If you're building dynamic flows using WhatsApp API and run into the error:
MISSING_FOOTER_IN_SWITCH_BRANCHES

it means that one or more branches of your Switch component are missing a Footer, even though at least one branch includes it.

Quick Fix (TL;DR)

Make sure all branches (case1, case2, case3, etc.) inside a Switch include a Footer component if any one of them has it. If you need a button like "Submit" or "Next" in one case, add it to all others, even if it’s a dummy one.

Why This Happens

The Screen Builder enforces a consistent user experience. If one switch branch has a footer and others don’t, it can break visual flow or user interaction logic. So, the validator throws this error to maintain UI uniformity.

Broken Example (Triggers the Error)

{
  "type": "Switch",
  "value": "${data.ti}",
  "cases": {
    "case1": [],
    "case2": [
      {
        "type": "Footer",
        "label": "Submit",
        "on-click-action": {
          "name": "complete",
          "payload": {}
        }
      }
    ],
    "case3": [
      {
        "type": "TextInput",
        "label": "input",
        "name": "Add name"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Here, only case2 includes a Footer. case1 and case3 don’t, so the flow throws an error.

Fixed Example

To fix it, add a Footer to every case:

"cases": {
  "case1": [
    {
      "type": "Footer",
      "label": "Continue",
      "on-click-action": {
        "name": "next",
        "payload": {}
      }
    }
  ],
  "case2": [
    {
      "type": "Footer",
      "label": "Submit",
      "on-click-action": {
        "name": "complete",
        "payload": {}
      }
    }
  ],
  "case3": [
    {
      "type": "TextInput",
      "label": "input",
      "name": "Add name"
    },
    {
      "type": "Footer",
      "label": "Next",
      "on-click-action": {
        "name": "continue",
        "payload": {}
      }
    }
  ]
}

Even if some footers are functionally minimal, including them avoids build-time validation errors.

Pro Tip

If your logic doesn't require user action in some branches, add a disabled or hidden footer to bypass the error cleanly, or simply duplicate the most common footer across all cases.

The MISSING_FOOTER_IN_SWITCH_BRANCHES error is easy to resolve once you know the rule: all or none when it comes to footers inside a Switch. 

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