Set up the AI assistant for WhatsApp

Set up an AI assistant that knows your business: the setup wizard, the chat setup assistant, switching it on, hand-off rules and your own OpenAI key.

5 min read

The AI assistant answers customers on WhatsApp on behalf of your business, based on what you teach it: what the business does, opening hours, rules and frequent questions. When needed, it passes the conversation to an agent. The assistant is available on plans that include AI, and an admin sets it up in a browser on a computer. If your plan doesn't include AI, the page shows Your current plan does not include the AI module. with an Upgrade plan button.

Step 1: the setup wizard

  1. In the side menu, under Management, click AI Settings. The first time, the AI Configuration wizard opens.
  2. Go through the six steps: Company Info, AI Agent, Data Sources, External CRM, Handoff Rules and Greeting. Use Next to move between them.
  3. At the end, click Finish & Save.

Prefer to describe it in your own words? Click the round button in the corner of the screen, AI Setup Assistant, and describe your business in the chat. The assistant asks questions and suggests a ready configuration, and Apply Configuration fills in the fields for you.

Step 2: switch it on

  1. On the AI Settings page, make sure the AI Workforce switch at the top is on. This is the main switch that turns AI on or off for the whole account.
  2. In the Chatbot Flow section, choose a Bot Mode for each number and click Save Profile:
    • Direct AI (free conversation): the AI answers from the first message, with no menu.
    • AI Chatbot (categories → questions → products): the AI guides the customer with structured questions and choices.
    • Off (classic menu bot only): the menu bot answers first. If the main switch is on, the AI carries on the conversation after the menu finishes.
  3. Save changes in the rest of the page with Save Changes at the top.

Step 3: teach the AI about your business

The more accurate the information, the better the answers. Update it whenever something changes in your business.

Step 4: hand-off to a human

In the Advanced section, under Handoff Rules, choose when the AI passes the conversation to your team: when the customer asks about prices, complains, asks for a human agent, or when the AI can't answer. You can add your own rules with Add Custom Rule. A handed-off conversation is marked AI→Agent in the conversation list. The agent clicks Accept, and the first message they send stops the AI in that conversation.

Your own OpenAI key

  1. In Settings, choose the GPT AI tab.
  2. Paste your key into the OpenAI API Key field. You get it from your account at platform.openai.com.
  3. Click Save Settings. From then on the AI assistant answers customers through your business's key.

You can also work without your own key. How much AI you can use each month depends on your plan.

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