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How to Set Up a WhatsApp Chatbot for a Small Business

WhatsApp is where many South African customers already are. Connecting it to a Chatleadr bot puts the same answers, workflows and lead capture on that thread.

Time: about two hours, plus Meta's verification. You need: Growth or above, a WhatsApp Business account, and a phone number not already on the WhatsApp consumer app.

The same Message node, three channels C Patio Warehouse Typically replies instantly Which would you like to do? Book a call Get a quote Something else Write a message… Web widget Chips render below the bubble and disappear once one is tapped. P Patio Warehouse business account Which would you like to do? 09:41 Book a call Get a quote Something else Get a quote 09:41 Message WhatsApp Reply buttons, three maximum.More than three become a list instead. P patiowarehouse Instagram Which would you like to do?1. Book a call2. Get a quote3. Something elseReply with a number. 2 Message… Instagram Options are written into the text, because anInstagram client renders a button payload as anempty bubble and drops the message with it.
One Message node with three quick replies, as each channel delivers it. The bot says the same thing; the interface around it is what changes.

1. Connect the Number#

Choosing a number and authorising it through Meta is one procedure, and it is written out step by step on connect WhatsApp to your bot. Work through that first and come back once the Channels tab reads Connected.

The bot is the same bot. The knowledge base, personality, goal and workflows all carry over, leads land in the same table, and each row records the channel the conversation came from.

2. Budget for a Slower Conversation#

A website visitor is reading your site now. A WhatsApp customer might reply tomorrow morning. Two consequences follow.

Threads cost more than web chats. A conversation is charged again for each hour it stays active, so a WhatsApp thread is more likely than a website chat to be charged more than once. See what counts as a conversation.

Replies have a deadline. Meta accepts a message for 24 hours after the customer's last one. A workflow that waits longer than that reaches them only as an approved WhatsApp template. See what differs per channel.

3. Shorten What the Bot Says#

Long paragraphs that read fine in a chat panel are a wall of text in a WhatsApp thread. Set the bot's personality to answer briefly.

Re-check any workflow that uses a form as well. On WhatsApp the visitor gets a secure link and fills the form in on a page, which adds a step. Where a form asks for two fields the conversation already supplied, take them as workflow parameters instead. See the Form node.

4. Build a Qualify-and-Capture Workflow#

On WhatsApp the follow-up happens later and by a person, so the workflow to build first is one that qualifies an enquiry and records it.

NodeConfiguration
TriggerAlready on the canvas.
Formname, phone, what_they_need.
API RequestOptional. Pushes the lead to your CRM.
MessageConfirm, and say when someone will reply.

Description:

text
Records what a customer needs so the team can quote and follow up, and confirms
when they will hear back.

USE WHEN the customer asks for a quote, asks about availability for a job, or
asks someone to get back to them.
DO NOT USE for questions about opening hours, directions or prices already
published. Answer those from the knowledge base.

5. Set Expectations in the First Message#

A WhatsApp customer cannot see your site, so the greeting is the only thing setting expectations. Say what your bot can do and when a person is involved:

Hi! I can answer questions about our services, prices and availability, and I can take the details for a quote. Anything I can't help with goes to the team, and they reply during business hours.

6. Test From a Real Phone#

Send the number four messages from a phone that is not connected to the account:

  1. A question the knowledge base answers.
  2. A request that should trigger the lead workflow.
  3. Something out of scope entirely.
  4. A one-word message: "hi".

The fourth is where a weak description shows: a workflow with one often fires on "hi", which is the most common description failure.

7. Put the Number Where People Will Use It#

  • A wa.me link on your website's contact page.
  • The number on your Google Business profile.
  • A hand-off from the website bot: a Message node in redirect mode, pointing at https://wa.me/27XXXXXXXXX?text= with the visitor's question already appended, so the WhatsApp thread starts with context instead of "hi".

Common Questions#

Do I Need a WhatsApp Business API Account?#

Yes. Chatleadr connects through the official WhatsApp Business Platform, which is what allows an automated assistant to answer. The free WhatsApp Business app on a phone cannot be automated this way.

Will Customers Know They Are Talking to a Bot?#

They should. Saying so in the greeting, along with what your bot can do and when a person takes over, sets an expectation the rest of the conversation can meet.

How Much Does a WhatsApp Conversation Cost?#

The Chatleadr rate is the same as any other channel: one conversation charged when it starts, and again for each additional hour it stays active. Meta charges its own WhatsApp Business Platform fees separately, on its own pricing.

Can the Bot Send Files on WhatsApp?#

It can send a link to a file, and a form can collect an upload through the secure link. Sending a document into the thread is a Message node pointing at a hosted file rather than an attachment.

What Happens If a Customer Replies Two Days Later?#

The conversation has long since gone idle, so their reply starts a new one. The assistant no longer has the earlier thread in context, so workflows that record a lead matter more on WhatsApp than on the website.