> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.eesel.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.eesel.ai/integrations/chat-surfaces/whatsapp.md). # WhatsApp Set up an AI agent for WhatsApp. It answers your customers on your own WhatsApp Business number, or your team on eesel's number. eesel's AI agent for WhatsApp is a WhatsApp AI chatbot that answers messages from the knowledge you have connected. With **WhatsApp Business**, your customers message your own WhatsApp Business number and your agent replies from that number. With **WhatsApp for your team**, you and your teammates message your agent on eesel's shared WhatsApp number from your phones. Both are self-serve: turn them on yourself from **Integrations**. eesel connects your number to Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform through Meta's own sign-in, so you don't need a developer account, an API key or another WhatsApp provider. Your customers can't message your agent on eesel's shared number: to answer customers, use WhatsApp Business. It is not Meta AI, the assistant built into WhatsApp. ## Set up WhatsApp Business Once we have turned WhatsApp Business on for your workspace, connect your number from the dashboard chat or from the Integrations page. {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Open the connect page Open the chat in your dashboard and ask your agent to connect WhatsApp Business. A **Connect WhatsApp Business** button appears in the chat. Or go to **Integrations > WhatsApp Business**, click **Connect**, then **Connect WhatsApp Business**.

The WhatsApp Business connect page in the eesel dashboard, with a Connect your WhatsApp Business number card and a Connect WhatsApp Business button — The connect page for WhatsApp Business.

{% endstep %} {% step %} ### Sign in with Meta and pick your number Meta's sign-in window opens and walks you through connecting your business to eesel AI: 1. **Add your WhatsApp phone number.** Pick an existing number, or enter a new one and verify it by text message or phone call. You can also use a display name with a virtual number instead, but Meta reviews your business name and display name first, which can take up to 5 business days. 2. **Complete your business profile:** name, category, country, website and time zone. 3. **Review what you'll share with eesel AI** and click **Confirm**. eesel can then manage your WhatsApp account and its conversations. If your account has more than one number, eesel asks **Which number should your agent answer on?** and shows a button for each. You can connect a number you still use in the WhatsApp Business app on your phone, and chats then show in both places. Keep the app open while you connect. Some app features, such as broadcast lists, stop working once the number is connected. Numbers moving over from another WhatsApp provider are not supported yet.

{% endstep %} {% step %} ### Wait for Ready eesel finishes setting up your number with Meta. The **WhatsApp Business** page shows your number with a **Ready** badge when it is done. If setup stops partway, the page says which step failed, and **Retry setup** carries on from there. Your agent starts answering as soon as the number is **Ready**. You can pause it from your **Automations** page at any time. Meta also needs two things before your number can send messages: a verified business, and a payment method on your WhatsApp account. Until both are done, the page shows Meta's warning, such as "Meta says this number can't send messages". Add a payment method in WhatsApp Manager, and finish business verification in your Meta business settings.

The WhatsApp Business page in the eesel dashboard showing the connected number with a Ready badge, an empty message templates list and the connection in Activities — Your number shows Ready once setup is done.

{% endstep %} {% step %} ### Send it a test message From another phone, message your WhatsApp Business number with something a customer would ask, such as where their order is. Your agent replies from your number. Every conversation appears on the **Activity** page in your dashboard. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} ## Set up WhatsApp for your team WhatsApp for your team answers on one shared eesel number, so there is no account to connect and nothing to install. Each teammate pairs their own phone once, and from then on eesel knows who is messaging and which agent they are talking to. Once we have turned it on for your workspace: {% stepper %} {% step %} ### Pair your phone Go to **Integrations > WhatsApp for your team** and click **Pair phone**. The first pairing in your workspace also turns WhatsApp for your team on. eesel shows eesel's WhatsApp number and a single-use code that lasts 10 minutes. Tap **Open WhatsApp** and send the code, which looks like `link me: ABC-123`. eesel replies to confirm, for example "Paired. You're Sam in Acme, talking to eesel. Ask me anything, or send me work." The page moves on by itself once your message arrives. You can also ask your agent in the dashboard chat for a pairing link to pair your own phone.

The pairing page for WhatsApp for your team, showing eesel's WhatsApp number, the one-time code link me: FZY-423 with a copy button and a countdown, and an Open WhatsApp button — The pairing page, with eesel's number and your one-time code.

