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Short answer: A WhatsApp chatbot for business replies to customers automatically on your WhatsApp Business API number. For most Indian businesses, five flows pay off first: an instant reply to every new enquiry, two or three qualifying questions, sending your brochure or price list, booking a slot or callback, and handing the chat to a person. Start with those, keep each flow short, and let your team take over the moment a customer is ready to buy.
Last updated: 15 November 2026.
What is a WhatsApp chatbot?
It is a set of automatic replies that run on the WhatsApp Business API. When a customer sends a message, taps a button or answers a question, the chatbot replies based on rules you set up, or with AI that answers from your own information. It works at 11 pm, on Sundays and during a rush, when nobody in your team can reply.
Chatbots need the API. The free WhatsApp Business app only has a basic greeting and away message. If you’re not on the API yet, start with how to get the WhatsApp Business API in India.
Which flows should you automate first?
Automate the replies your team types again and again, and stop before the part where a person actually sells.
| Flow | What it does | Why it pays off |
|---|---|---|
| Instant first reply | Greets every new enquiry within seconds and asks what they need. | Leads go cold fast. The first useful reply often wins the sale. |
| Qualifying questions | Asks 2 or 3 questions with buttons: budget, city, dates, service. | Your team sees who is serious before they spend time on a call. |
| Brochure or price list | Sends a PDF, catalogue or link when the customer taps a button. | Removes the most common “please send details” back-and-forth. |
| Book a slot or callback | Collects a preferred time or date for a call, visit or appointment. | Turns a chat into a fixed next step. |
| Hand-off to a person | Assigns the chat to the right team member with the answers so far. | The customer never repeats themselves. |
Examples by industry
Travel agencies
Instant reply, then buttons for destination, travel month and number of travellers. Send a sample itinerary, then hand the chat to an agent with the answers attached. The agent sends a quote using a format like our travel quotation template.
Clinics and diagnostic centres
Ask which service the patient needs, share timings and the address, and collect a preferred appointment slot. Appointment confirmations and reminders then go out as utility templates.
Real estate
Ask budget, location and property type, send the project brochure, then offer site-visit slots. Pass only the leads that pick a slot to the sales team for a call.
Coaching and education
Ask which course and batch timing, send the fee structure, and offer a demo class or counselling call.
Rule-based flows or AI replies?
Use both, for different jobs.
- Rule-based flows (buttons and fixed steps) are best for anything you want done the same way every time: qualifying questions, bookings, sending documents.
- AI replies are best for open questions such as “Is breakfast included?” or “Do you have parking?”. In Adwix Connect, the AI answers from your own price list and documents, so it doesn’t make up offers.
Keep a clear way out: every flow should end with an option to talk to a person.
What does a WhatsApp chatbot cost to run?
There are two parts: your platform plan and Meta’s message charges.
- Replies inside 24 hours of the customer’s message are service messages. Meta charges about ₹0.115 each, and providers report the first 1,000 a month per number are free. Details are in WhatsApp now charges for replies.
- Chats that start from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad are free for 72 hours if you reply within 24 hours, which suits a chatbot well.
- Marketing templates sent later cost about ₹0.86 each, plus 18% GST.
Adwix Connect plans, which include the chatbot builder, start at ₹999 a month. The full rate card is in WhatsApp Business API pricing in India.
Mistakes that make chatbots annoying
- Long menus with eight options. Three or four buttons is plenty.
- No way to reach a person, or a hand-off that nobody answers for hours.
- Asking for details the customer already gave in the ad form.
- Sending marketing messages to people who only asked one question and never opted in.
- Never reading the chats. Review a few conversations each week and fix the step where people drop off.
How to set one up in Adwix Connect
Open the chatbot builder in Adwix Connect, choose what starts the flow (any new message, a keyword, or a Click-to-WhatsApp ad), add the questions as buttons, attach your brochure, and set the final step to assign the chat to your team. The shared inbox shows the full conversation to whoever picks it up. Our walkthrough of the team inbox and AI tools shows the hand-off side.
Keep learning
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a WhatsApp chatbot for free?
The free WhatsApp Business app only has a greeting message, an away message and quick replies. A real chatbot needs the WhatsApp Business API and a platform, which has a monthly fee plus Meta’s per-message charges.
Does a WhatsApp chatbot need coding?
No. Platforms such as Adwix Connect have a no-code builder where you add questions, buttons and replies on screen.
Will a chatbot replace my sales team?
It shouldn’t. A chatbot handles the first reply, the routine questions and the collecting of details. People should still handle pricing conversations, objections and closing.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot answer in Hindi?
Yes. You can write rule-based flows in Hindi or any language, and AI replies can answer in the language the customer writes in.
Want help mapping your first flow? Book a free 30-minute call and we’ll sketch it with you.
Sneha Lata
Sneha Lata is a Senior Content Writer at Adwix Media. She writes practical guides on Meta and Google ads, WhatsApp automation and turning enquiries into bookings for Indian businesses, working from Adwix's own campaign data.
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