AI on WhatsApp: what it can do, and the rules
For many Indian D2C brands, WhatsApp is the sales desk. An AI assistant can answer there in seconds, but only inside Meta’s rules and with costs you should understand before you start.
AI Concierge guide · Published 9 October 2026 · By Nuvii Studios
Contents
The short answer What a WhatsApp AI assistant can do What it should not do Meta’s rules, in plain words What it costs to run Fixed setup prices, for comparison How to tell if it is working Questions people askThe short answer
On the official WhatsApp Business Platform, an AI assistant built for your business can answer product, shipping and returns questions, share order status, confirm cash-on-delivery orders and hand chats to your team. Since 15 January 2026, Meta does not allow general-purpose AI chatbots on the platform, so it must stay about your business. Running costs are Meta’s per-message charges plus AI usage, and both should be billed to accounts in your name.
What a WhatsApp AI assistant can do
- Answer questions about products, sizes, ingredients, shipping and returns in seconds, any time of day
- Recommend a product from what the customer says they need
- Share order status from Shopify or WooCommerce
- Confirm cash-on-delivery orders before they ship, which helps cut fake and refused orders
- Send reminders about abandoned carts to customers who have opted in
- Hand the chat to a person, with the context, when a human should take over
- Reply in English, Hindi or Hinglish, the way your customers write
What it should not do
- Make up answers. It should reply only from information you have approved, and say so when it does not know.
- Give medical, legal or financial advice beyond what is printed on your product.
- Message people who have not opted in. Marketing on WhatsApp needs the customer’s permission.
- Act as a general chatbot about anything. Meta’s rules now require it to stay about your business.
Meta’s rules, in plain words
Use the official platform
Automated replies at scale run on the WhatsApp Business Platform (the Cloud API), not on the free WhatsApp Business app on a phone. The platform gives you a verified business profile, a shared team inbox through your provider, and message templates.
Business-specific AI only, since 15 January 2026
Meta’s updated WhatsApp Business Solution terms bar AI providers whose main product is a general-purpose assistant from using the platform. Businesses using AI to serve their own customers, for support, bookings, order tracking and sales, are still allowed. A concierge trained on your catalogue and policies is exactly that.
The 24-hour window and templates
When a customer messages you, a 24-hour customer service window opens, and your replies inside it are free-form. To start a conversation, or to reply after the window closes, you must use a message template that Meta has approved, such as an order update or an offer.
What it costs to run
There are three separate costs. Knowing them avoids surprises later.
- Meta’s charges. Since 1 July 2025 Meta charges per template message delivered, at rates that depend on the category (marketing, utility, authentication) and the customer’s country. Replies inside the 24-hour window are free, and so are utility templates sent inside it. Marketing templates always cost money. Check Meta’s current rate card for India.
- AI usage. The language model and, for voice, the speech service charge by usage. For most brands this is small compared with staff time, but it grows with volume.
- Setup and care. Building, training, testing and then keeping the assistant accurate as products, prices and policies change.
We recommend every account (Meta, the AI provider, the WhatsApp provider) is opened in the brand’s own name, on the brand’s own card, with spending caps. Usage is then billed to you at cost, the studio is added as a team member, and nothing depends on one agency’s account.
Fixed setup prices, for comparison
| Package | Where it answers | Live in | Setup | Monthly care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Web Concierge | Your website | 7 days | ₹24,999 | ₹3,999 |
| WhatsApp Concierge | WhatsApp and your website | 10–14 days | ₹44,999 | ₹6,999 |
| Voice Concierge | Voice on your website or phone line, plus web | 14 days | ₹69,999 | ₹9,999 |
Setup is paid half to begin and half on delivery. Care is monthly. Meta and AI usage are billed to your own accounts, not marked up.
How to tell if it is working
- How quickly customers get a first reply, and how many chats it resolves without a person
- How many COD orders it confirms or cancels before they ship
- How many chats become orders, using tracked links
- What customers ask that it cannot answer yet, which becomes next month’s training
Questions people ask
Is it allowed to use AI on WhatsApp Business in 2026?
Yes, for your own business. Since 15 January 2026 Meta’s terms bar general-purpose AI assistants from the WhatsApp Business Platform, but businesses can use AI for customer support, sales, bookings and order updates.
Are WhatsApp Business messages free?
Replies inside the 24-hour customer service window are free, and so are utility templates sent inside it. Marketing, authentication and out-of-window utility templates are charged per message by Meta, at rates that vary by country.
Can I keep my existing WhatsApp number?
Usually yes. A number can be moved to the WhatsApp Business Platform, and in some countries and with some providers it can stay on the WhatsApp Business app at the same time. Check the current options with your provider before moving it.
Will the AI answer in Hindi and Hinglish?
It can. Nuvii tests every concierge in English, Hindi and Hinglish on more than 100 real customer questions before it goes live.
What happens when the AI cannot answer?
It should say so and hand the chat to your team with the conversation so far, instead of guessing.
Put a concierge on your WhatsApp
Three fixed setups, trained on your catalogue and live in one to two weeks, in accounts you own.