How to send WhatsApp reply buttons from a Zendesk ticket

To send WhatsApp reply buttons from Zendesk, install Replywell and build a Quick replies template with 3 options or fewer. Open the customer's WhatsApp messaging ticket, pick the template in the Replywell sidebar, check that it is badged Shows as built, click Insert into reply and press Send. With 4 to 10 options, WhatsApp shows them as a list the customer opens instead of buttons.

What WhatsApp shows

The Replywell sidebar reads the customer's channel from their latest message, so a customer who moved from the Web Widget to WhatsApp gets the WhatsApp preview and badges.

Zendesk decides how each channel displays a message and may change it; the preview follows this table.

Build templates that work well on WhatsApp

1. Keep choices to 3. A Quick replies template with up to 3 options arrives as real buttons. Split longer menus into two questions.
2. Use reply buttons on image cards. An Image card with reply buttons arrives as one message with the image and text. With link buttons, the links arrive as text.
3. Write the text version. Under When a channel cannot show it, the default is Send Replywell's text version (numbered options and plain links). Write Own text version (optional) if you want different wording on text channels.
4. Use a form for several answers. A Form with up to 20 fields arrives on WhatsApp as a link to a hosted form. Never ask for card numbers, passwords or ID numbers; Replywell refuses fields that look like them.

Steps to send

1. Open the WhatsApp ticket. The sidebar names the channel and badges each template: Shows as built, Shows with changes, Form link, Text or Not supported.
2. Pick the template. Read the notes under the preview, such as "WhatsApp shows up to 3 reply buttons".
3. Fill in any value it asks for, then click Insert into reply and Insert. The message goes into your reply as a short code. Leave it as it is.
4. Press Send. Replywell adds an internal note with the channel, how the message was sent and its options, and the tags replywell_sent and replywell_<template id>.
5. When the customer taps, or answers the text version with its number, Replywell adds replywell_choice_<value> and a short note, while the ticket is open in your browser.

The 24-hour window

Replywell sends inside an open conversation, when the agent presses Send. It doesn't send WhatsApp approved templates outside the 24-hour window, doesn't start conversations and has no bulk sending. Zendesk's own WhatsApp templates cover messages outside the window.

What it costs

Replywell is $99 a month per Zendesk account on the Team plan, for up to 14 agents and admins, or $7 per agent per month on the Scale plan for 15 or more. Both plans have every feature and a 14-day free trial; Zendesk asks for a card at install and bills monthly. The channel table for every type is in the Replywell documentation.