topic Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub] in Tips, Tricks & Best Practices

Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

NiloofarK — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 11:33:08 GMT

Hi everyone 👋

Using Service Hub now. I'm wondering if it's possible to create a workflow that whenever I receive a WhatsApp message (event-based trigger), I send an automatic message with reply buttons.

Depending on what button the customer chooses, I'd want the workflow to branch out.

I'm stuck at the trigger. A trigger for inbound WhatsApp message doesn't appear in the list in the workflow.

Does anyone have a clue how to do this?

Many thanks!!

Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

PamCotton — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 23:13:03 GMT

Hey @NiloofarK, thank you for posting in our Community.

You're right that currently, our HubSpot’s native workflows don’t include a trigger for inbound WhatsApp messages, which is why you're not seeing it. To achieve what you’re looking for, you might consider using a third-party tool like Twilio or Zapier to detect incoming WhatsApp messages and then trigger a workflow in HubSpot. From there, you can automate replies with buttons and set up branching based on the user’s choice.

I would highly recommend you to please post this idea at our ideas forum (here).

Our product team, who monitors the forum regularly, can read your specific use case and understand why this would be a useful functionality or change. It also helps other customers facing the same issue to advocate for its implementation on your behalf by upvoting on the thread as well.

To our top experts @Brenner and @TomM2 do you have any recommendations for @NiloofarK matter?

Thank you,

Pam

Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

NiloofarK — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 13:37:47 GMT

Hi @PamCotton
Thanks for your reply 🙂

So you mean if I'm using HubSpot's WhatsApp integration, I can use Zapier to detect the received message and trigger my HubSpot workflow that includes sending WhatsApp messages with reply buttons?

How can I branch out the workflow depending on the WhatsApp button customer chooses? HubSpot doesn't show "If button A is selected, then send message X with 7 buttons."

Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

Brenner — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 14:33:27 GMT

Hey all!

@NiloofarK Can you confirm to me if when you receive whatsapp message, it is registred as a WhatsApp activity?

We can think in a solution like that:

Trigger: Activity is WhatsApp message AND [Add other property or filter to refine it].

About it: "[...] I receive a WhatsApp message (event-based trigger), I send an automatic message with reply buttons. Depending on what button the customer chooses, I'd want the workflow to branch out."

I've never ever used the WhatsApp HubSpot native application. So, I think there is no way to send a message with buttom. In this case, I recommend you, some softwares to do it.

Treble.Ia

Spread.Chat

Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

NiloofarK — Fri, 23 Aug 2024 16:43:14 GMT

Thanks so much @Brenner.

I'm considering HubSpot's native WhatsApp integration or a 3rd party that's a HubSpot-certified app and supports WhatsApp forms (Flows).

Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

NiloofarK — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 21:37:54 GMT

@Brenner Forgot to mention, HubSpot's WhatsApp integration does support messages with buttons but only if all the messages are the same type (all reply buttons or all link buttons). It doesn't support the WhatsApp's max 10 buttons though.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Re: Automatic WhatsApp replies in workflows [using Service Hub]

DiscoverDigital — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:01:00 GMT

Hi @NiloofarK - you have hit the two biggest limitations of HubSpot's native WhatsApp integration in one post:

There is no workflow trigger for inbound WhatsApp messages. HubSpot workflows can be triggered by form submissions, contact property changes, deal stage changes, etc. - but not by "WhatsApp message received". This is why you cannot find the trigger.
Even if you could trigger a workflow, HubSpot's native WhatsApp actions only support sending template messages. You cannot send interactive messages with reply buttons that branch based on the customer's selection.

The Twilio/Zapier workaround mentioned earlier can solve the trigger problem (detecting an inbound message), but it still does not give you native WhatsApp interactive forms with branching inside the conversation.

Flowella approaches this differently. Rather than trying to trigger on inbound messages, you initiate the conversation from a HubSpot workflow using any standard trigger (form submission, deal stage change, date-based, etc.). The workflow sends a WhatsApp Flow - a structured form with fields, dropdowns, buttons, and branching logic - that the customer completes inside WhatsApp. The responses are written back into HubSpot as a form submission, so you can branch your workflow based on actual structured answers.

For example: trigger a feedback form 2 hours after a service interaction. The customer scores you 1-10 inside WhatsApp. If they score 9+, the workflow sends a review request. If they score 5 or below, it opens a ticket. All based on structured data, not free-text parsing.

I noticed you mentioned WhatsApp Flows in a later reply - this is exactly the capability Flowella provides, connected directly to HubSpot forms and workflows.

Marketplace listing: https://ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace/listing/flowella-hubspot-forms-to-whatsapp-flows

Happy to walk through the setup if it would help.