Key takeaways
- The WhatsApp Business app suits a few people on a phone; automation needs the Business Platform
- Outside the 24 hour window you can only send approved templates
- Automate the repeat questions and hand everything else to a person with the history attached
Quick answer
To automate WhatsApp you need the WhatsApp Business Platform, Meta's API, used directly through the Cloud API or through a Business Solution Provider. An agent can then answer order status, booking, payment and catalogue questions, send reminders and invoices, and hand anything unusual to your staff. Two rules shape the design: you can reply freely for 24 hours after a customer messages you, and outside that window you can only send templates Meta has approved. Customers must opt in before you message them.
App or Platform
The WhatsApp Business app runs on a phone and suits a shop owner or a small team answering by hand. It has quick replies and a catalogue, but no real automation or integration with your systems.
The WhatsApp Business Platform connects WhatsApp to your software. It supports many agents, bots, and links to your CRM, ERP, booking or order system. It needs a verified Meta business account, an approved display name and a phone number that is not in use on the app.
The rules that shape the design
- The 24 hour customer service window. When a customer messages you, you can reply with any content for 24 hours. Each new message from them opens a fresh window.
- Templates outside the window. To start a conversation, or to write after the window closes, you use a pre-approved template in one of three categories: marketing, utility or authentication.
- Opt-in. Customers must agree to receive messages from you on WhatsApp before you send templates.
- Charges. Meta charges for template messages by category and country. Check the current rate card before you plan volumes.
- Quality and limits. New numbers start with a limit on how many customers they can message in a day. Blocks and reports lower your quality rating and can hold the limit down.
What is worth automating
- Order and delivery status from your order system or courier.
- Bookings and reminders for appointments, service visits and demos, with reschedule options.
- Payment links and receipts, and copies of invoices from your accounting system.
- Catalogue and price questions answered from your own product data.
- Lead qualification: a few questions, then a hand-off to sales with the answers attached.
- Voice notes and languages: speech to text and replies in Hindi, Gujarati or English.
Leave complaints, negotiations and anything involving money disputes with a person.
Handing over to staff
The best WhatsApp agents know when to stop. Set clear rules: hand over when the customer asks for a person, when the agent is unsure, or when the topic is sensitive. Pass the full conversation and the customer record to the staff member, so the customer never repeats themselves. Track how many conversations end in a hand-over and why, and use that list to improve the agent.
Consent and the DPDP Act
Phone numbers and chat history are personal data. Under the DPDP Act, marketing messages need consent that is free, specific and easy to withdraw, and you must say what you will send and why. Keep a record of each opt-in and opt-out, honour "stop" requests at once, and keep chat logs only as long as you need them. See DPDP Act penalties for what is at stake.
How long it takes
A first WhatsApp agent for one process, such as order status or bookings, typically takes 150 to 190 hours to build and connect, depending on how many systems it reads from. At the 2good.dev rate of USD 2 or INR 199 an hour, that is USD 300 to USD 380, plus Meta's message charges.
Questions and answers
Can a WhatsApp bot understand Hindi and Gujarati?
Yes. Current language models handle Hindi, Gujarati and mixed language messages well, and voice notes can be transcribed first. Test with real customer messages before launch.
Can I send promotional messages to all my customers?
Only to customers who have opted in, using approved marketing templates, and within your messaging limit.
Will the agent make mistakes?
Sometimes, which is why it should read answers from your own systems, avoid guessing, and hand over when unsure. An evaluation set of real questions catches most problems before launch.
Have a question about this guide? Write to us or ask Colony, our AI guide.