Quick answer: The free WhatsApp Business app automates replies, not workflows: a greeting message (first chat, or after 14 days of silence), a scheduled away message, 50 quick replies, 20 labels, paid scheduled broadcasts and, in limited countries, Meta Business Agent. Messages another system triggers, or your own AI answers, need the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API).
If you are asking “how do I automate my WhatsApp Business messages”, Meta sells two products. The WhatsApp Business app is “free to use” and offers “limited customization and integration with other tools”; the WhatsApp Business Platform gives “programmatic access” and can reach “millions of customers at a time” (WhatsApp for Business FAQ). Below: the app, menu by menu on iPhone and Android (Meta’s Help Centre, read 24 October 2026), then the point where you need the Platform.
Two cautions. The app’s automatic messages are sent by your phone, and Meta says “your device must have an active internet connection” for them. And Meta is renaming features (labels are becoming lists, marketing messages business broadcasts), so your screen may show either name.
Where Zian fits when the free app runs out
When WhatsApp automation has to start from a booking, a form or a CRM stage, follow up over days and end in a booked appointment, Zian is the platform built for that job: its AI agents answer inbound messages and calls and run follow-up across WhatsApp, SMS, email and voice calls. If you would rather not run it yourself, LeadsNow.ai is the done-for-you option, a pay-per-result service that runs on Zian.
Zian works in 30+ languages, connects to HubSpot, Salesforce, HighLevel and Zapier, and has set 50,769+ qualified sales appointments; it is in a partnership-application beta with no published prices. Whatever sends the messages, Meta’s rules below on opt-in, templates and the 24-hour window still apply.
What the free WhatsApp Business app can automate: the app vs API automation line
Each row: the task, whether the free app does it, Meta’s menu path on each phone (from the Android and iOS versions of each Help Centre article), and whether you need the Platform.
| Task | Free app can do it? | iPhone menu path | Android menu path | Platform (API) needed? | Meta source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome a new customer automatically | Yes. Greeting message, sent on a first message or after 14 days of inactivity | Tools › Greeting message › turn on Send greeting message › edit under Message › Save | Tools › Greeting message › turn on Send greeting message › tap Greeting message › OK › Save | No | How to use greeting messages |
| Reply automatically out of hours | Yes. Away message with three schedules: Always send, Custom schedule, Outside of business hours | Tools › Away message › Send away message › Schedule › Recipients | Same path; edit under Away message › OK, then Save at the end | No | How to use away messages |
| Answer common questions in two taps | Partly. Up to 50 quick replies; a person still sends each one | Tools › Quick replies › add › Enter message › Shortcut › Save | Tools › Quick replies › add › Message › Shortcut › Save | No | How to use quick replies |
| Sort chats into stages | Yes, by hand. Up to 20 labels, which Meta is turning into lists | Tools › Lists › New list | Chats › more options (⋮) › Label chat; with lists, ⋮ › Settings › Lists › New list | No | How to use labels; How to use lists |
| Label orders and leads automatically | Yes, with trade-offs. Automatic events (auto-created lists), which Meta says “may impact” greeting and away messages and broadcast lists, and which disconnects linked devices | Tools › For you › See more under Auto-create lists › Turn on | Tools › Lists › Auto-created lists are turned off › Turn on | No | About automatic events |
| Show products or services in chat | Yes. Catalogue items, up to 10 images or videos each, visible only after WhatsApp approves them | Tools › Catalog › Add new item | Tools › Catalog › Add new item | No | How to create and maintain a catalog |
| Let AI answer customers | Only Meta’s own AI: Meta Business Agent, “currently only available in limited countries to select businesses” | Tools › AI agent › Continue › Accept | Tools › AI agent › Continue › Accept | Yes, for any other AI agent | How to set up Meta Business Agent |
| Send one message to many contacts, now or scheduled | Yes, paid. Business broadcasts, in select countries; reviewed by Meta before sending | Tools › Business broadcasts | Tools › Business Broadcast (or Chats › ⋮ › Business Broadcast) | Yes, if each customer needs a different message at a different time | How to create and send a business broadcast; broadcast lists |
