Use case
Answer WhatsApp questions automatically
Last updated by Venu Gopal Reddy Muvva, Founder, Surge Software Solutions
Who this is for
This is for you if you run a small business and WhatsApp is where your customers talk to you. You might run a shop, a clinic, a coaching centre or a service. The same questions come in all day: what are your hours, how much does it cost, where is my order. People message at 11 pm and book with whoever replies first. A fixed 'away' message does not answer them. You want real answers sent for you, and a way to step in when it matters.
How to do it in CustomerReplies
- Sign in and add your website. Sign in at /sign-in with an email code. In onboarding, type your website address so the agent can read it.
- Add anything else customers ask about. On the Sources page, add files like a price list PDF, or type Q&A pairs for things that are not on your site.
- Test in the Playground. Ask the questions your customers send. Fix any wrong answer once. Playground messages don't use your monthly replies.
- Create your Meta app. In Meta's developer console, set up the WhatsApp Cloud API for your business number. You need the phone number ID and an access token.
- Connect WhatsApp on the Channels page. Paste your phone number ID and token under Channels, WhatsApp. Send a test message from another phone.
- Set hand-off and office hours. On the Hand-off page, choose when a person should take over and where alerts go: Telegram or email.
Meta's 24-hour rule
WhatsApp allows free-text replies only within 24 hours of the customer's last message. The agent answers inside that window.
After the window closes, your team sends an approved template from the inbox. The inbox shows you when that is needed.
When you step in
The agent hands over when it can't find an answer, when the customer asks for a person, or when they sound upset. You get an alert on Telegram or email.
Open the chat in the Inbox and take over. The agent stays quiet until you hand it back. You can also reply straight from the Telegram alert.
What you pay
The first 3 months are free. After that you pay only for what you use, at our cost — no markup. Monthly plans are coming soon.
Meta bills WhatsApp message fees to your own Meta account at its own rates. We add nothing on top.
When CustomerReplies is not the right tool
CustomerReplies is not the right tool if you want to connect WhatsApp in one click. One-click sign-up (Embedded Signup) is not available yet, so today you set up your own Meta app. It is also not right if your customers need answers in Hindi or other languages; the agent understands them but replies in English. Voice notes are in Beta and need a paid add-on that is not available yet, so the agent can't answer voice notes today. If bulk broadcasts matter more to you than answers, a tool like Wati may suit you better.
Questions
Do I need to write code?
No. But you do need to create a Meta app in Meta's developer console and copy two values from it. The WhatsApp docs walk you through it.
Can I keep using my number?
Yes. You connect your own WhatsApp Business number through Meta's Cloud API.
What if the AI gets something wrong?
Correct it once in the Playground. It becomes a saved answer, and the agent uses your exact words from then on.
Can I see every chat?
Yes. All chats appear in the shared inbox, and you can take over any of them.