Typing Indicators allow you to mimic human-like interaction by showing a typing status when preparing a reply. 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.
Typing indicators last for up to 25 seconds, or until you send the response — whichever comes first. You can enable them on several places in the app: let’s explore each.
Add Typing Indicators to your Bot Replies
In your Bot Flows, you can toggle the “Typing on display” setting for each message block. This is great when you want the chatbot to seem like it’s thinking or retrieving data.
Go to Bot Manager->Bot Reply. Double click on the component where you wish to add the indicator.
Enable Typing on display. Set the desired delay in seconds (e.g., 1–3 sec) and save.
Add Typing Indicators to the AI Assistant
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.
Add Typing Indicators to the Live Chat (Shared Inbox)
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.
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.