| Several staff answering one number | Yes, to a limit. One phone plus up to four linked devices; up to 10 devices and chat assignment with a Meta Verified or Meta One subscription | Settings › Linked devices; for 10, Tools › Subscriptions | ⋮ › Linked devices; for 10, Tools › Subscriptions | Yes, beyond 10 devices or for rules-based routing | Linked devices on WhatsApp Business; About multi-agent |
| Send a message when a booking, form or payment happens | No. We found no event or calendar trigger on any Meta app page we read (24 October 2026) | None | None | Yes: an approved template sent through the Cloud API (reminders: see our WhatsApp appointment reminders setup guide) | WhatsApp for Business FAQ |
| Let a CRM, helpdesk or your own code read and send chats | No. Meta describes the app as offering “limited customization and integration with other tools” | None | None | Yes: Cloud API with webhooks, directly or through a partner; or coexistence through a partner | WhatsApp for Business FAQ; Onboard WhatsApp Business app users |
The pattern: the WhatsApp Business app automates the reply to someone who has just messaged you, and the organising of your own chats. Apart from broadcasts you compose, it never messages a customer first, and nothing outside the phone can drive it. That is the automation line.
How to automate WhatsApp Business messages in the app: 8 steps
Steps 1 to 4 are day one; 5 to 8 are optional. Test each finish state from a second phone.
- Install the app and complete the business profile. First action: install WhatsApp Business on the phone that holds the business number (Meta says one number cannot run in WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business at the same time). Add hours, address and website: the away message’s Outside of business hours schedule needs your hours, and the app builds default quick replies from these fields. Finished when the profile shows your hours.
- Turn on a greeting message. First action: Tools › Greeting message › Send greeting message. Edit the text, then choose Recipients; Android’s Everyone not in address book is Exclude my contacts on iPhone. Finished when a number that has not chatted with you for 14 days gets the greeting.
- Schedule an away message. First action: Tools › Away message › Send away message, then Schedule and Recipients (Android ends with Save). Finished when a message sent outside your hours gets the reply.
- Save quick replies. First action: Tools › Quick replies › add; write the message, set a Shortcut, tap Save. You can store 50, including images and videos; a deleted one cannot be recovered. Finished when typing “/” in a chat lists them.
- Create labels for your pipeline. First action: on iPhone, Tools › Lists › New list; on Android, Chats › ⋮ › Label chat. Up to 20; New lead, Quoted, Booked and Paid will do. Finished when you can filter chats by stage.
- Decide on automatic events. It labels orders and leads for you, but Meta says it “may impact your ability to use certain features”, including broadcast lists and greeting and away messages, and it disconnects linked devices. Finished when you have chosen auto-labels or greeting and away messages.
- Build the catalogue. First action: Tools › Catalog › Add new item. Each item needs a name, an image and a country of origin, and stays hidden until WhatsApp approves it. Finished when approved items show on your profile.
- Add staff devices and, if needed, a broadcast. First action: link WhatsApp Web or Desktop (iPhone: Settings › Linked devices; Android: ⋮ › Linked devices). Meta allows one phone and four linked devices, which log out if the phone is unused for over 14 days. For one message to many, use Tools › Business broadcasts. Finished when a second person can reply from a linked device.
Does WhatsApp Business have AI auto-replies? Meta Business Agent, explained
Yes, but only Meta’s own, and not everywhere. Meta Business Agent is “currently only available in limited countries to select businesses”, not every language is supported, and its language “is determined by your business’s phone number” (How to set up Meta Business Agent). If AI agent is missing from your Tools tab, it is not available to you yet, and Meta’s waitlist “doesn’t guarantee access”. We could not find a Meta page that lists its countries or names the United States, as at 24 October 2026 (we checked six Help Centre articles, the product page and Meta’s 3 June 2026 announcement).
