Skip to content

Getting Started with Menu Designer

This guide walks you through opening the Menu Designer, understanding the interface, and creating your first nodes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • [x] A Page-Nest account with an active workspace
  • [x] A WhatsApp Business number registered (Registration Guide)
  • [x] At least one AI Assistant created in your workspace

No WhatsApp number yet?

You can still design and test flows in the emulator — WhatsApp is only needed when you're ready to publish.

Opening the Menu Designer

  1. Log in to Page-Nest and select your workspace.
  2. Navigate to your AI WhatsApp Assistant from the sidebar.
  3. Click the Menu Designer tab (or the "Design your conversation flow" step during setup).

The designer opens in full-screen mode with four main areas:

Understanding the Interface

1. Node Palette (Left Panel)

The palette lists every node type you can add to your flow, grouped by category:

Category Nodes
Start Entry Point (only shown if none exists)
Messaging Message, Menu, Question
Media Document, Image
AI AI Chat
Logic Condition
Actions Human Handoff, Send Email, API Action

To add a node:

  • Click any node in the palette to add it to the canvas, or
  • Drag a node from the palette onto the canvas for precise placement.

Search

Use the search bar at the top of the palette to quickly find a node by name.

2. Canvas (Centre)

The canvas is your main workspace. This is where you:

  • Arrange nodes by dragging them to new positions
  • Connect nodes by dragging from an output handle (small circle) on one node to the input handle on another
  • Select nodes by clicking on them
  • Pan by clicking and dragging on empty space
  • Zoom using the scroll wheel or the zoom controls

3. Inspector (Right Panel)

When you click a node on the canvas, the Inspector opens showing all configurable properties for that node:

  • Title — the internal name (visible only to you)
  • Body / Message content — what the customer sees
  • Type-specific settings — varies by node type (e.g., menu options, variable names, conditions)

Character Counter

WhatsApp limits message bodies to 1,024 characters. The Inspector shows a live character counter to help you stay within limits.

4. WhatsApp Emulator (Preview)

The built-in emulator lets you test your flow as if you were a customer on WhatsApp:

  • See exactly what messages your customers will receive
  • Tap menu options and type responses
  • Walk through the entire conversation before publishing

Your First Node: The Entry Point

Every flow starts with an Entry Point node. If your flow is empty, here's how to add one:

  1. In the Node Palette, find 🚀 Entry Point under the "Start" category.
  2. Click it (or drag it onto the canvas).
  3. Click the node to open the Inspector.
  4. Choose a Trigger:
    • Any incoming message — the flow starts whenever anyone messages you
    • Specific keyword — the flow starts only when the customer types certain words
flowchart TD
    A["🚀 Entry Point<br/><em>Any incoming message</em>"]
    style A fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#22c55e,stroke-width:2px

One Entry Point per flow

You can only have one Entry Point node. If you try to add a second one, the palette will hide the option.

Connecting Nodes

After placing your Entry Point, add a Message node and connect them:

  1. Add a 💬 Message node from the palette.
  2. Click the Message node and type a welcome message in the Inspector (e.g., "Hi! Welcome to AcmeCorp. How can I help you today?").
  3. Drag from the green circle at the bottom of the Entry Point node to the blue circle at the top of the Message node.

An arrow (edge) now connects them — your flow has its first connection!

flowchart TD
    A["🚀 Entry Point"] -->|continue| B["💬 Welcome Message<br/><em>Hi! Welcome to AcmeCorp...</em>"]
    style A fill:#dcfce7,stroke:#22c55e,stroke-width:2px
    style B fill:#dbeafe,stroke:#60a5fa,stroke-width:2px

Saving and Publishing

  • Save — Your flow is auto-saved as you make changes.
  • Readiness Score — Check the readiness indicator at the top. A score of 60%+ means your flow is publishable, but aim for 100% for the best experience.
  • Publish — When you're ready, click Publish to deploy your flow to WhatsApp. Customers will start seeing your new flow immediately.

Validation

The designer validates your flow before publishing. Common issues include unconnected nodes, missing menu option routes, and empty messages. See Validation Rules for details.

Next Steps