A WhatsApp Business catalogue is a product list inside your WhatsApp Business profile. Customers can tap your profile, scroll your items with photos, prices and descriptions, add what they want to a cart and send it to you as a message. To set one up, open the WhatsApp Business app, go to Business tools, tap Catalogue and add your first item.
Setting it up takes minutes. Selling from it every day is the part most people skip. This guide covers both: the setup steps, how to write items that sell, how to share the catalogue in chats and on Status, and how to turn a “cart” message into a paid, delivered order.
What the WhatsApp Business catalogue does (and does not do)
The catalogue is built into the free WhatsApp Business app, which is separate from regular WhatsApp. It lets buyers see your products without asking you to send twenty pictures one by one.
Here is what it does well:
- Shows your products with photos, names, prices and descriptions
- Lets customers add items to a cart and send it to you in a chat
- Gives you a link you can share anywhere
- Groups products into collections, like “New arrivals” or “Under ₦10,000”
And here is what it does not do on its own:
- It does not take payment. You still need to collect money separately.
- It does not track stock. If an item sells out, you must hide or edit it yourself.
- It does not manage delivery, order status or customer history.
Knowing these limits helps you plan the rest of your selling setup instead of being caught out when orders pick up.
How to set up your WhatsApp Business catalogue
Before you start, make sure you are on the WhatsApp Business app, not regular WhatsApp. If you are not, download it, verify your business number and fill in your business profile: name, category, description, address or service area, and hours.
The menu names can move slightly between app updates and between Android and iPhone, but Business tools is where you will find the catalogue.
What to put in each field
- Name: Be specific. “Ankara wrap dress, short sleeve” beats “Beautiful dress”.
- Price: Put the real naira price, like ₦15,500. Items without prices get more “how much?” messages.
- Description: Two to four short lines covering size, material, colour options and delivery.
- Link: If you have a store page for the item, add it so buyers can pay there.
- Item code: Optional, but handy if you have many similar items. It helps you match orders to stock.
Create collections
Collections are like aisles in a shop. Good examples for Nigerian sellers:
- New this week
- Best sellers
- Under ₦10,000
- By category: Wigs, Lashes, Skincare
- Occasion: Owambe, Office, Back to school
Keep your top collection fresh. Buyers who check often will notice new items.
How to write catalogue items that sell
Most catalogues fail for one reason: the items look like they were added in a hurry. Blurry photos, no prices and descriptions that say “Available. DM.” do not sell.
Photos
Use daylight from a window, a plain background and the same angle for similar products. Show the item in use where you can: a bag on a shoulder, a cake cut open, earbuds in an ear. Your first photo is the thumbnail, so make it the clearest one.
Descriptions
Think about what buyers ask most, then answer it before they ask. Here is a before and after for a fictional skincare seller:
Before: “Vitamin C serum. Very good. DM to order.”
After: “Vitamin C serum, 30ml. Brightens dull skin and fades dark marks with daily use. Use in the morning before sunscreen. ₦9,000. Lagos delivery next day, other states 2 to 4 days.”
The second one answers size, benefit, how to use, price and delivery. It saves a whole chat.
How to share your catalogue so people actually see it
A catalogue nobody opens is just a list. You need to put it in front of people where they already are.
Share inside chats
When a customer asks what you have, tap the attach icon, choose Catalogue and send the item or the whole catalogue. They see a neat preview instead of a gallery dump.
Share the link
In the catalogue screen, you can copy a link to your whole catalogue or to a single item. Use it:
- In your Instagram, TikTok and Facebook bios
- In your WhatsApp Status captions
- In your broadcast messages to customers who have saved your number
- On flyers and packaging with a QR code
Post on Status every day
Status is where many WhatsApp sales start. Post one or two products a day from your catalogue with the price and “tap to order” in the caption. Mix in reviews and packed orders so it does not feel like an advert loop.
Turning catalogue carts into paid orders
When a customer sends a cart, you get a message showing what they picked and the total. This is where the real selling happens.
A simple reply flow
- Thank them and confirm the items and sizes.
- Ask for their delivery area so you can confirm the delivery fee.
- Send the total, including delivery, in one clear message.
- Share how to pay, or confirm pay on delivery if you offer it.
- Confirm payment, then send a dispatch message when it leaves.
Doing this by hand for five orders a day is fine. At thirty orders a day, mistakes creep in: wrong sizes, missed payments, two people promised the last item.
Getting paid without the stress
The catalogue cannot take money, so most sellers share an account number. That works, but you then have to match bank alerts to chats and watch for fake alerts.
A cleaner option is to send a payment link. With Shopinbos, buyers can pay by card, bank transfer or USSD through Paystack. The fee is 1.5% + ₦100 (the ₦100 is waived under ₦2,500), capped at ₦2,000, and your balance is paid to your bank every Friday, or you can withdraw early any time.
For buyers who prefer to pay when the item arrives, Shopinbos pay on delivery covers orders up to ₦50,000 in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. The customer gives the rider a 4-digit code and riders pay the cash in by 6pm the same day.
When the catalogue is not enough
The WhatsApp Business catalogue is a good start. Many sellers outgrow it when they notice these signs:
- They spend hours each day answering the same questions
- They lose track of who has paid and who has not
- Stock runs out but the item still shows in the catalogue
- They want a proper website buyers can browse and pay on
- They sell on Instagram and TikTok too and keep separate lists everywhere
At that point it makes sense to connect WhatsApp to a store that handles orders, stock and payments in one place. Shopinbos lets you sell on WhatsApp with product links that go to a real checkout, and keeps your orders, stock and customer chats together. Your online store at yourname.mybos.store is free, and you can connect your own domain on paid plans.
Let an assistant answer the easy questions
A lot of WhatsApp chats are the same five questions: price, size, delivery, location, how to pay. Peggy, the Shopinbos AI assistant, answers customer chats in English and Pidgin, so buyers get quick replies even when you are busy packing.
Common WhatsApp catalogue mistakes
Avoid these and you will already be ahead of many sellers:
- No prices. Hidden prices lead to more questions and fewer orders.
- Old stock showing. Nothing annoys a buyer more than choosing something that sold out last week.
- One giant list. Without collections, buyers scroll, get tired and leave.
- Copied supplier photos only. They look like everyone else’s. Add at least one photo of your own.
- Slow replies to carts. A cart is a buyer with their hand up. Answer fast.
- Ignoring the business profile. Missing hours, address or description makes the business look less real.
Tips for different types of sellers
Fashion
Make collections by occasion and size. Add a size guide photo as the last image in each item. Show the fabric up close.
Food
Use collections like “Today’s menu”, “Party trays” and “Drinks”. Put the order cut-off time in the description, for example “Order by 2pm for same-day delivery in Ikeja”.
Gadgets and accessories
Put compatibility in the name: “Fast charger for iPhone 15 and 16”. Mention warranty or testing in the description if you offer it.
Beauty
Include size or volume, skin type and how to use. Shade ranges work well as separate items in one collection.
Set up your catalogue today
Your WhatsApp Business catalogue is one of the quickest ways to look organised and save time answering “what do you have?” Set it up today with clear photos, real prices and a few collections, then share it on Status every day.
When cart messages start arriving faster than you can handle, connect your catalogue to a Shopinbos store so payments, stock and delivery run in one place while you keep selling where your customers already chat.