- Tools › AI agent › Continue › Accept, confirming with fingerprint or face if asked (same on both phones).
- Choose Use past chats (the past six months) or Ignore past chats; with too little to learn from, it starts in “learning mode”.
- Add a catalogue, documents or photos, and your website.
- Under Tools › Your AI agent › AI replies, choose All new 1-1 chats, 1-1 chats except with contacts, 1-1 chats from ads or Paused for new chats but learning. For one chat: Android ⋮ › AI replies; iPhone, tap the customer’s name › AI replies.
Meta says it answers questions on hours, products, pricing, payment and shipping, and “books appointments and qualifies incoming leads” (Conversations 2026 announcement), and in the app it can connect Google Calendar to schedule appointments: Tools › Your AI agent › Book appointments › Connect Google Calendar, same on both phones, mobile app only (How to connect and manage Google Calendar with Meta Business Agent); chats it hands back land in an AI handoff list (AI handoff list). What switching it on costs you:
- Greeting and away messages. Meta’s greeting article says greeting messages “are automatically disabled when Meta Business Agent is connected”; another article says automations like away messages “pause while the AI is active” and resume when it exits a chat (About using Meta Business Agent with Meta One).
- Linked devices. Disconnected; most can be re-linked.
- Your chat data. Messages in connected chats “will still be collected by Meta to improve AI at Meta, even when you mute Meta Business Agent” (About using Meta Business Agent to chat with customers).
- Usage. It is “free to use each month up to an included allowance, with more responses available through Meta One plans” (Meta One on WhatsApp Business app).
Where the WhatsApp Business app stops
- It runs on a phone. A scheduled broadcast needs the device online; otherwise the app retries, up to 10 times (How to create and send a business broadcast).
- Scale: Meta says the app “enables businesses to reach hundreds of customers”.
- Devices are capped at one phone and four linked devices, or 10 with chat assignment on a Meta Verified or Meta One subscription (About multi-agent).
- Broadcast lists only reach people who saved your number. Paid business broadcasts are the route to everyone else.
- Only a customer triggers it. Greeting, away and Meta Business Agent replies answer incoming messages; broadcasts send one message to contacts you pick. We found no booking, form or calendar trigger on any Meta app page we read.
- No outside system can drive it. Direct Platform access “requires being able to call our APIs and set up webhooks”; for an app number, Meta’s bridge is coexistence through a partner, below (WhatsApp for Business FAQ).
- Some regulated goods and services are barred: Meta’s policy lists restricted goods and services (among them alcohol and tobacco, medical and healthcare products, and real money gambling) and says “You are prohibited from messaging about any Regulated Verticals on the WhatsApp Business App” (Messaging Policy).
When you need the WhatsApp Business Platform: the three-question test
One yes to any of these means you need the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API).
- Does a message have to start from an event rather than from the customer’s message? A booking confirmation, a reminder, a follow-up two days after a quote.
- Does another system have to read or write the conversation? A CRM, a helpdesk, a booking tool other than the Google Calendar connection Meta Business Agent offers, or an AI model that is not Meta’s.
- Does it have to outgrow the app’s ceilings? More than 10 devices, routing rules instead of manual assignment, or thousands of customers rather than hundreds.
Three noes: the free app is the right tool, and you should not pay anyone to automate WhatsApp yet.
What you need the Cloud API for, and what changes when you move
On the Platform, automation is code calling Meta’s Messages API and receiving webhooks. Four rules shape it:
- Templates outside 24 hours. “When a WhatsApp user messages you or calls you, a 24-hour timer called a customer service window starts”, and each new message or call resets it. Outside it, “use template messages instead” (Service messages).
- Opt-in. The Business Messaging Policy, which covers the app and the Platform, lets you contact people only if “(a) they have given you their mobile phone number or username; and (b) you have received opt-in permission from the recipient confirming that they wish to receive subsequent messages or calls from you.”
