App or API: the first decision
The free WhatsApp Business app is built for one person replying from a phone. It has quick replies and away messages, but no real AI automation. To connect an AI model you need the WhatsApp Business Platform (the Cloud API), which runs through a Meta business account and a phone number registered for API use. Depending on your setup, moving a number to the API can limit how you use it in the regular app, so many businesses use a dedicated number. Meta charges for some message types under the API, and the model changes from time to time, so check their current pricing before you plan volume.
The rules that shape every WhatsApp bot
Opt-in
You need a customer's permission before you message them first. That means a clear opt-in, such as a checkbox on a form or a customer messaging you, and an easy way to stop messages. Buying lists or messaging people who never agreed is a fast way to get your number restricted.
The 24-hour customer service window
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it, your bot can reply freely with normal AI-written messages. Once it closes, you can only send pre-approved template messages, such as an appointment reminder or order update, until the customer replies again.
Template messages
Templates are submitted to Meta for approval and categorized (marketing, utility or authentication). Plan them up front: a follow-up for quotes, a reminder for bookings, a "we got your request" confirmation. Keep marketing templates honest and include a way to opt out.
What the bot should handle
- Hours, location, prices and service area questions
- Booking or quote requests, collected as structured details
- Order or appointment status, if your system has an API to check
- Photos customers send (for example, a broken part), forwarded to you with the conversation
And what it should not: payments, sensitive personal data, complaints that need a person, or anything it cannot answer from your material. A good bot says "let me get a human" and actually notifies you on Slack, email or your phone.
See a demo and prepare your content
The chatbot demo runs on a website for a fictional dental clinic, but the conversation logic (answer, collect, hand off) is the same one used on WhatsApp. To get your answers ready, use the free chatbot script generator to turn your FAQs into a knowledge base.
Cost and timeline
WhatsApp AI chatbot builds start at $150 for a focused FAQ and request bot, at a fixed price agreed before work starts. Meta's own message fees are separate and billed by Meta. Most builds take 3 to 7 days, with some extra time for Meta business verification and template approval. You own the account, number and workflow. Start a project and tell me how customers reach you today.