Frequently asked questions
Your own number, taking over a conversation, the limits of the bot, transparency duty, STOP, the 24-hour window, retention and what cancelling does.
The questions we get asked most often about the WhatsApp bot. If the bot is not replying or a message does not arrive, the answer is under Troubleshooting.
Do I need my own WhatsApp number?
Yes, ideally a dedicated office number used as your WhatsApp Business number. Your private number stays untouched. The connection runs encrypted through the official Meta route and can be disconnected at any time.
What does the WhatsApp bot cost?
The Standard package costs 29 EUR per month as an add-on, bookable from the Compact plan. There are no credits per message in the current version. The package with the AI assistant at 79 EUR per month cannot be booked yet. Details: Cost and packages.
Will the bot say something wrong about my properties?
The core is rule-based and only answers with what you stored. It never phrases anything freely and invents nothing. What it may say is maintained in the knowledge base and in your flows.
Do prospects notice they are chatting with a bot?
Yes, and that is mandatory. At the start of a conversation the bot introduces itself as an automated assistant and links your privacy notice. Both building blocks are protected and can neither be deleted nor watered down in the flow studio. Without a stored privacy link the bot cannot go live at all.
What does the bot do when it cannot answer something?
It does not guess. On unclear input it offers the menu or a handover to a human. If an action fails, for example because a slot has been taken in the meantime, it hands over honestly to your team and records what the request was about.
Can I take over a conversation at any time?
Yes. In the inbox you click Take over, the bot stays quiet and you run the conversation. With Back to bot it resumes from the next message onwards.
Can I test the bot without sending real messages?
Yes. The simulator in the flow studio plays through every conversation with the real conversation logic, in WhatsApp styling and without sending anything. Edge cases such as a missing reply can be played through as well.
What happens when someone writes STOP?
The bot stops immediately. Whole opt-out messages such as stop, abmelden, abbestellen or unsubscribe are recognised. The contact receives one final confirmation, after that nothing goes out any more and the composer in the inbox is locked too. If the person writes again later of their own accord, the bot replies again.
Why can the bot not write whenever it wants?
That is WhatsApp's rule: a free-form message is only allowed if the contact wrote within the last 24 hours. If the window is closed, wait until the person gets in touch. Appointment confirmations and reminders outside the window run through templates approved by Meta.
How long are conversations kept?
Two periods run automatically. Technical raw data from the WhatsApp inbound is deleted after 14 days, it only exists for troubleshooting. Message contents of conversations without activity for 24 months are anonymised, the statistics remain. Both are visible in the settings under Data & deletion.
Why is the bot excluded from the trial?
Because a number that has been connected once should not be switched off when the trial ends. Your clients keep writing to it. That is why the bot is only available as a booked add-on from the Compact plan.
What happens to my number if I cancel?
The number is deregistered and the bot stops replying. It remains yours and can be used elsewhere. Conversations that already happened stay readable in the workspace until your deletion period expires.
Related#
The built-in rules in detail: Rules and data protection. What the tool costs: Cost and packages. Back to the overview.