WhatsApp + AI
What It Can Do for Your Business
Answer customers 24/7, hand over to your team when needed, and connect WhatsApp to your own systems — all on the official WhatsApp Business API. In English, Malay and 中文.
Marketing, Utility and Authentication/OTP templates are charged per message. Under our platform billing, for Service conversations, messages your customer sends you are billed once per 24-hour session, and every reply you send inside that window is billed per message. Rates depend on the category and destination country.
🤖 WhatsApp AI Reply — no extra AI fee. Each AI reply is a standard outbound service message. View SGD Rates
Which WhatsApp AI Tool Do You Need?
BulkSMS offers three ways to automate WhatsApp. Most businesses start with AI Reply for everyday questions, and add Flows or API integration when they need live data.
| You want to… | Use | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Answer customer questions 24/7 — products, prices, opening hours, policies, FAQs | AI Reply New | AI answers only from the information you enter in your BulkSMS portal, in the customer’s language. Handoff to your team on request. No coding, no extra AI fee. |
| Show live data or take actions — order status, bookings, forms, account lookups | Automation Flow + API integration | Our team builds a step-by-step journey connected to your own system, so customers get live information inside the chat. Quoted per project. |
| Combine phone calls and WhatsApp — missed-call follow-ups, PBX help | Cloud PBX + WhatsApp AI | Cloud phone system plus WhatsApp, so callers can continue on WhatsApp when the line is busy. |
| Send broadcasts, alerts and OTP | WABA templates | Pre-approved WhatsApp templates sent from the portal or via API. (AI Reply only answers incoming messages — it does not send broadcasts.) |
6 Core Capabilities of WhatsApp + AI
Built on the official WhatsApp Business API. The AI answers from your own knowledge — and knows when to call your team.
⚡ Instant Answers (FAQ)
Answer common questions 24/7 — pricing, product info, business hours — only from the information you provide. If the answer isn’t there, your own fallback message is sent instead of a guess.
🧑💼 Smooth Handoff to Your Team
Customers choose “Talk to our team” or type words like agent or staff. The AI stops and your team continues in the BulkSMS Conversation inbox.
✅ Official WABA Templates
WhatsApp-approved templates for greetings, OTP, alerts and proactive notifications — with interactive buttons and personalised variables.
📊 Fast & Fully Logged
AI replies in about 1–3 seconds. Every AI answer is logged in your portal, with a list of questions the AI couldn’t answer so you know what to add next.
🌐 English, Malay & 中文
Replies in the language the customer writes in — or fix one language if you prefer.
🗂 Topics & Working Hours
One knowledge base per product or department, each shown as an option in the customer menu. Run the AI 24 hours or only at set hours.
Popular Use Cases
What WhatsApp AI looks like in practice — and which tool handles it.
| Use Case | What It Looks Like in WhatsApp | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Support & Troubleshooting | Self-serve FAQs, setup steps, common troubleshooting, support hours. | AI Reply |
| Sales Enquiries | Plans and prices, what’s included, brochure links — then handover to your sales team for closing. | AI Reply |
| Store / Branch Info | Branch addresses, opening hours and Google Maps links from your knowledge base. | AI Reply |
| PBX Help | PBX extensions, voicemail setup, softphone download links — from a Cloud PBX knowledge base. | AI Reply · Cloud PBX |
| Human Escalation | Customer types agent or picks “Talk to our team”; your staff continue in the Conversation inbox. | AI Reply |
| Booking & Appointments | AI Reply shares your booking link. Bookings made inside WhatsApp need a Flow connected to your system. | AI Reply · Flows + API |
| Order Tracking | Live order status by order ID, with tracking links. | Flows + API |
| Account & Billing | Plan info and payment links (AI Reply); live balances and invoices from your system (Flows + API). | AI Reply · Flows + API |
| Proactive Notifications | Service updates, appointment reminders, onboarding messages — using approved templates and opt-in rules. | WABA templates |
Example Customer Messages & AI Replies
| Customer Says | AI Reply Responds |
|---|---|
| “What plans do you have for SMEs?” | Answers from your price list, shares your brochure link, and offers “Talk to our team”. |
| “How to set voicemail on Cloud PBX?” | Gives the steps from your support knowledge base. Customer can type MENU for other topics. |
| “Where’s my order #12345?” | Shares your tracking link or passes the chat to your team. (Live status needs Flows + API integration.) |
| “I need a human.” | Passes the chat to your team in the Conversation inbox. The AI steps aside for that customer. |
| “Berapa harga pakej SME?” | Replies in Malay — the AI answers in the language the customer writes in. |
| “Can you help with my homework?” | Politely not answered — the AI only helps with your business and sends your fallback message. |
Business Benefits
Faster First Response
Customers get a reply in about 1–3 seconds — at 11pm, on weekends, during lunch.
Routine Questions Handled
Answers routine questions automatically, day and night, so your team can focus on complex cases.
Your Team Stays in Control
Handoff on request, automatic pause when your staff reply, and switch the AI off any time.
No Made-Up Answers
The AI never invents prices, dates, addresses or policies — it answers only from your knowledge base.
Fewer Missed Calls
With Cloud PBX + WhatsApp, callers can continue on WhatsApp when the line is busy.
No Extra AI Fee
Each AI reply is a standard WhatsApp service message. “OK” and “thanks” messages don’t trigger a reply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a WhatsApp Business API (WABA) account?
Yes. AI Reply works with WhatsApp Business API numbers on BulkSMS — not with the free WhatsApp Business app or numbers hosted with another provider. If you don’t have one yet, sign up and we’ll help you get a WhatsApp Business API number first.
How much does WhatsApp AI Reply cost?
There is no extra AI fee. Each AI reply is charged as one outbound WhatsApp service message at your normal rate; inbound customer messages are billed once per 24-hour session under our platform billing. See SGD rates.
Can I keep my current SMS/OTP setup while adding WhatsApp AI?
Yes. SMS and WhatsApp run side by side on BulkSMS, so you can keep sending SMS and OTP as today and add WhatsApp at your own pace.
What languages are supported?
English, Malay and Chinese. By default the AI replies in the customer’s language; you can also fix one language.
How does agent handover work?
Customers choose “Talk to our team” in the menu, or type words like “agent”, “staff” or “human”. The AI stops for that customer and your team continues in the Conversation inbox. The customer can type “MENU” to return to the AI.
Can the AI check order status or book appointments?
Not by itself — AI Reply answers from your knowledge base and can share your booking or tracking link. For live order status or bookings inside WhatsApp, ask us about WhatsApp Automation Flow (built by our team).
How long does it take to set up?
Once AI Reply is activated for your WhatsApp Business API number, you set it up in your BulkSMS portal in minutes — start from a ready-made sample and fill in your details. Need help? Our team can set it up with you.
Ready to Let AI Answer Your WhatsApp?
Already on WhatsApp Business API with BulkSMS? Contact us to activate AI Reply. New to BulkSMS? Sign up free and we’ll help you get a WhatsApp Business API number first.