- A way out to a human. “You may use automation when responding during the 24-hour window, but must also have available prompt, clear, and direct escalation paths”: in-chat human agent transfer, phone number, email, web support, in-store visits, or a support form.
- US marketing. “WhatsApp does not currently deliver marketing template messages to WhatsApp users with United States phone numbers” (Per-user marketing template message limits). Utility templates, such as order updates, are a separate category.
You can go direct, which Meta says “requires being able to call our APIs and set up webhooks”, or use an approved Business Solution Provider, which “may charge additional fees”. See our guide to applying for WhatsApp Business API access and our WhatsApp AI agent build in n8n.
Keeping the app and the API on one number (coexistence)
A Solution Partner or Tech Provider can connect an existing WhatsApp Business app number to the Cloud API so it works in both (Onboard WhatsApp Business app users). Conditions: app version 2.24.17 or higher, onboarding through that partner, and a “fixed throughput of 20 mps”. App messages stay free and outside the 24-hour window. The trade-offs: broadcast lists are disabled, linked devices are unlinked (supported ones can be re-linked), and Meta marks the app’s messaging tools (greeting, away, quick replies, labels) “Not supported” on the Cloud API, though in the app itself Meta lists them as “No change”.
Want AI agents that answer WhatsApp messages and follow up by SMS, email and calls until the appointment is booked? Zian is in a partnership-application beta.
Can I use my own AI chatbot on WhatsApp? Meta’s AI Providers rule
Meta added an “AI Providers” clause to its WhatsApp business terms in 2025. A banner on the WhatsApp Business Solution Terms announced the update “as of October 15, 2025”, effective on sign-up for businesses joining from that date and “On January 15, 2026, if you signed up to use our services before October 15, 2025” (archived copy, captured 11 November 2025). It is now section 4.7 of the Meta Terms for WhatsApp Business Platform (last modified 23 September 2026), and its limbs are:
- Who: providers and developers of AI, “including but not limited to large language models, generative artificial intelligence platforms, general-purpose artificial intelligence assistants, or similar technologies as determined by Meta in its sole discretion”.
- What is banned: using the Platform, “directly or indirectly”, to make that AI available “when such technologies are the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality being made available for use, as determined by Meta in its sole discretion”.
- Where it is allowed anyway: “certain countries” listed on Meta’s AI Providers page, markets “where Meta is legally required to permit this use case”. As at 24 October 2026: Brazil (charged since 11 March 2026), Türkiye (from 15 October 2026, not charged), and Italy plus 29 other European markets (charged from 16 February or 11 March 2026 until 12 May 2026, not charged since).
- Your AI vendor: “you may retain an AI Provider as your Solution Provider”, but WhatsApp Business Platform Data, “including any anonymous, aggregate, or derived forms”, may not be used to create, develop, train or improve AI models, except to fine-tune a model “for your exclusive use” that improves no other model.
What it does not say: it does not, in its text, ban a business using AI to serve its own customers. Meta’s AI Providers page says it “does NOT change how Meta charges all other businesses”, and Meta’s pricing page says service messages can “be powered by a 3rd-party AI solution or people” (Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform). Our reading: an agent that answers questions about your own products and books your own appointments is ancillary to your business, not an AI product. The call is still Meta’s, so keep the agent scoped to your business, with the escalation path the policy requires.
