How to add labels on regular WhatsApp Web (no Business)

Regular WhatsApp does not have the labels found in the WhatsApp Business app. It does have custom lists, which are chat filters you create yourself^[1]. For real labels you have two options: switch to the Business app (up to 20 labels, which WhatsApp is gradually turning into lists), or keep your current account and add labels on WhatsApp Web with a Chrome extension such as Zapext, which works on regular and Business accounts on the same number.

This guide is for freelancers, shop owners, consultants and small teams who sell or give support from a regular WhatsApp number on a computer. It covers custom lists, the Business app, a 7-step setup on WhatsApp Web, label sets for sales and support, and the limits.

Why labels are missing on your WhatsApp (and on WhatsApp Web)

Labels exist only in the WhatsApp Business app^[2]. Regular WhatsApp (WhatsApp Messenger) gives you tools for personal organisation, including the chat filters All, Unread, Favorites and Groups^[3].

Since October 2024, regular WhatsApp also has custom lists. You tap + in the filter bar at the top of the Chats tab, name a list and add one-on-one chats or groups to it. Each list then appears in the filter bar^[1].

Custom lists help you find chats faster, but they are not a sales tool. A list is a filter. It does not put a colour on the contact's name, and it adds no pipeline, notes or reminders.

Regular WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business are two different apps, and the same number cannot be used in both at once^[4]. Moving your number to Business is a migration, not a switch you flip inside the app you have now.

People also call labels "tags". In the Business app, WhatsApp now calls them "lists". This article says labels.

Option 1: what you get natively with the WhatsApp Business app

The WhatsApp Business app is free to download from Google Play and the App Store^[5]. Here is what labels look like there.

• Create a label: in the Business app you create labels from the app menu and apply one to a chat. You can make up to 20 labels, and you can edit, recolour or delete them from the Labels menu^[2].
• Lists are replacing labels: WhatsApp says "Labels are now lists" and is rolling lists out gradually, so the screen can differ from one account to another. On iPhone the path is Tools > Lists > New list^[2]. Lists work as custom chat filters^[3].

The limits, stated plainly: a cap of 20 labels, and every label is applied by hand. The help pages describe no notes, reminders or pipeline view.

What about the computer? WhatsApp's help pages on labels cover Android and iPhone only. We did not find an official statement that Business labels or lists show and filter on WhatsApp Web. If your Business account does show labels on WhatsApp Web, you can use them there; if it does not, the extension route below works the same way.

A separate point on access: you can link up to four devices to one account, and WhatsApp Web counts as one. The phone does not need to stay online, but linked devices are logged out if the phone is not used for more than 14 days^[6][7].

A quick rule: if you are happy to change apps and 20 manual labels are enough, use the Business app. If you want to keep your number where it is, or need a pipeline and reminders on a computer, use an extension.

Option 2: add labels on any account with a Chrome extension

A Chrome extension runs inside web.whatsapp.com on your computer and adds a layer on top of it. Zapext adds labels, a Kanban pipeline, reminders and quick replies to the account you already use, regular or Business, on the same number. It does not use the official WhatsApp Business API, and you do not migrate anything.

Zapext labels let you sort customers by interest, source or status, even on a regular WhatsApp account. No Business account is needed.

Where the data lives: your CRM data (pipeline, labels and notes) is stored encrypted on your computer, and you can back it up, export it and import it whenever you want. Zapext never asks for your WhatsApp password; you log in with a separate Zapext account.

Zapext is published on the Chrome Web Store, where it had 552 users and a 5.0 rating on 45 reviews when we checked on 24 Oct 2026^[8].

Requirements and limits:

• It works on a desktop or laptop only, in Chrome or another Chromium browser such as Edge, Brave, Opera or Vivaldi. It does not run on Firefox or Safari.
• There is no mobile version. The Kanban board, notes and reminders are on your computer.
• Labels are part of both paid plans, Starter and Plus. Check the plan details before you build a large label system.

Step by step: labels on regular WhatsApp Web with Zapext

You need a computer, Chrome or another Chromium browser, and your phone for WhatsApp's own login.

1. Add the extension. Open the Zapext page on the Chrome Web Store and click "Add to Chrome", then "Add extension". Chrome shows a permission dialog before it installs anything^[9].
2. Pin the icon (optional). Click the puzzle-piece icon in the Chrome toolbar and pin Zapext so it is always visible.
3. Open WhatsApp Web. Go to web.whatsapp.com and log in to WhatsApp as usual, with WhatsApp's own QR code. This is WhatsApp's login, not Zapext's.
4. Log in to Zapext. Zapext appears as a tab on the left side of the screen. Click the avatar icon and log in with your e-mail and password, or create your Zapext account right there. There is no Zapext QR code. On first open, a 60-second tour shows you around.
5. Create your labels. Open "Manage tags", click "Create tag", type a name and choose a colour under "Select a color". The colour is shown on the contact's name in each chat.
6. Apply a label. Open a chat and use "Add tag". To take it off, use "Remove tag".
7. Filter and back up. View your chats by label or column ("Chats by Column/Tag"), and back up or export your CRM data from "Import/export data".

To try it on your own number: Install on Chrome.

Turn labels into a Kanban pipeline

Labels say who the contact is: where they came from, what they want, what type of customer they are. The Kanban board says where the conversation stands, in stages such as New contact, Negotiating and Closed.

