3 min readUpdated Oct 5, 2026automation, bots, buttons
Interactive Replies
Use buttons and list menus in a LeadPattern bot so the customer's tap branches the flow — and understand how reply-waiting takes priority over other bots.
Interactive replies turn a bot from a one-way script into a conversation. You send buttons or a list menu, and the path the flow takes depends on what the customer taps.
Buttons and lists
Reply buttons
A message with a few tappable buttons. Best for a short set of choices like Yes / No / Talk to an agent.
List menuA tappable list of options, good when you have more choices than buttons comfortably allow.
Both are added as nodes in the builder — send_interactive_message for buttons and
send_interactive_list for a list. A template with buttons (send_template) can branch the flow
the same way.
Branching on the tap
When you add an interactive node, each option gets its own outgoing path on the canvas. The bot sends the message, then waits for the customer to reply. When they tap an option, the flow resumes down the path you connected to that option.
1
Add an interactive node
Add a buttons or list node and define each option.
2
Connect each option
Draw a path from each option to the node that should run next.
3
The bot waits
After sending, the bot pauses until the customer taps an option.
4
Resume on the match
The matching option's path runs; the others don't.
Reply-waiting takes priority
While a bot is waiting on an interactive reply, the customer's next tap is matched against that
wait first. If it matches, the flow resumes and your on_message bots are skipped for that
message — so the customer never gets two conflicting answers to a single tap.
What's next
Frequently asked questions
What happens if the customer types instead of tapping a button?
If their message doesn't match any of the options the bot is waiting on, the reply-wait doesn't resolve and your normal message handling applies. Many teams add a fallback path for free-text replies.
Can a list have more options than buttons?
Yes. Reply buttons are best for a small number of choices; a list menu is the better fit when you have more options than buttons comfortably allow.
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