WhatsApp Now Lets Businesses Manage Catalogues Via Its Web, Desktop Clients

WhatsApp has now enabled businesses to create and manage their catalogue from WhatsApp Web or desktop clients — adding to the same functionality that was available on mobile devices earlier. The instant messaging app owned by Facebook has also introduced the ability to let business users hide items from their catalogue that are unavailable and show those items again when they are back in stock. Both new changes are aimed to enhance the experience for businesses using WhatsApp as a source for reaching their customers.

As businesses often use computers to manage their inventory, WhatsApp has enabled them to create and manage their catalogue on the platform directly from its Web and desktop clients. “This will be extremely helpful for businesses with big inventories like a restaurant or clothing store so they can manage their catalog from a bigger screen,” the company said in a press note.

The latest addition for businesses is available to all WhatsApp Business app users.

WhatsApp introduced the ‘catalog' feature on its business app back in November 2019 to let businesses showcase and share their offerings easily on the platform. It claimed that people can at present browse more than 8 million business catalogues on WhatsApp, including one million in India alone.

Alongside the ability to manage catalogues through desktops, WhatsApp has brought the option to hide specific items from a catalogue and bring them again when they come back in stock or available to customers.

Businesses on the WhatsApp Business app can hide a catalogue item by going to Settings > Business tools > Catalog. The app will show all the items listed in the catalogue that can be hidden by tapping the more options (three dots) icon and then going to Hide > HIDE. Business users can also hide items in bulk by pressing and holding one of the items they want to hide until the green check mark appears and then tap the other items they wanted to hide.

Hidden items can be unhidden by going to the product detail page and selecting Unhide > UNHIDE after tapping the more options icon. Business users can also unhide items in bulk by selecting multiple items.

It is important to note that hidden items will still appearing in the catalogue manager with “hide icon” over the item image. A note will also appear to indicate that the item is hidden once you open the product detail page.

WhatsApp said it received requests from businesses about bringing an easy way to let customers know what's currently available so they don't get orders for items that are unavailable or out of stock. That eventually resulted in the arrival of hide and unhide options.

The options to hide and unhide items in catalogues has started rolling out to businesses globally starting today.

In December, WhatsApp brought an Add to Cart button to let customers pick specific items from business catalogues offered on the messaging app. It also added a shopping button in November to offer businesses the ability to show off what they have to sell through the app.

Does WhatsApp's new privacy policy spell the end for your privacy? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.