and an online store link often does the job better. This guide covers both.
What is a WhatsApp catalogue?
A WhatsApp catalogue is a list of products and services inside the WhatsApp Business app. People open your business profile, tap View catalog, and scroll through items with photos and prices. It acts as a small digital showroom that lives in WhatsApp. It is only in WhatsApp Business, not in the regular WhatsApp app.
How to set up a WhatsApp catalogue
Menu names change between versions, so follow the idea if yours looks different.
- Download WhatsApp Business and register your business number.
- Fill in your business profile: name, category, hours, address and description.
- Open Settings → Business tools → Catalog.
- Tap Add new item.
- Add photos. Use clear pictures on a plain background in good light.
- Enter the item name, price and a short description.
- Optionally add an item link and a product code.
- Save, and repeat for each item.
- Share the catalogue from the Catalog screen, or share a single item in a chat.
Group items into collections, such as "Wigs", "Skincare" or "New in", so customers find things faster.
Tips for a catalogue that sells
- Put your best sellers first.
- Show the price in cedis. People skip items without one.
- Use the description for the one thing a buyer asks about: size, delivery area, what is included.
- Update stock quickly. Hide or remove sold-out items.
- Add a link only if it goes somewhere useful, such as your store.
What are the limits of a WhatsApp catalogue?
Check WhatsApp's help pages for current numbers, since they change. In general:
- Not built for digital products. There is no way to deliver an ebook, template or course after payment.
- A fixed layout. You cannot design pages, add bundles, or show reviews.
- Payment happens elsewhere. You still have to ask for MoMo, check screenshots and confirm by hand. Do not count on checkout inside WhatsApp being available to buyers in Ghana.
- Limited tracking. You will not see where visitors came from or what they viewed before they messaged you.
- Items and photos have caps, and the catalogue can only be viewed in WhatsApp.
- Hard to find on Google. A catalogue does not appear in search results the way a store page can.
When does an online store link work better?
| You sell | Better option |
|---|---|
| A few physical items to people who already chat with you | WhatsApp catalogue is fine |
| Many products, sizes or colours | Online store |
| Ebooks, courses, templates, presets | Online store, so files are delivered automatically |
| Anything you advertise on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok | Online store or sales page, so you can track sales |
| Customers who want to pay without chatting first | Online store with MoMo and card checkout |
Many sellers use both: the catalogue for people who find them in WhatsApp, and a store link for everyone else. Put the store link in your WhatsApp Business profile, your status and your bio. Read how to sell on Instagram and WhatsApp without DMs for how to do this without answering "how much?" fifty times a day. For digital goods, see how to sell digital products on WhatsApp.
How does Paylead fit in?
Paylead gives you a store link where buyers see your products, choose options and pay by MoMo or card. Digital files are delivered automatically after payment, and you can offer pay on delivery for physical items, which costs 2% + GH₵ 1 per order (online payments cost 4% + GH₵ 1). You can put one link in your WhatsApp profile, and your WhatsApp number stays in your bio so questions still reach you. Start here: set up your store and share your store link.
FAQ
Is a WhatsApp catalogue free?
Yes. WhatsApp Business and its catalogue are free to use.
Can I have a catalogue on normal WhatsApp?
No. You need the WhatsApp Business app.
Can customers pay inside the catalogue?
Do not plan around it. Check what WhatsApp offers for your country, and use a payment link or store checkout so you get confirmed payments.
What is a "digital showroom" on WhatsApp?
People use the phrase for a catalogue or a status updates series that shows products. A store link does the same job with checkout included.
Can I share my catalogue link?
Yes. Use the share option on the Catalog screen to send the link, or send single items in a chat.