{% endstep %} {% step %} ### Message your agent Message eesel's number on WhatsApp and ask anything your team would ask a colleague. Your agent answers from your knowledge, and it can work your other connected apps from the chat, such as looking up an order in your store. What it does for you follows the access you already have in eesel. When an action needs approval, your agent sends **Approve** and **Deny** buttons in the chat.

A WhatsApp chat with eesel's number where the teammate sends the pairing code, eesel confirms the pairing, and the teammate asks what eesel is and gets an answer — Pairing your phone, then asking your agent a question on WhatsApp.

{% endstep %} {% step %} ### Manage paired phones Paired phones are listed on the **WhatsApp for your team** page, with the agent each phone reaches. To add another, click **Pair phone** there, or **Pair a phone** on the settings page for WhatsApp for your team. Use **Unpair** to remove one. {% endstep %} {% endstepper %} {% hint style="info" %} **Who can do what.** Only people with edit rights in your eesel workspace can pair a phone, click **Retry setup**, reconnect or unpair, and tap **Approve** or **Deny**. Only they can have your agent create, edit, delete or send message templates, or message a customer other than the one a conversation is with. {% endhint %} ## Sources, triggers and actions ### Sources WhatsApp is a place your agent answers, not a knowledge source it indexes. Nothing from WhatsApp is copied into eesel. Your agent reads each conversation live while it answers. Its answers come from what else you have connected. For customers, that is usually your help center, website and past tickets, plus your store for order questions. See [Integrations](/integrations/overview.md). Your agent reads the text of each message. When someone sends an image, voice note, document or location, your agent sees that one was sent, plus any caption, file name or place name, but not what is inside it. ### Triggers Triggers are the WhatsApp events an automation can run on: | Trigger | Fires when | Best for | Key | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | **When a customer messages your WhatsApp Business number** | A customer sends a message to your connected number | Answering customers on WhatsApp | `whatsapp_business_message_received` | | **When a paired teammate messages on WhatsApp** | A teammate who has paired their phone messages eesel's number | Your team asking questions from their phones | `whatsapp_team_message_received` | Connecting turns the trigger on. You can add instructions to it, such as which questions to take and how to answer, and pause it from your **Automations** page. While it is paused your agent is silent on WhatsApp. Messages to eesel's number from someone who has not paired a phone never reach your agent. eesel replies at most once a day, pointing them to the dashboard. ### Actions Actions are what it can do: | | Action | What it does | | ------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Respond** | Reply to a customer on WhatsApp | Replies to the customer who messaged your WhatsApp Business number, from that number | | | Reply to a teammate on WhatsApp | Replies to the teammate who messaged eesel's number | | **Templates** | Create a WhatsApp template | Submits a message template to Meta for approval | | | Edit a WhatsApp template | Changes a template's text. Meta reviews it again | | | Delete a WhatsApp template | Deletes a template from your WhatsApp account. This can't be undone. Asks for approval by default | | | List WhatsApp templates | Lists your templates and Meta's approval status for each | | | Send a WhatsApp template | Sends an approved template to a customer who has messaged your number before. Asks for approval by default | | **Pairing** | Get a pairing link | Makes a single-use code and link so you can pair your own phone | | | List paired phones | Lists who has paired a phone, and which agent each one reaches | A message template is a message Meta has approved in advance. WhatsApp only lets a business reply freely within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After that, only an approved template can reach them. Meta bills your business directly for template messages, through the payment method in WhatsApp Manager, Meta's tool for managing your WhatsApp Business account. You stay in control the whole way. Adjust your AI agent's access to knowledge and its action permissions to your liking. See [Actions and Approvals](/instructions-and-memory/actions-and-approvals.md). ## Limitations * **Replies only within 24 hours.** After 24 hours from the customer's last message, only an approved template can reach them. On WhatsApp for your team, message your agent again and it picks up from there. * **No built-in handover yet.** There is no handover setting like the chat bubble's, and your team can't reply to a customer from eesel. If your instructions say so, your agent can still use your other connected apps, such as creating a ticket in your helpdesk. * **Text only.** Your agent doesn't see what is inside images, voice notes, documents or locations. Its replies are text, though on WhatsApp for your team they can include buttons to tap. * **No reply to reactions or edits on WhatsApp Business.** Reactions, edited messages and deleted messages from customers don't get a reply. * **One number per workspace.** A workspace connects one WhatsApp Business number, and one agent answers it. A number connected to one eesel workspace can't be connected to another. * **Your own replies from the phone app aren't seen.** If you keep using the WhatsApp Business app, your agent doesn't see the replies you send from it, so it can answer the same message. * **Sent is not delivered.** A successful send means Meta accepted the message, not that it reached the phone. * **No numbers from another provider yet.** A number moving over from another WhatsApp provider can't be connected. ## Troubleshooting

Setup stopped and the number says Not ready?

