Short answer: To make folders on WhatsApp Web (web.whatsapp.com in Chrome on a computer), install the free WA Folders extension, open WhatsApp Web, open a chat, and press Add chat on a folder in the WA Folders panel. Your folders then appear as tabs above the chat list. WhatsApp also has built-in chat Lists in its apps; see WhatsApp's help pages for where they appear on your devices.
WA Folders runs only on WhatsApp Web in desktop Chrome. It does not work in the WhatsApp phone app, and it is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta. I built WA Folders, so this is the maker's how-to.
Steps
- Install WA Folders. Open the WA Folders page on the Chrome Web Store (https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1gbp) and click Add to Chrome. A welcome tab opens.
- Open WhatsApp Web. Go to https://web.whatsapp.com and wait for your chats to load. The WA Folders panel appears in the conversation area, beside your chats, so it doesn't cover the chat list. On a narrow window it folds into a small tab. Click the tab to open the panel.
- Optional: let it suggest folders. On first use, with chats on screen and nothing filed yet, the panel can offer "Sort a few chats now?" with folders suggested from the chat names on screen. Untick anything you don't want and press Add these, or press No thanks. Nothing is filed until you press Add these. You can bring the suggestions back later from the command palette (Ctrl+K) with "Suggest folders for the chats on screen".
- Create or rename folders. You start with three empty folders: Family, Work and Clients. Click ✎ next to a folder to rename it or give it a colour or emoji. For a new folder, type a name in the New folder name box under the folder list and press Add. The free plan holds 5 folders.
- Add chats. Open a chat in WhatsApp as usual. In the panel, press Add chat on the folder it belongs in. The button then says Remove, and pressing it takes the chat out again. A chat can be in more than one folder.
- Use the folder tabs. Your folders appear as tabs above WhatsApp's chat list. Click a tab to see only that folder's chats, and click a chat to open it. Click All to get WhatsApp's full chat list back.
Once chats are in folders, the This chat section of the panel lets you write a private note or set a reminder on the open chat. The Today line at the top of the panel shows what's due, who is waiting for your reply, who asked you a question, and who you're still waiting on.
FAQ
Does WA Folders work in the WhatsApp phone app?
No. It runs only on https://web.whatsapp.com in Chrome on a computer, and your WA Folders folders do not appear on your phone. Pro sync copies your folder setup to your other Chrome browsers, not to the phone.
Is it free? What are the limits?
The free plan has no time limit. It includes 5 folders, 5 search results, 3 exports a day, 2 reminders at a time, 3 quick replies, 1 auto-file rule, 3 AI answers a day, 5 chats on the deal board and 1 saved search. When you reach one of these, the panel says so and shows an Upgrade link.
Pro has no plan limits: folders, search results, exports, reminders, quick replies, rules, AI answers, deal-board chats and saved searches are all unlimited. It also adds Load whole chat with full-history search, whole-folder and password-protected exports, a PIN lock, and sync between your Chrome browsers. A few technical limits apply on every plan. For example, one export of the open chat keeps the newest 5,000 loaded messages. Free plan included; Pro is a one-time unlock, see https://wafolders.com.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
Folders, notes, reminders and the search index stay in Chrome's local storage on your computer. There is no WA Folders account, no WA Folders server, and no analytics. Three things leave the browser only if you turn them on: the AI feature with your own API key sends the messages you ask about to the provider you picked; Pro sync copies folder names, which chats are in each folder, quick replies and rules through Chrome Sync on your own Google account; and Pro checks your license key with Polar.
How is this different from WhatsApp's Lists?
Lists are part of WhatsApp, so there is nothing to install. WhatsApp describes them as a way to filter your chats into custom categories; its help pages explain where they appear on your devices. WA Folders keeps its folders in Chrome on one computer and adds things a filter doesn't: a private note on each chat, reminders and "remind me if they don't reply" follow-ups, Waiting on them and Questions for me lists, local search of chat names, notes and messages it has seen, and export. WA Folders doesn't read or change your Lists, so you can use both.
Can I export a folder or a chat?
Yes. You can export the open chat to HTML, CSV, Markdown or JSON, 3 times a day on the free plan. The export covers the messages loaded on screen, and media is labelled, for example [voice message] or [photo]. Pro can load and export a whole chat from the start, export a whole folder in one file, and make password-protected files.
Does it work on Windows?
Yes, in Chrome. Version 1.2.4 and later include Windows fixes: safe file names, CSV files that open correctly in Excel, and mouse-wheel scrolling of the folder tabs.
Does WA Folders send messages?
No. It never presses Send. Quick replies and AI reply drafts are typed into the message box, and you press Enter yourself. It has no bulk send, broadcasts or auto-replies.
What is the privacy blur shortcut?
The default is Alt+Shift+U, or you can turn blur on and off with the eye button in the panel. You can change the shortcut at chrome://extensions/shortcuts. If it shows "Not set" there, Chrome skipped it because another extension already uses that key, so pick your own. Blur hides names, photos and messages, and you can hover to peek. Alt+Shift+H hides WhatsApp Web at once; press it again or click Show to bring it back.
Related: How to organize WhatsApp Web chats into folders covers folder tabs, auto-file rules and reminders in more depth, and Find WhatsApp Web chats where you're still waiting for a reply explains the Waiting on them list.
Get WA Folders on the Chrome Web Store: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/hahfpdlfieloofgjhanljbbnakinfhil?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=1gbp
Top comments (0)