WhatsApp as the whole business

Your number is the business, and it never stops buzzing

For a lot of trades and local businesses, WhatsApp is the entire customer relationship. It is also on the same phone you use for everything else, which is why it never really switches off.

What they actually ask

Are you open today?
How much do you charge?
Do you cover my area?
Can you come out this week?
Sorry to message so late — are you around?

What makes this different from any other business

The business phone and the personal phone are the same phone

This is the actual problem, and it is not really about efficiency. Customers message at ten at night because the app is right there, and so is your family. Something answering the routine messages is the difference between checking the phone constantly and checking it when it matters.

Moving to the API means the handset app stops working for that number

Automating a WhatsApp number means registering it on the Cloud API, and once that happens the consumer app no longer works for it. This catches people out. If answering from the handset matters to you, that is a genuine reason not to do this, and it is better known now than after the migration.

Meta charges for conversations whoever you use

WhatsApp Business messaging has per-conversation costs set by Meta, separate from whatever platform you choose. Any provider passes them on. It is worth understanding before you compare prices, because a cheap platform with an expensive markup is not cheap.

Setting it up

1
Decide whether you can give up the handset appAutomating the number means it runs on the Cloud API from then on. This is the decision to make first, not last.
2
Write down the answers you type every weekHours, prices, coverage area, how to book. That list is most of your volume.
3
Set what still reaches you personallyEverything else is answered. This is the part that gives you your evenings back.

What it does not do

Automating a number means the WhatsApp app on your phone stops working for it
Meta's per-conversation charges apply on top of any platform cost
It answers what you have written down, so anything unusual still comes to you

Questions

Do I keep my number?: Yes. The number stays yours and customers keep messaging the same one. What changes is that it runs on the WhatsApp Cloud API rather than the consumer app, which means the app on your handset no longer works for that number.
What does WhatsApp itself cost?: Meta charges per conversation, and those charges apply whichever provider you use. They are separate from the plan price, so compare both lines rather than just the subscription.
Do I need a website for this?: No. The agent answers in WhatsApp directly. If you want somewhere to send people for more detail, we host a page you can link from your Google listing or a QR code.

Where the rules come from

WhatsApp Cloud API documentationMeta's own reference for how business messaging and the 24-hour window work.
WhatsApp Business pricingMeta charges per conversation regardless of which provider you use. Their rates, not ours.

Other businesses like yours

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