If you are wondering how to create a WhatsApp chatbot for business without hiring a developer, the honest answer is that the hard part is not the software. It is deciding what the bot should ask, in what order, and when it should get out of the way. This guide walks through a visual, no-code build in ReploChat's chatbot builder: every step type, two complete sample bots you can copy (lead qualification and an FAQ menu), and how to test before you switch it on.
Key takeaways
- A WhatsApp chatbot needs the WhatsApp Business API. The free Business app only has greeting, away and quick replies.
- A no-code builder lets you draw the conversation: messages, buttons, menus, questions, conditions, forms, labels and a hand-off to a person.
- Keep bots short. Three to six steps per path is plenty; anything longer belongs in a WhatsApp Flow form.
- Every path should end in one of three places: a useful answer, a form, or a human.
- Test on a real phone with the trigger word, and test the "wrong" answers too.
What you need before you start
- A WhatsApp Business API number. In ReploChat you connect it through Meta's Embedded Signup in a few minutes. If you are new to the API, read how to get WhatsApp Business API.
- A clear job for the bot. "Qualify property buyers and pass hot leads to sales" is a job. "Handle WhatsApp" is not.
- Your labels. Decide the labels you will tag chats with (for example Hot lead, Buyer, Support). Bots can add them.
- A plan that includes the builder. The visual chatbot builder is on the Growth and Enterprise plans. See pricing.
The chatbot builder step types
Open Automation in the sidebar, then the Chatbots tab, type a name under New chatbot, pick the number and create it. A new bot starts with a small ready-made menu (a greeting with Prices and Talk to a person buttons) that you can change. On the canvas, drag a step by its title, drag from a dot onto another step to connect them, and click a line to remove it.
| Step | What it does | Limits and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Where the bot begins | Exactly one per bot, connected to the first step |
| Message | Sends a text, then carries on | Use {first_name} or saved answers like {city} |
| Buttons | Text with reply buttons; each button leads somewhere | Up to 3 buttons, 20 characters each |
| Menu list | Text with a menu of options | Up to 10 options; title 24 characters, optional description; menu button text up to 20 |
| Question | Asks something and saves whatever they type | "Save the answer as" a name such as city; stored on the contact |
| Condition | Branches on a saved answer | Rules: contains, is exactly, is not empty, number >, number <. First match wins, plus an Otherwise path |
| Send form | Sends one of your WhatsApp Flows | Create forms under WhatsApp Flows first |
| Add label | Puts a label on the chat | Can start a follow-up sequence |
| Hand to team | Stops the bot; a person takes over | Chat appears in the team inbox |
| End | Stops the bot | The AI assistant answers anything after, if it is on |
A bot can have up to 100 steps. Before you can turn it on, the builder checks for problems: one Start step, Start connected to something, and no empty steps (a Buttons step without buttons, a Send form step without a form, and so on).
Triggers: when the bot starts
- When the customer sends a trigger word. Enter words separated by commas, for example
menu, start, hi. The whole message must be the word, so "hi" starts the bot but "hi, is the blue kurta in stock?" does not. - When a new customer writes in. Starts on every new chat, which is good for a main menu.
If a customer types something the bot does not expect (say, text instead of tapping a button), it asks once more, then lets your team or the AI answer. A bot session stays open for 24 hours.
Sample bot 1: lead qualification for a real estate agency
Goal: find out what the lead wants, their budget and timeline, tag hot leads, and pass them to a sales agent with all the answers already in the chat.
The steps
- Start → trigger words:
property, plots, buy, rent(put "WhatsApp the word PROPERTY" in your ads and on site boards). - Buttons: Hi {first_name}! Are you looking to buy, rent, or sell a property? Buttons: Buy / Rent / Sell my property.
- Sell my property → Send form: the "List your property" Flow (sell or rent out, details, price) → Add label Owner → End.
- Buy and Rent → Menu list: Which area are you interested in? Options: DHA, Bahria Town, Gulberg, Johar Town, Other. Menu button: Choose area.
- Question: What's your budget in PKR? Just type a number, for example 25000000. Save the answer as
budget. - Buttons: When are you planning to move or buy? Buttons: This month / 1–3 months / Just looking.
- This month → Condition on
budget: number > 15000000 → Add label Hot lead → Hand to team: Great, {first_name}. A property adviser will message you here shortly with options in your budget. Otherwise → Hand to team with the same message. - 1–3 months → Add label Warm lead → Message: Thanks! We'll send you new listings that match. Type BOOK any time to request a site visit. → End.
