To create a WhatsApp chatbot for your business you have three routes: the free tools inside the WhatsApp Business app, a no-code bot builder from a Meta solution provider, or a custom bot built on Meta's Cloud API. For greetings, opening hours and a few common answers, the free app is often enough. When the bot must look up an order, take a booking or pass chats to a team, you need the Business Platform.
Checked against Meta's pages on 9 October 2026.
The three routes
| Route | Effort | What it can do | Who maintains it |
|---|---|---|---|
| App tools | Minutes | Greeting, away message, quick replies, labels, Meta Business Agent if eligible | You |
| No-code builder | Days, with a provider | Menu flows, FAQ replies, a shared inbox, the integrations the tool offers | You, in the provider's tool |
| Custom on Cloud API | Weeks, with a developer | Anything with an API: order lookup, bookings, AI answers | Your developer or studio |
Route A: the WhatsApp Business app
Meta's features page lists what the free app does without code: a greeting message for new chats, an away message outside business hours, quick replies (saved answers) and labels to sort conversations. They handle "are you open?" and "where are you?".
Meta Business Agent goes further. Meta's product page calls it an AI agent that answers customers 24/7. It learns from your past chats, your Facebook Page and your website, and you can add a catalogue or price list. You can flag topics it should hand to you.
Before you rely on it:
- Availability. The page says it is for eligible businesses in select markets. Meta's India announcement says its Business AI launched for eligible Indian businesses, in all native Indian languages.
- Cost. Meta's Meta One page says the agent is free each month up to an included allowance, with more responses on paid Meta One plans.
- Limits. It answers from content you give it.
Route B: a no-code bot builder
A solution provider runs a shared inbox and a flow builder on the Business Platform. You draw the conversation and the provider connects it to Meta. The provider's fee is separate from Meta's per-message charges, so compare plans in writing.
Route C: a custom bot on the Cloud API
A developer, or a studio like ours, connects your systems straight to Meta's Cloud API. Use it when the bot must check an order, hold a booking slot, or answer from your own documents with an AI model. See WhatsApp AI agents for business.
The steps on the Platform
This follows Meta's Cloud API get-started guide. Meta is moving the WhatsApp Business account to two accounts (phone numbers, and templates and billing) by mid-October 2026, so screen names may differ.
- Create a Meta developer app. Create an app with the "Connect with customers through WhatsApp" use case, and pick or create a business portfolio.
- Connect your WhatsApp account. Choose "Start using the API". Meta generates a test business phone number.
- Send a test message. Generate a temporary token and send the hello_world template to your own phone.
- Set up a webhook. A web address Meta calls with each incoming message and delivery update.
- Create a permanent token. In Business Settings, create a system user and generate a token with the business_management, whatsapp_business_messaging and whatsapp_business_management permissions.
- Add your real number and display name. The number must be able to receive an SMS or voice code, and not already be on WhatsApp. You set a two-step PIN.
- Verify your business. Optional to start, but a new portfolio can message only 250 people a day outside the window. Verification is one path to 2,000. See WhatsApp Business API vs WhatsApp Business app.
- Write and submit templates. Messages Meta approves in advance, as marketing, utility or authentication. Review can take up to 24 hours. See why templates get rejected.
- Set up opt-in and add a payment method. Meta bills per message. See WhatsApp Business API pricing in India.
- Go live. Point the webhook at your live server, switch the bot on, and watch your quality rating and limit.
What the bot should do first
Start with three or four jobs: answer common questions from your own documents, give order status from your order system, take bookings (guard against two people taking the same slot), and hand over to a person, with history, when asked or when unsure.
The rules that shape the design
- The 24-hour window. A customer message opens it. Inside it the bot can send ordinary messages, which Meta has charged for since 1 October 2026 after a free monthly allowance. Outside it, only approved templates.
- Opt-in. Meta's opt-in page says you must get permission before messaging, state clearly that the person is agreeing and name your business.
- A route to a person. Meta's policy allows automation inside the window but requires prompt, clear, direct escalation, such as an in-chat transfer to an agent, a phone number, an email or a support form.
- The AI Providers rule. Meta's AI Providers page says companies whose product is a general-purpose AI assistant may offer it on the Platform only where Meta is legally required to allow it. Keep your bot scoped to your business.
Test before you launch
Use the test number first. Try a message at hour 23 and at hour 25, a photo or voice note, a question your documents do not answer, someone typing "agent", and someone asking to stop messages.
Want the Platform route built and connected to your systems? Tell us about your project.
Frequently asked questions
Can I create a chatbot for WhatsApp Business?
Yes. The WhatsApp Business app has greeting, away and quick-reply tools, and Meta Business Agent for eligible businesses. For a bot that looks things up or books, use the Business Platform.
Is it free to create a WhatsApp bot?
The app's tools are free, and Meta says Meta Business Agent is free up to an included monthly allowance. The Platform has no access fee, but Meta charges for messages it delivers, and providers add their own fees. See our pricing guide.
Can I create my own chatbot for free?
You can start free: Meta's get-started guide gives you a test number and a sample app. Going live means a real number, templates and per-message charges.
How long does it take to build a WhatsApp chatbot?
A greeting and quick replies in the app take minutes. Each template review can take up to 24 hours. A custom bot depends on what it does.
Do I need a developer to create a WhatsApp chatbot?
Not always. The app tools and many provider builders need no code. You need one when the bot must read your order or booking system, use your documents with an AI model, or follow rules a builder cannot express.