WhatsApp automation

The free Business app automates greetings, away messages and quick replies. Everything triggered by an event, such as orders, bookings, reminders and follow-ups, runs on the WhatsApp Business Platform through software.

Published by Airtime Media · facts checked September 2026

Three levels of automation

Level	What it does	What you need	Cost
1. Canned	Greeting, away message, quick replies, labels	WhatsApp Business app	Free
2. Triggered	Order confirmations, reminders, abandoned-cart nudges, review requests, routing to the right agent	Business Platform plus an inbox or automation tool	Subscription plus template fees
3. Conversational	A chatbot that answers questions, qualifies leads and hands over to a person	Business Platform plus a bot builder	Subscription plus template fees

Free: what the Business app automates

Greeting message: sent automatically when someone writes to you for the first time, or after 14 days of silence.
Away message: sent outside your business hours or whenever you switch it on.
Quick replies: saved answers you insert by typing /, on the phone and on WhatsApp Web.
Labels: a manual but fast way to keep track of where each customer stands.

You set these up in the Tools tab of the WhatsApp Business app; the app stores up to 50 quick replies. The auto-reply menu generator writes a complete set for your kind of business. They cover a one-person business surprisingly well. They cannot react to anything that happens outside WhatsApp, and they cannot answer a menu choice by themselves.

Event-driven messages need the Business Platform

"When an order ships, send the tracking link" means software has to send a WhatsApp message by itself. The apps do not allow that; the WhatsApp Business Platform exists for it. In practice you connect your number to a tool, connect the tool to your shop, calendar or CRM, and define the rules.

Messages your business sends first must be approved templates, and Meta charges a fee for each one delivered. Replies within 24 hours of the customer's last message are free-form; from 1 October 2026 the first 1,000 a month per number are free and further ones cost the utility rate. The details are in the pricing section of the API guide.

What businesses actually automate

Shops: order and shipping updates, back-in-stock alerts, abandoned-cart reminders, review requests.
Clinics, salons, garages: appointment confirmations and reminders with a reschedule button.
Sales teams: instant reply to a new lead with two or three qualifying questions, then assignment to a salesperson.
Support: answering the top ten questions, collecting order numbers before a person takes over, surveys after a chat closes.
Logins: one-time passcodes as authentication templates.

What gets accounts banned

Tools that drive WhatsApp Web with a browser extension or a script, "bulk sender" programs and modified WhatsApp apps all automate the consumer app, which WhatsApp forbids. It says so plainly: linking your account to an unofficial app or website can lead to a temporary or permanent ban, and it acts against automated and bulk messaging. This site does not list such tools. If a product asks you to scan a QR code so that it can send messages as you, it is in this category.

Tools for WhatsApp automation

All of these work through the official Business Platform.

respond.ioA shared team inbox with CRM-style contact records
Starter $79 a month, billed yearly; 5 users includedFree trial: 7 days, no credit card
Start 7-day trial Details
WATISmall teams that want inbox, broadcasts and a bot in one WhatsApp-first tool
Growth $59 a month billed annually, or $69 monthly; 3 users includedFree trial: 7 days
Start 7-day trial Details
ManyChatChatbots and marketing flows across WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger
Pro $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly; up to 2,500 active contactsFree trial: 14 days on Pro
Start 14-day Pro trial Details
SleekFlowSales-led teams that sell through chat on several channels
Pro US$109 a month, billed yearly; 10 users included; plus US$15 a month number hostingFree trial: 7 days, no credit card
Start 7-day trial Details
ChatfuelA first WhatsApp chatbot without a developer
Business plan, list price US$69 a month; a yearly promotion at US$18 a month was running when we checkedFree trial: On every plan, no credit card
Start free trial Details
ZokoShopify stores
Starter $49.99 a month, unlimited agents, no contractFree trial: 7 days, no credit card
Start 7-day trial Details

The full list with prices side by side: Best WhatsApp Business software.

Questions people ask

Can I automate WhatsApp messages for free?

Partly. The free WhatsApp Business app sends a greeting message to new contacts and an away message outside your hours, and quick replies save typing. Anything triggered by an event, such as an order or a booking, needs the WhatsApp Business Platform and software on top of it.

Is it allowed to automate WhatsApp with a browser extension or bot on WhatsApp Web?

No. WhatsApp's terms prohibit automated or bulk messaging through the apps and WhatsApp Web, and accounts that do it get banned, often permanently and with the number. The permitted route for automation is the WhatsApp Business Platform.

Can I schedule WhatsApp messages?

The WhatsApp apps have no send-later for ordinary messages. On the Business Platform, scheduling is a standard feature of most software: campaigns, reminders and follow-ups go out at a set time as approved templates.

Will customers know they are getting an automated message?

They see a normal WhatsApp message from your business name. Good practice, and WhatsApp's policy, is to make it clear when a bot is answering and to offer a way to reach a person.

What does WhatsApp automation cost?

Two parts: the software subscription, and Meta's per-message fees. Templates you send first are always charged. Replies inside the 24-hour window are free up to 1,000 a month per number from 1 October 2026 (before that date all of them were free), so a business that mostly answers incoming questions pays little in message fees.

Related guides

Sources

WhatsApp Business: Business app features (checked September 2026)
WhatsApp Help Center: How to use greeting messages (checked September 2026)
WhatsApp Help Center: How to use quick replies (checked September 2026)
Meta for Developers: About the WhatsApp Business Platform (checked September 2026)
Meta for Developers: Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (checked September 2026)
WhatsApp Help Center: Unauthorized use of automated or bulk messaging on WhatsApp (checked September 2026)
WhatsApp Help Center: About linked devices (checked September 2026)
WhatsApp Help Center: About unofficial apps (checked September 2026)

Checked against WhatsApp's own help pages in September 2026, and re-checked every month. WhatsApp changes its apps often; if a menu has moved, the official Help Center has the last word.