A WhatsApp chatbot replies to customers automatically, so a question sent at 11 pm gets an answer at 11 pm. There are two very different kinds, and most disappointment with chatbots comes from picking the wrong one.
Button bots show a menu and walk the customer through fixed steps. AI agents read what the customer actually wrote and answer from your catalog, price list, and policies. Here is the same message sent to each.
Button bots vs AI agents
| Button bot | AI agent | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Menus, buttons, and fixed steps you draw | Reads the message and answers from your information |
| Good at | Short fixed journeys: pick a slot, check an order ID, choose from 3 options | Open questions, big catalogs, several questions in one message |
| Breaks when | The customer types something the menu didn't expect | Your price list or policies aren't in its knowledge |
| Languages | Only the language you wrote the menus in | Replies in the customer's language, including Hindi and Hinglish |
| Setup | Design every branch | Write instructions and add your documents |
Indian customers rarely stay inside a menu. They type in Hinglish, send a screenshot of your Reel, and ask about price and delivery in one message. That's why most businesses that sell in chat end up needing an AI agent, with a few structured steps for things like collecting an address.
What Meta allows in 2026
Since 15 January 2026, WhatsApp's Business Solution terms don't allow general-purpose AI assistants ("ask me anything" bots) to be the main product offered over the Business API. AI that serves your own business is allowed: answering product questions, qualifying leads, booking appointments, and tracking orders. Keep your agent's instructions focused on your business, which is also what makes its answers good.
What a chatbot does for different businesses
| Business | The chatbot handles | A person handles |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet shop or cloud kitchen | Menu, prices, delivery areas, collecting the order | Bulk and event orders |
| Clinic | Timings, fees, which doctor, appointment requests | Anything medical, and exceptions to the schedule |
| Fashion or D2C brand | Sizes, colours, stock, delivery, return policy | Exchanges and complaints |
| Real estate | Price range, configurations, brochure, visit slots | Negotiation and confirming the site visit |
| Coaching institute | Fees, batches, syllabus, demo class | Scholarships and instalments |
| Distributor | Rate list, stock, capturing the order, dispatch status | Credit terms and rate negotiation |
How to build one in Querygen
Querygen has four building blocks. Most businesses use two or three of them together.
- Keyword and AI-condition replies answer predictable requests, such as "price list", or any message matching a condition you describe, like "the customer asks about delivery to their city."
- Qualification questions ask a fixed set of questions one by one (budget, locality, move-in date) and can end with a closing message. Querygen can draft the questions for you to edit.
- Autopilot is the AI agent. It either matches common questions to replies you wrote, or answers from your instructions and knowledge (PDFs, Google Sheets, your website, catalog items, and imported Instagram posts). It can call your own systems through webhooks, for example to look up an order, and it hands over to your team for the topics you list.
- Web Agent puts the same agent on your website as a chat widget.
Autopilot and automatic replies work on personal WhatsApp numbers, WhatsApp Business API numbers, and Instagram. Qualification questions work on WhatsApp. Querygen doesn't have a drag-and-drop flow builder; if your bot is mostly menus with many branches, a flow-builder tool may suit you better. Our roundup of WhatsApp automation tools shows which ones have one. For the step-by-step setup, see how to automate WhatsApp Business replies.
Signs of a chatbot that works
- It answers only from your information, and says so when it doesn't know.
- Customers can reach a person, and the person sees what was already said.
- You tested it with ten real questions from last week before switching it on.
- Someone reviewed its replies for the first week. In Querygen, "Check replies before sending" turns every reply into a draft that a person approves.
- The price list is updated when prices change.
What it costs
In Querygen, each automated answer uses 1 credit, even when it appears as several message bubbles. The plan is ₹9,900 + GST a month with 9,900 credits and unlimited teammates, so 3,000 answers a month use about a third of what's included. On a WhatsApp Business API number, replies inside the 24-hour window carry no Meta fee; templates sent outside it do.
Frequently asked questions
What is a WhatsApp chatbot?
A WhatsApp chatbot replies to customers on WhatsApp automatically. Button bots follow menus and fixed steps you design. AI agents read what the customer wrote and answer from your catalog, FAQs, and policies, handing the chat to a person when they should.
Are AI chatbots allowed on WhatsApp?
Yes, for your own business. Since 15 January 2026, WhatsApp's Business Solution terms don't allow general-purpose AI assistants to be the main product offered over the Business API. AI that answers questions about your products, qualifies leads, books appointments, or tracks orders is allowed.
Is a WhatsApp chatbot free?
Rarely. The WhatsApp Business app's greeting and away messages are free, but a real chatbot needs a tool. On the Business API, Meta also charges for template messages, while replies inside the 24-hour window are free. In Querygen, each automated answer uses 1 credit on a plan that includes 9,900 credits a month.
Can a WhatsApp chatbot reply in Hindi?
An AI agent can. Querygen's Autopilot replies in the customer's language, including Hindi and Hinglish. Button bots only reply in the language you wrote their menus in.
Do I need to code to build a WhatsApp chatbot?
No. In Querygen you write instructions in plain English, add your price list and FAQs, and choose which chats the agent answers. Qualification questions and keyword replies are set up in a form, without code.
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