The **WhatsApp Business** page says which step failed. Click **Retry setup** to carry on from there. If the page says **Needs reconnecting**, click **Connect WhatsApp Business again** and sign in with Meta.

"This number already has a two-step verification PIN"?

Two-step verification is a PIN on your WhatsApp number that eesel needs switched off to finish setup. Turn it off for the number in WhatsApp Manager, then click **Retry setup**. If Meta has paused registering the number after too many attempts, wait 72 hours, then retry.

"Meta's sign-in expired before we could finish"?

The sign-in took too long. Click **Try again** and sign in with Meta again.

"This number is already connected to another eesel workspace"?

A number answers for one eesel workspace. Disconnect it in the other workspace first, then connect it here.

A customer didn't get a reply?

Check the **WhatsApp Business** page for a warning from Meta. A missing payment method or unfinished business verification stops the number sending messages. Check the number shows **Ready** and its automation is on in your **Automations** page. If the customer's last message was more than 24 hours ago, only a template can reach them. Then open the **Activity** page, where every WhatsApp conversation appears.

My pairing code expired?

A pairing code lasts 10 minutes and works once. Click **Get a new code** on the pairing page.

## FAQ

How do I add an AI agent to WhatsApp?

For customers, connect your WhatsApp Business number with Meta's sign-in from **Integrations > WhatsApp Business**. For your team, click **Pair phone** on **Integrations > WhatsApp for your team**. The steps are in [Set up WhatsApp Business](#set-up-whatsapp-business) and [Set up WhatsApp for your team](#set-up-whatsapp-for-your-team).

Is the WhatsApp AI agent available to everyone?

Yes. Every workspace can turn on both WhatsApp Business and WhatsApp for your team from **Integrations**, with no need to contact us first.

Can the WhatsApp AI agent auto reply to customers?

Yes. Once your WhatsApp Business number is **Ready**, your agent replies to every customer message on it from your knowledge, within WhatsApp's 24-hour window. You can pause it from your **Automations** page.

Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?

No, not separately. eesel connects your number to Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform for you, through Meta's sign-in. You don't need a developer account, an API key or another WhatsApp provider.

Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app on my phone?

Yes. You can connect a number you still use in the WhatsApp Business app, and chats show in both places. Your agent doesn't see the replies you send from the app, and some app features, such as broadcast lists, stop working once the number is connected.

What does WhatsApp cost?

Meta bills your business directly for template messages, through the payment method in WhatsApp Manager. For what counts as a task in eesel, see [Pricing](/pricing/overview.md).

Can customers message eesel's WhatsApp number?

No. eesel's number is only for your team, and only for people who have paired their phone. Customers message your own number through WhatsApp Business.

Does eesel store my WhatsApp messages as knowledge?

No. Nothing from WhatsApp is copied into eesel as knowledge. Your agent reads each conversation live while it answers, and every conversation appears on your **Activity** page.

Can I connect WhatsApp to ChatGPT or Claude?

Yes, through eesel. You can talk to the same eesel agent from ChatGPT, Claude or Cursor, and it works with the same knowledge and apps. See [Use eesel from ChatGPT](/apis-and-developer-resources/use-eesel-from-chatgpt.md), [Use eesel from Claude and other assistants](/apis-and-developer-resources/use-eesel-from-claude-and-other-assistants.md) and [Claude Code and MCP clients](/apis-and-developer-resources/claude-code-and-mcp-clients.md).

## Related pages * [Channels](/integrations/chat-surfaces.md) for the other places customers talk to your agent * [Communication](/integrations/communication.md) for the other places your team talks to your agent * [Helpdesk](/use-cases/helpdesk.md) for the customer-facing work your agent does * [E-commerce Sales Rep](/use-cases/e-commerce-sales-rep.md) for order and product questions from customers * [Actions and Approvals](/instructions-and-memory/actions-and-approvals.md) for choosing what your agent may do * [Integrations overview](/integrations/overview.md) for how sources, triggers and actions fit together * [Use eesel from Claude and other assistants](/apis-and-developer-resources/use-eesel-from-claude-and-other-assistants.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.eesel.ai/integrations/chat-surfaces/whatsapp.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.