Create a Messenger Persistent Menu

The Persistent Menu is the pinned button bar under a Messenger conversation (prices, delivery, talk to an agent, catalog…). Customers open it anytime without typing. Configure it from Persistent Menu Settings inside Bot Manager — Facebook/Messenger only (Instagram does not use this menu the same way).

Sidebar path: Facebook Tools → Bot Manager. Select the Page, then open Persistent Menu Settings → Change Settings. Before you can create the menu, Get started button status must be Enabled (full walkthrough: Get Started Template).

Before you start (prerequisites)

1. Sidebar: Integrations → Connect Accounts. Confirm the Page appears under Page list and turn on Enable Bot Connection. Details: Connect Facebook and enable the bot.
2. Meta requires Get Started enabled before creating a Persistent Menu. On Get Started Settings, set Get started button status to Enabled, then Save. If it is disabled, Create Persistent Menu stays disabled with a red warning. Full guide: Set Up the Facebook Get Started Template.
3. Prepare 3–5 short labels (Meta allows roughly 30 characters per menu title) and decide each action from the type dropdown: Web URL (opens a link) or Post back (triggers a reply template) — items are not limited to web links.
4. Prefer a clean Page such as صفحة اختبار for the first test; use production after verification.

1) Open Bot Manager and select the Page

1. Sidebar: Facebook Tools → Bot Manager.
2. Select the Facebook Page and wait for the settings cards to load.



3. You will see Persistent Menu Settings next to Get Started Settings and Action Button Settings. Confirm the correct Page — menus are per Page.

2) Open Persistent Menu Settings

This is the menu entry point — not the Get Started panel. Click Change Settings on the Persistent Menu Settings card.

1. In the settings cards column, find Persistent menu settings (hamburger / menu icon).



2. Click Change settings to open the Persistent Menu list screen.
3. If a red warning about Get Started appears: enable Get started button status = Enabled (see prerequisites), then reopen this card.

3) Persistent Menu list screen

1. You will see a blue Create Persistent Menu / Create persistent menu button and a table with SN, Locale, Composer Input Disabled?, and Actions.



2. A row with Locale = default is required before publish. System alert: “menu settings for default locale is mandatory.”

4) Build menu items (title + action type)

Use Create Persistent Menu (or Actions → Edit Persistent Menu if a locale row already exists) to open the item form titled Edit Persistent Menu.

1. At the top: Locale — keep default for the primary menu (you can add locales such as en_US later if needed).
2. Composer Input Disabled?: Yes hides the typing box and leaves only the menu; No keeps typing available (typical for support chats).



3. For each Menu card, enter menu title (customer-facing label, ≤ 30 characters).
4. Two action types in the middle dropdown — pick one per item:
   • Web URL: opens an https link; the URL field appears next to the type.
   • Post back (Post Back): sends a reply template in-chat; a template picker appears with Add and Refresh — items do not have to be web links.



5. For Web URL, enter a full https URL. For Post back, pick a template; use Add to create one or Refresh after creating it.
6. Add appends another top-level item — prefer 3–5 clear items (Prices as Web URL, Contact us as Post back…).
7. Click Submit to save inside ChatLik, or Cancel to leave. Saving here does not publish to Messenger — publish is a separate step.

5) Publish to Messenger (required)

1. Return to the Persistent Menu list screen.
2. From Options next to the search box, choose Publish Persistent Menu.



3. Wait for success: “persistent menu has been published successfully.”
4. To remove later from Facebook/Messenger: same menu → Remove Persistent Menu (confirm the warning).

6) Test in Messenger

1. Open a chat with the Page from a test account (real phone preferred).
2. Find the menu icon / bar under the composer.
3. Tap each item: confirm the Web URL opens or the Post back template arrives in the thread.
4. If the menu looks stale: close and reopen the thread, or delete the thread and retry after republishing.

Practical tips

• Mix types: a URL for prices/site, and Post back for “Talk to an agent” or a services reply.
• Put a practical first item: “Prices” or “Talk to an agent”.
• After the menu, configure Facebook No Match and enable the switch in General Settings.
• For the full bot checklist see Messenger bot how-to.
• Do not mix this path with Instagram tools — Persistent Menu here is Messenger-only.

Common mistakes

• Leaving Get started button status on Disabled then trying to create.
• Clicking Submit without Publish Persistent Menu — the menu stays in ChatLik only.
• Publishing without a default locale row.
• Titles over 30 characters or incomplete URLs (missing https) on a Web URL item.
• Choosing Post back without a mapped template.
• Assuming every item must be a web link — Post back is a first-class option in the same dropdown.
• Editing one Page while customers message another.

Related: Get Started · Ice breakers · Bot checklist · No Match · Connect accounts.

Next step

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