What is a WhatsApp chatbot?
A rule-based or AI-driven conversational application that receives and sends WhatsApp messages through the Business Platform to answer questions or execute bounded tasks.
Why is this important?
A chatbot provides immediate self-service only when it has accurate context, reliable tools, and a clear human escalation path.
How it works
Webhooks deliver messages. The bot classifies intent, retrieves context, follows rules or model policy, calls tools, responds, and records the outcome.
Technical example
A chatbot answers store hours, checks an order, collects missing information through a Flow, and transfers complaints to an agent.
Implementation notes
Separate deterministic policy from wording. Add validation, prompt-injection defenses, permissions, confidence thresholds, opt-outs, templates, window logic, and handoff.
Sources
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/cloud-apihttps://www.anthropic.com/engineering/building-effective-agents
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