Connecting WhatsApp Business to an AI assistant: how it works

What you actually want to set up

Most people searching for 'WhatsApp Business API setup' want one thing: customer questions on WhatsApp answered quickly and well, even when the team is busy or the office is closed. An AI assistant that answers messages on your WhatsApp number does exactly that.

The official WhatsApp Business API is mainly how larger companies connect WhatsApp to their own systems through Meta, often with help from a specialised provider. With Heyloha you don't need to go through that process. You connect the number you already have straight to the assistant.

How Heyloha connects WhatsApp

You connect your WhatsApp number by scanning a QR code in Heyloha with your phone, just like WhatsApp Web. Heyloha becomes a linked device on your number.

You choose which number to connect. It can be the number your customers already know, or a separate one if you prefer to keep customer service apart.

Your team doesn't have to change how it works. Everyone keeps replying from the WhatsApp app on their phone. When a colleague replies in a conversation, the AI can step back.

Going live, step by step

Step 1: connect your number. Open the WhatsApp channel in Heyloha and scan the QR code with your phone, under Linked devices in WhatsApp.

Step 2: check the knowledge. The assistant uses the same knowledge and tone as your website chat: your website, documents and instructions. If your website chat is already running, most of this work is done.

Step 3: decide on handover. Set when a conversation should go to a colleague, for example for a complaint, a custom request or when the customer asks for a person.

Step 4: switch the channel live. Connecting and activating are two separate steps. Only when you go to Agent > Channels > WhatsApp in Heyloha and click Activate channel does the assistant start replying. That gives you time to check everything first.

Most teams are live within about an hour, with no technical knowledge needed.

What your customers see

For your customers nothing changes in how they reach you. They message your familiar number and get an answer straight away, including in the evening and at weekends.

The assistant replies in the language the customer writes in and handles more than 50 languages. The WhatsApp assistant only responds to incoming messages. It does not send proactive or bulk messages.

How handover to a colleague works

When a question gets too specific, the assistant hands the conversation to a colleague along with the whole conversation. Your colleague sees what has already been discussed and doesn't have to ask the customer anything again.

Because your team keeps reading along in the WhatsApp app, a colleague can also jump in whenever that feels better. The AI can then step back, so the customer doesn't get two answers at once.

Privacy and GDPR

Heyloha runs on servers in the EU and you sign a data processing agreement, as the GDPR requires. Conversations are stored so your team has context at handover, and you can view or delete data at any time.

Get started today

Ready to use WhatsApp for your customer service? Start a free 14-day trial, scan the QR code and switch the channel live when you are ready. Within about an hour the assistant is answering on your own number.

Frequently asked questions