# Flows — forms inside the chat

> Collect structured answers without leaving WhatsApp.

_Source: https://hexafloww.com/docs/whatsapp/whatsapp-flows_

---

A Flow is a small form that opens inside the WhatsApp chat — the customer fills it in without leaving the conversation, and the answers come back to HexaFloww as a structured response. Flows live at `/admin/whatsapp/flows`.

## Starter flows

The gallery includes three ready-made flows you can use as-is or edit:

- **Lead capture** — name, email, phone, interest.
- **Appointment booking** — pick a service and a time.
- **Feedback survey** — rating and comments.

> [!NOTE]
> HexaFloww has a JSON editor and a screen preview, not a drag-and-drop builder. The starters cover the common cases; for custom flows you edit the Flow JSON directly.

## Create and publish a flow

1. **Pick a starter or create a new flow.** From `/admin/whatsapp/flows`, choose a gallery flow or start blank, then adjust the screens in the editor. The preview updates as you edit.

   ![Flow editor with the JSON on the left and a screen preview on the right](https://hexafloww.com/docs/whatsapp/flow-editor.webp)
2. **Sync to Meta.** Click **Sync to Meta**. This creates the flow on your WhatsApp Business Account and uploads the JSON. Any validation errors from Meta are shown on the flow's page.
3. **Test it.** Use the flow's **send test** option to send it to your own number. Draft flows can be tested before publishing.
4. **Publish.** Publishing makes the flow usable in campaigns and templates. **Published flow content can't be edited** (a Meta rule) — you can still change the name and categories. To change the questions, create a new flow.

## Sending a flow

There are two ways HexaFloww can send a flow and track the answers:

- **From the inbox** — the **Send Flow** button on a conversation. Works inside the 24-hour window, no template needed.
- **From a template** — add a **Flow button** to a template (see [templates](https://hexafloww.com/docs/whatsapp/whatsapp-templates.md)) and send it from the inbox.

> [!NOTE]
> Broadcast campaigns and automations can send flow-button templates, but responses are only **attributed** to the flow when sent from the inbox. For campaign-scale flow collection, prefer the appointment booking module, which is built for it.

### Responses

Each flow's **Responses** tab lists every submission, with CSV export. A submission also creates or updates a [lead](https://hexafloww.com/docs/social-inbox/social-leads.md) and emails your admins.