Updated on December 12, 2024

According to Statista, 2 billion people use WhatsApp every month. Surveys also confirm that a massive 24.7% of the global population uses the app (Exploding Topics).

Put these two statistics together, and WhatsApp emerges as a key growth driver for businesses worldwide. Until recently, businesses only used email, phone, live chat, and social media to communicate with customers. The introduction of WhatsApp bots into the mix provides a simple, direct, and real-time means of communication.

What is a WhatsApp Bot?

A WhatsApp chatbot is an automated system that can converse with customers through WhatsApp. The WhatsApp number would be your business number. The chatbot can provide quick replies, take customer queries, and offer canned responses or customer account information. The chatbot functions based on the user’s input and sends answers based on the phrases or keypad presses programmed in its backend.

To leverage a WhatsApp chatbot, you need the WhatsApp Business API, which activates upon receiving a message from a user to your business. Explore an example of a WhatsApp chatbot from Kommunicate by clicking on the banner below.

Whatsapp chatbot CTA
Learn more about Whatsapp Chatbot

How to create a WhatsApp Bot – Step by Step Guide

In this blog you will learn how to create a WhatsApp bot with this comprehensive step-by-step guide. Building a WhatsApp bot doesn’t require coding skills if you utilize the appropriate tools. Building a whatsApp bot involves two primary steps:

  1. Applying for WhatsApp API
  2. Build the WhatsApp bot

How to apply for WhatsApp Business API?

Here are the steps you should follow to apply for WhatsApp business API and set up your dedicated WhatsApp Business number.

Step 1: Sign up for Meta for Developers. Once you sign up, you’ll receive an email explaining the next steps to follow to get your application approved.

Step2: Next, you need to create an app, select the type of app, and then name the App. 

Create a Whatsapp app

Step 3: Now click on configuration under whatsApp, edit the call back URL and verify the token. Copy the Call back URL and token from Kommunicate docs, click on manage Webhook field > Select Message V16.0 click Verify and save.

Enabling webhooks to connect Kommunicate with Meta APIs

Step 4: Finally, you will get a Test phone number, Phone number ID,Temporary access token, WhatsApp business account ID, API Version. that you need further.

phone number

How to Build a WhatsApp Bot

Step 1: Building a chatbot

Log in to your Kommunicate dashboard and navigate to the Bot Integration section. Click on the Kompose section and click on create another bot. You are now done creating your bot and all you have to worry about now is to “Enable bot to human transfer” when the bot encounters a query it does not understand. Enable this feature and click “Finish Bot Setup.”

Kommunicate dashboard with bot integration options

From the next page, you can choose if this bot will handle all the incoming conversations. Click on “Let this bot handle all the conversations” and you are good to go.

Bot creation complete screen on the Kommunicate dashboard

🚀  Bonus: If you want a pre-built chatbot? Here’s where to find a bunch of them!

Start Building Your AI Chatbot Without Sign up

Step 2. Create chatbot conversation flow

After creating your first bot, you’ll be transferred to Kommunicate Flow Designer. Click on the Bot response block to open its edit window. You can create the way you want.

Here’s a primer on how to design the communication flow for your WhatsApp chatbot.

Entering the welcome message for your WhatsApp chatbot on Kommunicate

Step 3: Configuring WhatsApp

And then Go to integrations > WhatsApp > and then Click on Meta cloud API on your Kommunicate Dashboard.

Step 4 .Configure WhatsApp in Kommunicate

Enter the Test phone number, Phone number ID, Temporary access token, WhatsApp business account ID, API Version and Click ‘Save and Proceed’. 

 Step 5. Test Your WhatsApp Bot

Now Kommunicate is successfully integrated with the WhatsApp account, try sending messages to the number linked to the account. These messages will be sent to Kommunicate chat as well. If the chatbot is already integrated, the bot will start replying to your WhatsApp chat queries.

This is how the conversations will look like in the Kommunicate dashboard.