How to automate WhatsApp messages for free: what costs money
The app’s automation tools cost nothing; three things around them do. On the Platform most messages you send are charged, and our WhatsApp Business API cost-per-message guide has the rates by country.
| Item | Free? | What Meta says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| App download, greeting, away, quick replies, labels, catalogue | Free | “The WhatsApp Business app stays free. Messaging, profile management, and core tools are not changing.” | Meta One on WhatsApp Business app |
| Business broadcasts (app) | Paid | You pay for each message delivered within five days of sending, priced by each recipient’s country code; Meta One or Meta Verified subscribers get some free messages | About business broadcasts; pricing |
| Meta Business Agent (app) | Free up to a limit | “Free to use each month up to an included allowance, with more responses available through Meta One plans” | Meta One on WhatsApp Business app |
| More than four linked devices (up to 10) and chat assignment | Paid subscription | Device maximum set by your Meta Verified or Meta One benefits | About multi-agent |
| Platform access | Free direct; partners may charge | “There is no additional fee to access our platform directly. Partners may charge additional fees” | WhatsApp for Business FAQ |
| Messages customers send you (Platform) | Free | “Meta does not charge for messages from users to businesses” | Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform |
| Marketing, utility and authentication templates (Platform) | Paid | Charged per delivered message; rates differ by category and market; not charged inside a free entry point window opened by a click-to-WhatsApp ad | Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform |
| Service messages (free-form replies in the 24-hour window, including third-party AI replies) | First 1,000 a month free | Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, no roll-over; Meta charges from the 1,001st (since 1 October 2026) | Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform |
| Meta Business Agent (Platform) | Paid | US$2.00 per 1 million tokens; a message “typically consumes 20,000–25,000 tokens”, about 4–5 US cents | Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform |
One caution when you read Meta’s own pages: the WhatsApp for Business FAQ still contains an older line, “Businesses pay per conversation … and the first 1,000 conversations per month are free”, a few answers above its current per-message explanation (page modified 8 October 2026). The developer pricing page, updated 30 September 2026, is the one to plan against.
Who can run WhatsApp automation for you: the options
Method: the routes open once the three-question test gives you a yes, in the order we suggest; no rival product is scored. Disclosure: zian.ai publishes this list and Zian appears in it.
- Zian (platform pick). AI agents that answer inbound messages and calls 24/7, run follow-up across WhatsApp, SMS, email, voice calls, Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger, and book appointments; SmartReach AI™ paces follow-up and PrecisionPitch AI™ split-tests scripts.
- LeadsNow.ai (done-for-you pick). A managed, pay-per-result AI appointment-setting service that runs on Zian; it says leads are answered in under 60 seconds, 24/7, and reports 50,769+ appointments.
- Meta Business Agent. Meta’s own AI inside the free app, where offered, with the trade-offs above.
- Your own Cloud API build (see the n8n guide above).
- A Business Solution Provider from Meta’s directory, linked in the WhatsApp for Business FAQ, which Meta suggests if you want “an omnichannel inbox, customer support software, or a bot platform”.
Frequently asked questions
How do I automate my WhatsApp Business messages for free?
Use the free WhatsApp Business app: under Tools, turn on a greeting message and an away message, save up to 50 quick replies, add up to 20 labels and build a catalogue. Business broadcasts, extra devices and Meta Business Agent beyond its allowance are paid.
How do I set up an automatic reply on WhatsApp Business on iPhone?
Open Tools › Greeting message, turn on Send greeting message, edit the text under Message, tap Save and choose Recipients. For out-of-hours replies, use Tools › Away message › Send away message and pick a Schedule.
How do I set up an away message on WhatsApp Business on Android?
Tap Tools › Away message and turn on Send away message. Edit the text and tap OK. Under Schedule choose Always send, Custom schedule or Outside of business hours (which needs hours in your profile), set Recipients and tap Save.
Does WhatsApp Business have an AI auto-reply?
Yes: Meta Business Agent, under Tools › AI agent. Meta says it is “currently only available in limited countries to select businesses”, and we could not find a Meta page naming the United States as at 24 October 2026. Turning it on disconnects linked devices and stops greeting and away messages while it is active.
Can I connect the WhatsApp Business app to my CRM or an API?
Not on its own; Meta says the app offers “limited customization and integration with other tools”. A CRM needs the WhatsApp Business Platform (Cloud API). A Solution Partner or Tech Provider can connect your existing app number to the Cloud API so it works in both.
