Why a WhatsApp Flow won't publish

Publishing sends one saved Flow version to Meta for one WhatsApp number. Saving and publishing are separate: Flow saved confirms a Qcom version only, while published to WhatsApp confirms Meta accepted it.

A Flow that didn't publish shows Error on its card and counts under Needs attention. Open Preview to see why: the reason is at the bottom of the preview, and for a Flow on several numbers, how many it affects.

Meta blocked publishing

This is the most common cause. It shows as one notice above your Flows, Your Meta business needs attention, and the Flows it holds back stay under Draft rather than each showing an error.

Meta accepted the Flows themselves and refused to publish them because the business that owns the WhatsApp number needs attention. Changing the form won't clear it, and neither will publishing again.

Meta doesn't say which check failed, so check each of these for the business that owns the WhatsApp number:

• Business verification in Meta Business Manager
• Account and policy status of the WhatsApp Business account in WhatsApp Manager
• Payment method on the WhatsApp Business account

When one blocks publishing, it blocks every Flow on that account. Once Meta shows the business is clear, publish again.

Flows managed by Qcom

Flows marked Managed by Qcom are published for you on every connected number, so they have no Publish button. When Meta blocks them, Qcom checks the business's status with Meta each day and publishes them within a day of it clearing, without anything from you. Meta doesn't always show every check it applies, so Qcom also tries publishing again once a week.

Customise a copy gives you a Flow you can edit, but the copy still needs Meta to publish it, so it hits the same block.

Check the Flow in Qcom

Publishing stays unavailable until you choose a WhatsApp number and select a saved version that has no validation issues. If you changed the form after saving, save the new version before publishing it.

The message above the preview names any form issue Qcom can see. Fix those issues in Edit Flow, save a new version, then publish that version.

Refresh status

Refresh status reads Meta's current state; it doesn't publish again. Meta keeps a Flow it refused as a draft, so the error stays until Meta reports the Flow published.

If nothing was published, the selected version is still a Qcom draft. It isn't live on WhatsApp, and you can keep editing or saving versions without changing anything customers use.

Check the number

A published Flow belongs to the WhatsApp number chosen at publication. A bot using another number can't open it. Make a copy of the Flow and publish the copy to the other number.

Related

• Build and publish a WhatsApp Flow
• Connect WhatsApp
• Open a WhatsApp Flow from a bot
• Decide what happens after someone submits