In short
An AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot answers customer messages that arrive through the official WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API), drawing only on a knowledge base the company has approved. It is for businesses that field a high volume of questions on WhatsApp. CybUP sets up the account and templates, answer rules, handover to agents, CRM integration and the data handling KVKK requires.
How does a WhatsApp AI chatbot work?
A business WhatsApp chatbot receives the customer’s message from Meta’s Cloud API through a webhook, processes it in an application on your server and sends the reply back through the API. When a message arrives, the system first works out the intent: is this about an order status, a booking, or a product question? Simple questions with a definite answer are answered directly; everything else goes to an agent.
The AI here is not a free-talking chatbot but an assistant that composes answers from content you have signed off. Documents such as the product catalogue, delivery terms, opening hours and FAQs go into a knowledge base. The model builds its answer only from these sources. When a question has no match in the knowledge base, it doesn’t guess; it says “Let me put you through to a colleague.”
What do you need to use the WhatsApp Business API?
To use the official API you need a Meta business portfolio, a WhatsApp Business account linked to it, a phone number to register for messaging and a Meta app. Meta’s Cloud API getting-started guide covers creating a system user and a permanent access token for ongoing access, and setting up a webhook to receive message status updates.
Business verification isn’t mandatory on day one, but it matters. According to Meta’s platform overview, verification status affects features such as higher messaging capacity and Official Business Account status. Verification needs your company details and documents to be consistent: the registered company name, the address and the information on your website must all match.
The accounts and the number are created in your own business portfolio, so ownership stays with your company. We do the configuration as an authorised user on your account. Moving a number you already use in the WhatsApp Business app over to the API is possible but needs planning, so we discuss how the number is used before anything changes.
What is the 24-hour customer service window, and what are template messages?
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and within it you can reply with free-form text. According to Meta’s documentation on sending messages, if the customer writes again before the window closes it resets to 24 hours; once it has closed, you can only send pre-approved template messages.
Under Meta’s template documentation, every template falls into one of three categories (authentication, marketing or utility) and can be used once approved. Order confirmations, shipping notifications and appointment reminders are typical utility templates. The category affects both approval and pricing, so we keep template text plain and true to its category.
The chatbot is designed around this rule. Say a customer wrote in the evening and the agent wants to reply the following afternoon: if the window has closed, a free-form message won’t go through. The system spots this and suggests a suitable template to the agent.
“When a WhatsApp user messages you or calls you, a 24-hour timer called a customer service window starts. If the user messages or calls you again before the timer expires, the timer resets to 24 hours.”
When does the chatbot hand over to a human agent?
The chatbot hands the conversation to an agent when the customer asks for a person, when the question isn’t covered by the knowledge base, when a sensitive subject such as a complaint or a return comes up, and when the same question has gone unanswered several times. WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy also requires businesses that use automation to give customers a clear, direct escalation path, such as transfer to an agent in the chat, a phone number or an email address.
At handover the agent sees the conversation history and what the bot understood, so the customer doesn’t have to explain everything again. If someone asks for a person out of hours, the bot says so plainly and queues the request. For the agent’s screen we can use your existing CRM, a shared inbox application or a panel built for you.
“You may use automation when responding during the 24-hour window, but must also have available prompt, clear, and direct escalation paths.”
How do you integrate a WhatsApp chatbot with your CRM?
With CRM integration, every WhatsApp conversation is linked to the right customer record, new contacts are created as leads and agents’ notes land on the same record. Your sales team can see what a customer asked on WhatsApp before they pick up the phone.
We connect through the CRM’s API, often with an n8n workflow in between. To answer questions such as order status automatically, the bot reads only what it needs from your system; it won’t give out an order status, for instance, without first matching the order number to the phone number. If your current CRM can’t do what you need, we can also talk about custom CRM development.
What does KVKK mean for a WhatsApp chatbot?
Phone numbers, names and message content collected on WhatsApp are personal data and fall under KVKK, Türkiye’s Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 6698). The privacy notice has to be presented at first contact, marketing templates need separate consent, and you must decide how long messages are kept. WhatsApp’s policy likewise only allows businesses to message people who have opted in.
In the AI layer, which model is used and where messages go must be documented as well. We don’t send unnecessary personal data to the model, and we stop the bot from asking for information on sensitive subjects such as health or finances. The wider set of technical measures can be handled alongside our KVKK technical measures work.
Where should a WhatsApp chatbot project start?
The starting point is the WhatsApp messages you received over the last few weeks. Say a furniture shop gets hundreds of messages a day, and most are the same few questions: delivery times, colour options, the store address. Approved answers are written for those, the bot initially steps in only on those topics, and everything else goes to an agent. After a few weeks, looking at which questions the bot resolved gives you a much sounder basis for widening its scope.
In the first conversation we cover your current number, message volume, the CRM you use and your team’s working hours. The review is free, and a written quote follows.
What you receive
- WhatsApp Business account and Cloud API connection configured in your own business portfolio
- An AI layer and answer rules that respond from an approved knowledge base
- Template messages written to fit their category
- Handover to agents with the full conversation history
- CRM integration, with conversations linked to the customer record
- Data flow and retention document, plus technical input for your privacy notice
How we work
- 1
Free review
We assess your message volume, frequent questions, current number and CRM setup.
- 2
Account and verification
The Meta business portfolio, WhatsApp Business account and number are prepared, and business verification is started.
- 3
Knowledge base and rules
Approved answers, handover rules and template messages are written together with your team.
- 4
Integration and testing
The Cloud API, AI layer and CRM are connected and tested with your internal team.
- 5
Launch and improvement
The bot goes live with a limited scope, and the knowledge base is updated based on the questions it couldn’t answer.
Frequently asked questions
Can we keep our existing WhatsApp number?
In most cases, yes. A number used in the WhatsApp Business app can be moved to the API, although the way it is moved can affect how you use it in the app. We plan the right route in advance based on how you use the number today.
Do you use unofficial WhatsApp tools?
No. We work only through Meta’s official WhatsApp Business Platform. WhatsApp’s policy prohibits unauthorised third-party tools, and using them puts the number at risk of being banned.
What if the bot gives a customer wrong information?
The bot is set up to answer only from the approved knowledge base; when a question has no match, it doesn’t guess but passes it to an agent. Answers are logged and reviewed regularly. If a wrong answer is spotted, the knowledge base is corrected.
Can we send bulk marketing messages on WhatsApp?
Marketing messages can only be sent with approved marketing templates, and only to people who have opted in. Meta applies additional limits to marketing templates. We plan campaigns to fit these rules and KVKK.
How much does a WhatsApp chatbot cost?
We send a written quote once we have reviewed the scope; the review is free. Meta’s messaging charges and, where used, the AI model’s usage charges come on top; we list them as separate items in the quote.
How long does setup take?
Account preparation and business verification depend on Meta’s review process. Technical setup and the knowledge base are prepared in parallel. After the review we share a realistic timeline.
What happens outside business hours?
The bot keeps answering approved topics out of hours. For requests that need an agent, it gives your working hours, logs the request and passes it to the right person the next day. If the window has closed by then, a suitable template is suggested to the agent.