How to set up AI customer support on WhatsApp for your business
Set up AI customer support on WhatsApp with your own business number: what you need, the steps, what it costs, and what your customers will see.
You can set up AI customer support on WhatsApp in about ten minutes by connecting your own business number to an assistant that already knows your prices, hours and policies. With Ansa, customers message your number as they do today, and Ansa replies there from the same knowledge as your website chat, only ever to people who messaged you first. WhatsApp replies are included on the Starter, Pro and Business plans, with no extra charge from Ansa.
Why answer customers on WhatsApp with AI?
For many small businesses, WhatsApp is where customers already ask their questions: "Are you open today?", "How much is delivery?", "Do you have this in stock?". Answering every message by hand means your phone never stops, and questions after hours wait until morning.
An AI assistant on WhatsApp answers those routine questions straight away, on your own number and under your own business name, and points customers to you when it doesn't know. For more on the wider case, see the benefits of an AI customer support assistant.
What do you need before you start?
- An Ansa plan that includes WhatsApp: Starter, Pro and Business.
- A phone number for your business that can receive a verification code by text message or phone call.
- A Facebook account. During setup you sign in with it, then create or choose your business on Meta (the company that runs WhatsApp). Meta calls this a business portfolio. If you already use Meta Business Suite for Facebook or Instagram, you can use the same one.
- A payment method in Meta's WhatsApp Manager, because Meta bills you directly for messages beyond its free allowance. You can add it straight after connecting.
- About 10 minutes.
What if my number is already on WhatsApp?
- On the WhatsApp Business app: in many countries you can keep using the app on your phone while Ansa answers alongside it. Update the app first, then turn on This number already uses the WhatsApp Business app when you connect.
- On regular (personal) WhatsApp: the number can't be used as it is. You'd need to delete the WhatsApp account on that number first, and your chat history doesn't move across. Many businesses use a separate number instead.
How do you set it up, step by step?
Step 1: Teach Ansa about your business
If you haven't already, create a free account and let Ansa read your website, or upload a price list or menu. Your WhatsApp replies use exactly the same knowledge as your website chat. Our step-by-step setup guide covers this part.
Step 2: Test your answers
Use the test chat in your Command centre to ask your most common questions, plus one you know isn't covered, so you can check Ansa replies with your "don't know" message rather than guessing. See Test Ansa before you publish.
Step 3: Connect your number
- Open Deploy and find Answer on your WhatsApp number.
- If the number is on the WhatsApp Business app and you want to keep using the app, turn on This number already uses the WhatsApp Business app.
- Otherwise, look at Two-step verification PIN (optional). If the number already has a WhatsApp two-step verification PIN, type it in. If not, leave it empty and Ansa creates a 6-digit PIN for you.
- Click Connect WhatsApp. A Facebook window opens.
- Sign in with Facebook, create or choose your business, then add or choose your phone number. Enter the code WhatsApp sends to it.
- When the window closes, Deploy shows your number, your display name and its status.
If Ansa created your PIN, it appears once with a Copy PIN button. Save it somewhere safe: you'll need it if you ever move the number to another service.
Step 4: Add a payment method with Meta
Add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager. Without one, Meta won't deliver paid messages and Deploy shows Needs attention until it's added.
Step 5: Publish and check
Make sure your assistant is Published (the switch at the top of Deploy). A draft assistant doesn't reply on WhatsApp. Then send your business number a question from a different phone. When everything's working, Deploy shows the status Replying.
The full reference is in Connect your WhatsApp number.
What will your customers see?
- Replies from your business number and display name, in the language the customer writes in.
- Text answers. A very long answer is split into more than one message.
- A polite note for photos and voice notes. If someone sends a photo, voice note, video, document, sticker, location or contact card, Ansa asks them to type their question instead, at most once a day per conversation.
- Your "don't know" message and contact link when the answer isn't in your knowledge, so customers can still reach a person.
Ansa only replies to new messages as they arrive. It never starts a conversation and never sends marketing or template messages.
How do you see and improve WhatsApp conversations?
WhatsApp chats appear in Conversations, labelled WhatsApp, with the customer's number partly hidden (for example +234 •••• 5678). Messages from the same customer stay in one conversation; after 24 hours without a message, their next one starts a new conversation.
Questions Ansa couldn't answer show under Unanswered questions, just like website chats. Click Add this answer and Ansa uses it next time, on WhatsApp and your website. See Fill the gaps from unanswered questions.
What does AI support on WhatsApp cost?
Two separate things are counted:
| Who charges | What's counted | |
|---|---|---|
| Ansa answers | Ansa, as part of your plan price | Each reply Ansa writes counts as one answer, exactly like a website reply. No extra WhatsApp charge. |
| WhatsApp messages | Meta, billed directly to your Meta account | Each number gets 1,000 free service messages a month; after that, Meta charges per message at the rate for your customer's country. |
Your website chat, chat link, test chat and WhatsApp all share the same monthly answer allowance (500 on Starter, 2,000 on Pro, 5,000 on Business). The "I can only read text messages" reply and the "please contact the business directly" message don't use answers.
When you reach your monthly limit, Ansa never bills you for more. Customers who message you on WhatsApp get a "please contact the business directly" message, with your contact link if you've set one, until next month starts or you upgrade. Meta sets its own prices and free allowance and can change them; WhatsApp Manager always shows the real figures for your account. See WhatsApp costs and our guide to AI chatbot costs for small businesses.
What about privacy?
WhatsApp messages pass through Meta under your own agreement with Meta. In your dashboard, customers' numbers are partly hidden. Ansa holds the full number only while it answers a message, then deletes it from its working records. Your knowledge and your customers' conversations are never used to train AI models. See What we store.
Can you run more than one WhatsApp number?
Yes, with more than one assistant. Pro includes 3 assistants and Business 10 assistants, and each assistant can have its own WhatsApp number that answers from that assistant's knowledge. That suits businesses with more than one brand or location. See Run several assistants.
What if it isn't working?
Start on Deploy, under Answer on your WhatsApp number. Replying means all is well, Connected means your assistant is still a draft, and Needs attention means customers aren't getting replies; the message there explains what to fix. Common causes are an unpublished assistant, a missing Meta payment method, or testing from the business number itself. See WhatsApp troubleshooting.
FAQ
Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app on my phone?
In many countries, yes. Turn on This number already uses the WhatsApp Business app when you connect, and Ansa answers alongside the app. Ansa replies to every text message, even if you're replying too.
Will Ansa message my customers first?
No. Ansa only replies to customers who message you first, and never sends marketing or template messages.
Does Ansa charge extra for WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp is included on Starter, Pro and Business, and each reply counts as one answer. Meta bills you directly for messages beyond its free monthly allowance.
Can Ansa read voice notes or photos?
Not yet. Ansa answers text messages and politely asks customers to type their question if they send something else.
How do I stop Ansa replying on WhatsApp?
Open Deploy and click Disconnect under Answer on your WhatsApp number, or unpublish your assistant. Past conversations stay in Conversations.
Do I need a website to use Ansa on WhatsApp?
No. You can teach Ansa from documents, text snippets and Q&A pairs instead, then connect your number.
Ready to start? Create your free account, then compare plans with WhatsApp on our pricing page. Still choosing a tool? See the best AI customer support chatbots for small businesses.