How to Fix "MISSING_FOOTER_IN_IF_ELSE_BRANCHES" in WhatsApp Flow JSON

If you’re seeing the error MISSING_FOOTER_IN_IF_ELSE_BRANCHES, here’s the quick fix:

Solution: Add a Footer component to every branch (then and else) of the If block if a Footer is present in any one of them.

Why this happens

In a Flow JSON screen, Footer components are used to trigger actions like submitting form data or completing a screen. If you place a Footer inside one branch (then or else) of an If component but omit it from the other, the flow becomes incomplete and invalid.

For example:

{
  "type": "If",
  "condition": "${data.ti}",
  "then": [
    {
      "type": "Footer",
      "label": "Submit",
      "on-click-action": {
        "name": "complete",
        "payload": {}
      }
    }
  ]
}

This causes an error because the else branch is missing a Footer.

The correct structure

To fix it, always provide a Footer in both branches like this:

{
  "type": "If",
  "condition": "${data.ti}",
  "then": [
    {
      "type": "TextInput",
      "label": "Enter value",
      "name": "custom_value"
    },
    {
      "type": "Footer",
      "label": "Submit",
      "on-click-action": {
        "name": "complete",
        "payload": {}
      }
    }
  ],
  "else": [
    {
      "type": "Text",
      "value": "No input required"
    },
    {
      "type": "Footer",
      "label": "Continue",
      "on-click-action": {
        "name": "complete",
        "payload": {}
      }
    }
  ]
}

Pro tip

If a Footer is missing from one branch, your flow might get stuck or fail to complete. Whenever you're working with If components, double-check both branches. If you add a Footer to one side, mirror it on the other.

For more troubleshooting insights related to WhatsApp Business API, check out heltar.com/blogs.