Limitations

  1. You can only send and receive specific media files. See more info here.
  2. If more than 24 hours have passed since the last user message, only template messages will be allowed.
  3. WhatsApp does not support rich message responses from the bot, so they will not be received by the end-user.

Bots can Offer Robust Responses 24/7

A human agent cannot handle your business communication 24/7/365. But, a WhatsApp bot can. It can provide canned responses — template-based responses to questions that are repetitive in nature or are frequently asked by customers. 

Bots can Provide Product and Service Catalogs

For prospects who want quick information about the business and its offerings, It offer product and service catalogs. Online catalogues are a handy way of presenting information using images, video links, long-form text descriptions along with price details. This helps the prospect make a quick choice and proceed to make a buying decision.

Customers do not Need an Extra App

WhatsApp is an app that users rely on for their personal communication on daily. Businesses can join this app bandwagon to communicate with customers without requiring them to install another app. This creates a win-win situation for both sides. Hence, with a WhatsApp bot, businesses can get one step closer to their customers. 

Chat, Call, and Video Conferencing Bundled into One

Versatility. This is the prime reason why WhatsApp is considered to be superior to most chat apps and video conferencing apps. Customers can send texts, get on a voice call for detailed discussion, or even initiate a video call to discuss the product working in detail. 

Whatsapp chatbot CTA
Learn more about Whatsapp Chatbot

Suggested Read: How to Build a Line Chatbot Without Any Coding

5 Reasons why you should choose Kommunicate

  1. Kommunicate’s no-code Chatbot builder: Using Kommunicate’s Kompose chatbot builder, anyone can build a chatbot in a matter of a few clicks and then train the bot to give answers to simple queries. Building a bot, is thus, a simple task. 
  2. Create a bot in a matter of minutes: Kommunicate lets you build a bot in 3 simple steps and then integrate it to WhatsApp business in just 5 minutes, all using methods that can be easily followed.
  3. Easy interactions: Komunicate lets you interact with your customers who are reaching out to you via WhatsApp easily via the Kommunicate dashboard. This dashboard is interactive and gives you all the vital details at your fingertips.
  4. All your conversations in one place: The Kommunicate Dashboard also lets you access all your current and previous conversations with a particular customer in an easy-to-digest format, meaning you are well-informed all the time.
  5. Transparent pricing: No hidden costs, no charging for add ons that you didn’t order. With Kommunicate, the pricing is always clear and we make sure you get what you pay for.

We hope that we have answered your question, “How to build a WhatsApp bot?” Now, what are you waiting for? Go build your WhatsApp bot today, with Kommunicate.

Here’s a quick video:

FAQ

You can configure a bot for your WhatsApp number with the help of a WhatsApp API from a provider like Twilio or 360 Dialog. Once you have the API, you can build the bot conversational capabilities with the help of a bot building tool like Kommunicate Kompose.

No. WhatsApp offers WhatsApp for business which is an advanced version of the messenger. It has business-friendly features like quick replies, labels, product catalog, and so on. However, chatbot capabilities are not provided by WhatsApp for business. You need a WhatsApp API to integrate a bot into your WhatsApp messenger. 

You can use a third-party solution such as kommunicate to build a no-code chatbot with 30 days free trial. But WhatsApp Business API is not free and you need to pay for it. You cannot build a WhatsApp chatbot without using WhatsApp APIs. No. Since the APIs for WhatsApp chatbots are provided by third-parties like Kommunicate’s Kompose, they come for a price. However, your customers would not be asked to pay for anything. They can continue using the app like any other messaging tool. 

You need a WhatsApp API to program the chatbot. The API’s backend has editors where you can program questions, provide options for responses, or if required, transfer the conversation to a human agent. 

Yes. Like any other capable chatbot, a WhatsApp chatbot can take orders, provide order updates, and also take delivery instructions from customers and pass them onto a CRM or the delivery personnel. 

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