A simple rule: if the information answers "who is this?", make it a label. If it answers "what stage is this at?", make it a column.

In Zapext, every chat becomes a card that you drag between stages such as New contact, Negotiating and Closed. Add a reminder to a card to set the day you will follow up. Scheduled messages go out only while WhatsApp Web is open on your computer.

For a full walkthrough of stages and columns, read Kanban on WhatsApp Web, and for labels, pipeline and follow-up together, see the WhatsApp CRM guide.

Label systems that work: examples for sales and support

Start with one of these sets and adjust the names to your business.

Business type	Suggested labels
Online shop	New order, Awaiting payment, Shipped, Return/Exchange
Clinic or salon	First visit, Booked, Follow-up, No-show
Service provider or contractor	Quote sent, Approved, In progress, Completed
Real-estate or insurance agent	Hot lead, Visit booked, Proposal, Closed
Tuition or coaching	Enquiry, Demo booked, Enrolled, Renewal due
Support desk	Open, Waiting on customer, Escalated, Resolved

A method that scales is to think in four groups of labels:

• Sales stage: new, negotiating, won, lost.
• Product or service of interest: what the person asked about.
• Source: Instagram, ad, referral, website, walk-in.
• Behaviour: asked for a discount, repeat buyer, inactive.

Keep the sales stage in the Kanban board and use labels for the other three groups, so a chat moves across the board while its labels stay the same.

Start small, with 8 to 15 labels. Avoid vague labels such as "important" or "later". Review your labels once a month and delete the ones you no longer use.

Use labels to decide which contacts belong on a list before you send to it. Only include contacts who agreed to hear from you, keep volumes reasonable and send gradually, within WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy and Terms of Service^[10][11]. Before you send to a list, read how to send bulk WhatsApp messages within the rules.

Limits and good practice

• Desktop only. The Kanban board, notes, reminders and automations live in the extension on your computer, and there is no mobile version. The chatbot, scheduled messages and list sending run only while the computer is on and WhatsApp Web is open.
• One licence, one number. One Zapext licence covers one WhatsApp number. Starter is for 1 user per number; Plus allows up to 4 users on the same number, with chat transfer. On WhatsApp's side, the cap of four linked devices still applies^[6].
• Label count. Keep your label system compact: 8 to 15 labels are easier to manage than dozens.
• Back up your data. Your CRM data stays on your computer, encrypted. Export it regularly from "Import/export data", especially before changing computers.
• Phone labels and Zapext labels. Zapext labels live in the extension on your computer, not in WhatsApp's own label menu, so they do not appear in the phone app.
• Rules. Zapext runs inside web.whatsapp.com. No tool can stop WhatsApp from restricting a number that breaks its rules, so follow the messaging rules above. For permissions and data handling, see the security page.

If you are comparing prices: Starter ≈ US$ 57/year (≈ US$ 4.76/month) or ≈ US$ 9.60/month (charged in Brazilian reais (BRL) at 5.2 BRL/USD, rate of 28 Sep 2026)^[12]. Paid plans include a 7-day money-back guarantee, and you can cancel anytime^[13]. See pricing.

Labels missing on WhatsApp Business Web? What to check

If you used labels on a Business account and they seem to have disappeared, it is probably WhatsApp's gradual switch from labels to lists, not a bug. Update the app and look for Lists^[2][3].

If the account is a regular WhatsApp account, labels were never there. Nothing was deleted. You may see custom lists instead, which are filters, not labels.

If labels or lists are not visible on web.whatsapp.com for your Business account, check the phone app first, where WhatsApp documents the feature.

If you want labels that do not depend on WhatsApp's rollout, an extension layer on WhatsApp Web is the alternative. See labels in WhatsApp Web, even on regular WhatsApp.

Ready to label your chats on the number you already use? Install on Chrome. Questions about setup can go to suporte@zapext.com.

Sources

1. [1] Focus on what matters with custom lists — WhatsApp Blog (2024-10-31). accessed 2026-10-25.
2. [2] How to use labels — WhatsApp Help Center — WhatsApp (2026). accessed 2026-10-25.
3. [3] About lists — WhatsApp Help Center — WhatsApp (2026). accessed 2026-10-25.
4. [4] About WhatsApp Business — WhatsApp Help Center — WhatsApp (2026). accessed 2026-10-25.
5. [5] WhatsApp Business App — WhatsApp (Meta) (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.
6. [6] About linking WhatsApp to an additional phone — WhatsApp Help Center — WhatsApp (2026). accessed 2026-10-25.
7. [7] One WhatsApp account, now across multiple phones — WhatsApp Blog (2023-04-25). accessed 2026-10-25.
8. [8] Zapext — Chrome Web Store listing (users, ratings and current version) — Chrome Web Store (Google) (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.
9. [9] Install and manage extensions — Chrome Web Store Help — Google (2026). accessed 2026-10-25.
10. [10] WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy — WhatsApp (2026-09-23). accessed 2026-10-25.
11. [11] WhatsApp Terms of Service — WhatsApp LLC (2021-01-04). accessed 2026-10-24.
12. [12] Zapext — Plans and pricing (charged in Brazilian reais, BRL, with US dollar estimates) — Zapext (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.
13. [13] Zapext — Terms of use (plans, payments and refunds) — Zapext (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.