- Just looking → Message: No problem. Here's our latest project brochure: https://example.com/projects → End.
Why this works
- Three taps and one typed number. That is about as much as people will do before they want a human.
- The Warm lead label can start a follow-up sequence (Automation > Follow-ups, "When a label is added to the chat") that sends a listing update a few days later. See follow-up message templates.
- Your agent opens a chat that already shows area, budget and timeline, and the saved
budgetanswer lives on the contact for later.
Sample bot 2: FAQ menu for a restaurant or shop
Goal: answer the five questions that take up most of the day, and get everything else to a person.
- Start → trigger: When a new customer writes in (then duplicate the bot and give the copy the trigger word
menu, so returning customers can call it up too). - Menu list: Hi {first_name}! 👋 Welcome to Karachi Grill. How can we help? Menu button: See options. Options:
- Today's menu (description: Prices and deals)
- Timings and location
- Order for delivery
- Book a table
- Catering and events
- Talk to us
- Today's menu → Message: Here's our menu with prices: https://example.com/menu. Deal of the day: 2 zinger burgers + 1.5L drink for Rs 1,450. → Buttons: Anything else? Order now / Main menu / No, thanks.
- Timings and location → Message: We're open 12 PM to 1 AM every day. Find us: Block 5, Clifton, Karachi. Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/... → End.
- Order for delivery → Send form: the "Pickup or delivery order" Flow → Add label Order → Hand to team: Got it! We'll confirm your order and delivery time here in a few minutes.
- Book a table → Send form: "Table reservation" → End.
- Catering and events → Send form: "Catering enquiry" → Add label Catering → Hand to team.
- Talk to us → Hand to team: Sure, a member of our team will reply shortly.
Menu list is the right choice here because you have more than three options. Buttons are faster to tap, so use them for yes/no style choices further down.
How to test your WhatsApp chatbot
- Save first, then Save & turn on. If anything is missing, the builder tells you what to fix.
- Test from a phone that is not your business number. Send the trigger word exactly as a customer would.
- Walk every path. Tap each button and each menu option at least once. Check that labels appear on the chat in the inbox.
- Try to break it. Type a sentence instead of tapping. Type "abc" when asked for a budget. Check the Condition's Otherwise path catches it.
- Check the handoff. When the bot hands over, does the chat show up for the right agent? Is assignment working?
- Read the first 20 real conversations. Where people drop off or type instead of tapping tells you which wording to change.
You can duplicate a bot from the Chatbots list to try a variant without touching the live one, then switch which one is on.
How chatbots, Flows, AI and humans share one number
ReploChat decides who answers each incoming message in this order: a human agent in the chat, then an active chatbot, then a Flow keyword, then the AI assistant. When an agent replies, automation pauses in that chat and returns after 30 minutes of silence. Practically, that means:
- Your bot handles structured paths (menus, qualification).
- Your WhatsApp Flows handle longer data capture.
- The AI assistant handles free-form questions after the bot ends, from your business information.
- Your team handles everything that needs judgment, in the shared inbox.
Chatbot writing tips
- One question per message. "What's your budget and when do you want to move?" gets half an answer.
- Tell people what to type. "Just type a number, for example 25000000" saves a failed Condition.
- Always offer a way out. A "Talk to us" option on the main menu prevents frustrated loops.
- Use labels, not memory. Tag chats so campaigns and follow-ups can target them later.
- Do not make the bot pretend to be human. A friendly, clearly automated menu is fine.
FAQ
How can I create a WhatsApp chatbot for free?
The free WhatsApp Business app does not support chatbots, only greeting, away and quick replies. A real chatbot needs the WhatsApp Business API and a platform. Most platforms, ReploChat included, offer a free trial so you can build and test before paying.
Do I need coding skills to build a WhatsApp chatbot?
No. A visual builder lets you drag steps onto a canvas and connect them. You write the messages; the platform handles the API.
How many buttons can a WhatsApp chatbot message have?
Up to 3 reply buttons of 20 characters each. For more choices, use a list menu with up to 10 options.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot send a form?
Yes. A Send form step sends one of your WhatsApp Flows, such as an appointment request or quote form. See WhatsApp Flows examples.
What happens when the customer wants a real person?
Add a Hand to team step on that path. The bot stops and the chat goes to your agents in the inbox.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot message customers first?
No. A bot replies to customers who write to you. To start conversations, use approved templates in campaigns or follow-ups.
Ready to build your first bot? Start a free trial, open Automation > Chatbots, and adapt one of the samples above. The chatbot builder guide has screenshots of each step, and the feature overview is at chatbot builder.