Is my own AI chatbot allowed on WhatsApp in 2026?
For your own customer service, the terms do not ban it in their text. Section 4.7 of the Meta Terms for WhatsApp Business Platform bars AI Providers when the AI is “the primary (rather than incidental or ancillary) functionality”, as Meta decides in its sole discretion. Give customers a route to a human, as Meta’s policy requires.
Can I send WhatsApp marketing messages to US customers through the API?
Not as at 24 October 2026. Meta’s per-user marketing template limits page says WhatsApp “does not currently deliver marketing template messages to WhatsApp users with United States phone numbers”, and an attempt returns an error. Utility templates, such as appointment updates, are a separate category.
How much does it cost to automate WhatsApp Business messages?
The app’s automation tools are free; business broadcasts are charged per delivered message. On the Platform, Meta charges per delivered template by category and country, gives each business number 1,000 free service messages a month, and prices Meta Business Agent at about 4–5 US cents a message.
Where every figure on this page comes from
| Figure | Who published it | Link | Date read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business app “free to use”, reaches “hundreds of customers”, “limited customization and integration”; Platform “programmatic access”, “millions”; direct access needs APIs and webhooks; no fee for direct access; partners may charge; older “per conversation” line | WhatsApp (Meta), WhatsApp for Business FAQ (modified 8 Oct 2026) | business.whatsapp.com/resources/faq | 24 Oct 2026 |
| App free to download on Android and iPhone; one number cannot be used in WhatsApp Messenger and WhatsApp Business at the same time | WhatsApp Help Centre, About WhatsApp Business | faq.whatsapp.com/641572844337957 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Greeting message path (iPhone and Android), recipient options, 14 days of inactivity, internet connection, disabled when Meta Business Agent is connected | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to use greeting messages | faq.whatsapp.com/501866148528310 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Away message path, three schedule options, business-hours condition, recipients, internet connection | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to use away messages | faq.whatsapp.com/2565868990219715 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Up to 50 quick replies; “/” shortcut; media not supported on Web or Desktop; deleted replies unrecoverable | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to use quick replies | faq.whatsapp.com/1791149784551042 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Up to 20 labels; labels becoming lists; label paths | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to use labels; How to use lists | faq.whatsapp.com/3398508707096369 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Automatic events paths and side-effects (greeting, away, broadcast lists, linked devices) | WhatsApp Help Centre, About automatic events on the WhatsApp Business app | faq.whatsapp.com/1492919362154215 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Catalogue path; up to 10 images or videos; approval before items are visible; prices only in certain countries | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to create and maintain a catalog; About catalog | faq.whatsapp.com/833697274483076 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Meta Business Agent: limited countries to select businesses; language by phone number; set-up path; past six months; AI replies options; waitlist | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to set up Meta Business Agent | faq.whatsapp.com/1153795669452207 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Meta Business Agent disconnects linked devices; data collected to improve AI at Meta even when muted | WhatsApp Help Centre, About using Meta Business Agent to chat with customers | faq.whatsapp.com/291930066973116 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Away messages pause while the AI is active; free limit; Meta One for more | WhatsApp Help Centre, About using Meta Business Agent with Meta One | faq.whatsapp.com/2112106596314330 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| AI handoff list for chats that need your attention | WhatsApp Help Centre, About using the AI handoff list | faq.whatsapp.com/1057159496566780 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Meta Business Agent Google Calendar connection and path (Tools › Your AI agent › Book appointments) | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to connect and manage Google Calendar with Meta Business Agent | faq.whatsapp.com/1474886260686868 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| “Books appointments and qualifies incoming leads” | WhatsApp (Meta), Conversations 2026: Introducing Meta Business Agent on WhatsApp (3 Jun 2026) | business.whatsapp.com/blog/introducing-meta-business-agent-ai | 24 Oct 2026 |
