New: Typing Indicators in WhatsApp Cloud API

🔥 New Feature: Typing Indicators in WhatsApp Cloud API — Enhance Real-Time Engagement

Meta has just rolled out a powerful UX feature for developers and businesses using the WhatsApp Cloud API — Typing Indicators. This enhancement allows you to mimic human-like interaction by showing a typing status when preparing a reply. Let’s explore how it works, why it matters, and how you can implement it in your WhatsApp chatbot or automation flow.

✨ What is the Typing Indicator Feature?

The Typing Indicator lets your WhatsApp Business account show a “typing…” status to users after receiving a message — giving a more natural and engaging chat experience. It’s perfect for live support agents or bots that may take a few seconds to respond.

✅ Why Use Typing Indicators?

• Improve User Experience: Let users know their message is being processed.
• Reduce Drop-Offs: Typing signals responsiveness and keeps users engaged.
• Feels Human: Adds realism to bot or agent responses.

⚠️ Note: The typing indicator lasts for up to 25 seconds, or until you send the response — whichever comes first.

🧪 How to Use It in BotSailor

⚙️ Where Can You Enable Typing Indicator?

1️. Bot Reply Settings

In your Bot Flow, you can now toggle the "Typing on display" setting for each message block.

🔹 Go to Bot Manager->Bot Reply
🔹 Enable Typing on display
🔹 Set the desired delay in seconds (e.g., 1–3 sec)
🔹 Save the settings to simulate natural bot response timing

💡 This is great when you want the chatbot to seem like it's thinking or retrieving data.

2️ AI Assistant Settings

Inside the AI Assistant configuration panel in Bot Manager-> AI Assistant, you’ll find the option:

🔹 Enable Typing on Indicator – This setting allows the AI Assistant to simulate typing while preparing a response.

• It works even when AI is set as fallback or handling all queries.
• You can use this in conjunction with delay to smooth out long-generation times.

✅ Ideal for improving user experience when AI needs a moment to process intents or contextual memory.

3️. Shared Inbox – Signature Message

If your team uses Signature Messages when an agent joins the conversation, you can also configure the Typing Indicator there.

🔹 Navigate to Bot Manager-> Configuration-> Shared Inbox Signature Message Configuration
🔹 Locate the setting titled “Typing on Indicator”

Once enabled, the system will automatically show a typing indicator when:

• An agent starts typing
• An agent focuses on the text area in any conversation

This creates a seamless, real-time support experience by letting users know someone is preparing a reply — even before the message is sent.

✅ Perfect for support handovers or human-first workflows where response preparation needs to feel instant and natural.

Once the typing indicator is displayed, WhatsApp will auto-dismiss it after 25 seconds if no reply is sent, or it will disappear as soon as a response is sent.

🧪 Why Use Typing Indicators?

• 🧠 More Human-like Responses
• ⏱️ Buffer Time for Processing or API Calls
• 💬 Improves Trust in Chat Interactions
• 🧵 Better UX in Agent Handover Scenarios

⚙️ Best Practices

• ✅ Only trigger typing indicator if you’re actually preparing a response
• ❌ Don’t use it for long or unresponsive flows
• 🧠 Combine with status: read to show quick acknowledgment

🔍 Real-World Use Cases

• Live chat with support agents
• Bot delay when calling external APIs
• Human handover scenarios
• Order tracking, refund processing, or AI-based replies

🚀 Conclusion

Typing Indicators in the WhatsApp Cloud API is a small but significant UX improvement. Whether you're building a chatbot or a hybrid human-bot customer support system, this feature helps bridge the gap between automation and personal touch.

🔗 Ready to integrate typing indicators in your WhatsApp automation? Try it now on BotSailor — the ultimate WhatsApp chatbot builder.