AI agent for WhatsApp: how does it work?

For an AI to answer on your WhatsApp with your real prices and opening hours, three things are needed: access to the WhatsApp Business Platform through a provider (the free WhatsApp Business app exposes no API, so no external agent can be connected to it), a phone number Meta can verify that is not in use on regular WhatsApp, and your business information written down and structured. The third one decides whether the result is any good.

One distinction worth knowing up front: replying to someone who messages you first requires nothing special, but starting a conversation yourself (an appointment reminder, say) requires a Meta-approved template, and Meta bills those messages separately from whichever tool you use.

Captia connects to your WhatsApp through messaging infrastructure and handles every message with your real business information: services, hours, conditions and common questions. It's not an official WhatsApp app: it's an agent configured for you that answers on that channel.

The agent answers only with what you've given it. If it doesn't know something, it is designed to say so rather than answer outside that information. During the conversation it can ask for the details you need (name, contact, reason) without turning the chat into a cold form, and leave the opportunity ready for the next step.

When something needs human judgement, the agent recognizes it and prepares the handoff to a person on your team, with all the context of what was already discussed. Your team can review conversations and step in whenever they want.

The same agent, with the same information, can also serve on your website and by phone. WhatsApp is activated as a module during setup.