Skip to main content
A WhatsApp agent is one of the four agent types, next to outbound, inbound and webcall. It has the same prompt, knowledge base, custom variables and tools as a voice agent, but it replies in WhatsApp messages on a WhatsApp Business number you connect through Meta. When a customer calls that number from WhatsApp, the same agent answers by voice; it can’t place WhatsApp calls. Use it when customers already reach you on WhatsApp, or to follow up a call in writing. You don’t need a WhatsApp agent to send a WhatsApp message from a voice agent: once WhatsApp Business is connected, any agent can send a template or text through the WhatsApp tools.

​
The chapter in order

WhatsApp account page for Acme Lending showing the Phone numbers tab with one Ready number and one Pending number that has a Register button

Step 2 ends here: the connected account's Phone numbers tab with a Ready number

​
How a chat runs

  1. A customer messages your WhatsApp Business number, or your backend messages them first with a template.
  2. The agent attached to that number opens a chat. Pre-call tools run, then the agent replies from its prompt, knowledge base and on-call tools.
  3. The chat closes when the agent calls End Chat or the customer goes quiet for the agent’s idle timeout (session timeouts). Post-call tools and analysis then run, and each stage can notify your webhook.

​
WhatsApp compared with voice

​
Good to know

WhatsApp delivers free-form text only within 24 hours of the customer’s last message. Outside that window only an approved template goes through. That is why Send WhatsApp Text is an on-call tool only, while Send WhatsApp Template also works post-call.
WhatsApp has its own markup: *bold*, _italic_, ~strikethrough~, and lists that start with - . It has no headings, tables or Markdown links. The WhatsApp agent template already tells the model this; keep those rules if you rewrite the prompt.

​
Next steps

Connect WhatsApp Business

Link your account through Meta, register a number and create templates.

Create a WhatsApp agent

Attach the registered number and write a chat prompt.