| App stays free; Meta Business Agent free up to an included allowance | WhatsApp (Meta), Meta One on WhatsApp Business app | business.whatsapp.com/products/business-app-meta-one | 24 Oct 2026 |
| One phone plus up to four linked devices; 14-day logout; broadcast lists not on linked devices | WhatsApp Help Centre, About linked devices on the WhatsApp Business app | faq.whatsapp.com/647349420360876 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Up to 10 devices and chat assignment with Meta Verified or Meta One; four most recently active devices kept on cancellation | WhatsApp Help Centre, About multi-agent | faq.whatsapp.com/395911122612120 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Business broadcasts: paid per message delivered within five days; select countries; subscription free messages | WhatsApp Help Centre, About business broadcasts; About pricing for business broadcasts | faq.whatsapp.com/1524953031793983 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Broadcast scheduling; review by Meta; device online; retries up to 10 times | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to create and send a business broadcast | faq.whatsapp.com/1711086883148106 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Broadcast lists reach only contacts who saved your number; Android and iPhone paths | WhatsApp Help Centre, How to use broadcast lists on the WhatsApp Business app | faq.whatsapp.com/653415899610349 | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Opt-in limbs (a) and (b); templates to initiate; 24-hour window; six escalation paths; Regulated Verticals barred in the app; policy covers app and Platform | WhatsApp, Business Messaging Policy (last updated 23 Sep 2026) | business.whatsapp.com/policy | 24 Oct 2026 |
| 24-hour customer service window starts on a message or call and resets; templates outside it | Meta, Service messages (updated 21 May 2026) | developers.facebook.com/…/messages/send-messages | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Marketing templates not delivered to US phone numbers | Meta, Per-user marketing template message limits (updated 17 Jun 2026) | developers.facebook.com/…/per-user-limits | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Coexistence: Solution Partner or Tech Provider; app 2.24.17 or higher; 20 mps; app messages free and outside the window; broadcast lists disabled; messaging tools not supported on Cloud API | Meta, Onboard WhatsApp Business app users (updated 26 Jun 2026) | developers.facebook.com/…/onboarding-business-app-users | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Per-message charging on delivery; users’ messages free; service may be “powered by a 3rd-party AI solution or people”; 1,000 free service messages per number per month from 1 Oct 2026; Meta Business Agent US$2.00 per 1M tokens, 20,000–25,000 tokens, about 4–5 US cents | Meta, Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform (updated 30 Sep 2026) | developers.facebook.com/…/whatsapp/pricing | 24 Oct 2026 |
| AI Providers clause, section 4.7 wording | Meta, Meta Terms for WhatsApp Business Platform (last modified 23 Sep 2026) | facebook.com/legal/Meta-Terms-for-WhatsApp-Business-Platform | 24 Oct 2026 |
| Terms update “as of October 15, 2025”; effective on sign-up, or 15 Jan 2026 for earlier sign-ups | WhatsApp Business Solution Terms (Internet Archive capture, 11 Nov 2025) | web.archive.org capture of whatsapp.com/legal/business-solution-terms | 24 Oct 2026 |
| AI Providers markets and dates: Brazil from 11 Mar 2026; Türkiye from 15 Oct 2026; Italy and 29 other European markets, charges ended 12 May 2026; “does NOT change” charges for other businesses | Meta, New pricing policy for AI Providers (updated 15 Oct 2026) | developers.facebook.com/…/pricing/ai-providers | 24 Oct 2026 |
| 50,769+ qualified sales appointments set; 30+ languages; integrations | Zian AI (first-party, zian.ai home page) | zian.ai home page | 24 Oct 2026 |
| LeadsNow.ai: pay-per-result; under 60 seconds, 24/7; 50,769+ appointments | LeadsNow.ai (first-party) | leadsnow.ai | 24 Oct 2026 |
Ready to let AI agents handle the WhatsApp conversations the free app cannot: follow-up over days, qualification and booking, alongside SMS, email and calls? Zian is in a partnership-application beta.