WhatsApp AI Chatbot & Automation

Which rules does the chatbot have to follow?

Four rules from Meta shape every design decision. We build around them from day one.

• Opt-in comes first. Meta's Cloud API documentation says you must get user opt-in before sending message templates, and the opt-in should state your business name and what you will send. Its Business Messaging Policy puts responsibility for the method on you.
• A customer message opens a 24-hour window. Each new message from the customer resets the clock.
• After the window closes, only templates. Templates are pre-written, reviewed by Meta and categorised as utility, marketing or authentication. Review can take up to 24 hours.
• Some industries are restricted. The policy lists categories such as firearms, alcohol and tobacco, gambling and debt collection, among others. Check yours before we start.

What can you send inside and outside the window?

How does WhatsApp pricing work now?

Meta moved from conversation-based to per-message pricing on 1 July 2025. You pay when a message is delivered, not when it is sent, and what you pay depends on the message category and the recipient's country code. Volume tiers lower the rate for utility and authentication messages as monthly volume grows. Utility messages sent inside an open window used to be free; Meta's page says they are charged again from 1 October 2026. We turn all this into an estimate for your own mix of messages, using the rate card for your countries, so you can budget before launch. This was last verified in November 2026 on Meta's pricing documentation, which changes on set quarterly dates, so check it again before you commit.

Why we refuse unofficial WhatsApp automation

You will find tools that log into a normal WhatsApp account by QR code, or scrape the web client, to send automated or bulk messages. They are cheaper to start with and need no template approval. We will not build on them, for three reasons.

1. WhatsApp states that its apps are not designed for bulk or automated messaging and that such use has always violated its terms. It says it uses technology and legal action against it.
2. When an account is restricted, you risk losing access to the number your customers already know, and with it the channel they use to reach you.
3. Unofficial tools can stop working whenever WhatsApp changes its apps, so your support channel becomes fragile.

If another supplier offers a cheaper route, ask what happens to your number when it is blocked.

An example conversation (illustrative)

1. A customer taps a click-to-chat button on your product page, which also records their opt-in.
2. They ask whether a size is in stock. The workflow checks your inventory and replies with the answer and two buttons: reserve it, or talk to a person.
3. They choose to reserve. n8n creates a CRM deal, sets the item aside in your order system and confirms.
4. Two days later, an approved utility template reminds them to collect it. If they reply, the 24-hour window reopens and the assistant carries on.

Handing over to a person

An automated assistant needs an easy exit. Meta's policy allows automation inside the window provided customers can reach a person, so we build clear escalation: a button, a keyword, or an automatic transfer when the assistant is unsure. Your team sees the whole thread and a summary in whichever inbox they use, and can reply from there. A customer should never have to repeat their problem.

Connecting chats to your systems with n8n

The assistant becomes useful when it can do things. Through n8n we write new leads to your CRM, create calendar bookings, fetch an order's status and post alerts to Slack. n8n's WhatsApp node handles messages, templates and media, and its HTTP Request node covers anything else. Our n8n workflow automation service describes how those workflows are built, tested and monitored.

What do you need before we start?

• A Meta business portfolio you control, with a person who can approve access. Verification of your business can raise your limits, and Meta's documentation does not make it mandatory.
• A phone number you can dedicate to the business account. We check with you, before you buy anything, how Meta's current rules treat a number already used on WhatsApp.
• Your real answers: price lists, delivery and returns policies, opening hours and the questions your team repeats most.
• A named person who will read handed-over chats, and the hours they are online, so the assistant can set honest expectations.

What to expect from the platform's limits

Meta applies limits that affect design. Messaging limits cap how many unique customers you can start conversations with in a rolling 24 hours, and templates have quality ratings that can lead to pausing. Sending speed is capped per number, and there is a pacing limit on messages to a single person. None of this is a problem for ordinary support traffic, but it matters for large reminder campaigns, so we plan sends in batches and watch template quality instead of discovering limits after launch.

When a WhatsApp chatbot is not the right choice

• Your customers rarely use WhatsApp. Email or web chat will serve them better.
• You want to message people who never opted in. The platform is not for that, and we will not help.
• You get a handful of messages a week. A person with the WhatsApp Business app is cheaper.
• Your business is in a category Meta restricts.

Meta's terms also bar companies from using the platform to offer a general-purpose AI assistant as their main product. A support assistant for your own business is a different thing, but Meta makes the final call, so we keep the assistant focused on your service.