WhatsApp bot
WhatsApp bot: the menu kind and the kind that understands what the customer wrote
Quick answer
What is a WhatsApp bot?
A WhatsApp bot is any program that answers messages in place of a person. Menu bots follow a fixed script and ask the customer to choose an option. AI bots read what was written and answer with the business's information, without making anyone navigate through options.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent
There are two kinds of bot on WhatsApp, and they are nothing alike in use. One tells the customer to pick an option from 1 to 5. The other reads the question and answers. This page shows the difference before you buy.
Create my agentNo lock-in contract and no setup fee. You connect the number you already use.
Summary in 7 facts
- There are two kinds of bot on WhatsApp, and they are nothing alike in use.
- This page shows the difference before you buy.
- It flips who does the work: someone with a simple question has to learn your org chart.
- The difference starts with what you teach it, not with the technology it uses.
- Teach the business to the Brain Services, prices, hours, rules and what you'd rather nobody answer.
- The same customer message, down both paths.
- Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| US$ 75 per month | On CertuAI, plans start from US$ 75 per month. |
Why a menu bot annoys customers
It's not nitpicking. It flips who does the work: someone with a simple question has to learn your org chart.
The question rarely fits the menu
The customer writes "do you serve Kobrasol and how much does it cost?" and gets five options, none of them with the answer. They type zero, look for a person to talk to and keep waiting.
It knows nothing about your business
A menu doesn't know your price or your rules. It only routes. The one who really answers is still the person on the other end.
A script breaks off-script
All it takes is the customer writing "hi, how are you?" instead of a number for the flow to get lost and start over. Then they give up.
What it saves comes back as a queue
The message was answered in one second, but nobody solved anything. The service was only postponed, and the customer is already more annoyed by the time they reach a person.
How to set up a bot that understands on your number
The difference starts with what you teach it, not with the technology it uses.
Teach the business to the Brain
Services, prices, hours, rules and what you would rather nobody answer. The Brain is the knowledge base that makes the agent answer like your company, and not like a generic robot.
Connect the number you already use
By QR code or through Meta's official signup. CertuAI is a Tech Provider of the Meta WhatsApp Business Platform, and the number stays yours: the plan gives you the connection slot, not a new number.
Follow along in the CRM and take over whenever you want
Each conversation shows up in the dashboard with a contact, a deal and a task. You step into the same conversation at any time, and the agent hands the topic back to you when it falls outside what it learned.
Menu bot and AI agent, side by side
The same customer message, down both paths.
| The customer writes | Menu bot | AI agent |
|---|---|---|
| How much does service X cost? | Type 1 for prices | Answers the price directly |
| Do you serve my neighborhood? | Type 3 for customer service | Checks and answers |
| Hi, how are you? | Invalid option, type 1 to 5 | Greets and asks how it can help |
| Sends audio | Doesn't understand | Listens and answers |
| I want to reschedule Thursday | Type 2 for scheduling | Checks the calendar and reschedules |
| Sensitive topic | Follows the script | Hands off to a person and tells the customer |
| Where the history lives | On the bot's platform | In the CRM, linked to the contact |
Swipe the table sideways to see all the columns.
When a menu bot is still the right choice
It isn't bad at everything. When the path is always the same and there's no conversation in the middle, a menu is fast and cheap: a duplicate boleto (Brazil's bank slip), a tracking code, choosing between two service queues. In those cases, making people pick an option isn't a bother because the option is obvious.
The problem shows up when the customer arrives with a question instead of a task. Then they need an answer, and no option tree delivers that.
It's also worth saying that “bot” is the popular name. If you searched for bot, zap bot or WhatsApp robot, it's all the same family. What changes is whether it has your business's knowledge inside.
To reach your number, either one goes through the official WhatsApp API. And if your main case is answering after the store closes, there is a specific page: automatic message outside business hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a bot, a chatbot and an AI agent?
Bot and chatbot are the generic names for any program that answers. An AI agent reads the message and answers with the business's knowledge, instead of following a fixed script.
Does the bot understand audio?
The CertuAI agent listens to and answers audio messages, which is how many Brazilian customers write. A menu bot usually doesn't understand them.
Does it answer on my number or a new one?
On yours. The number stays yours, and the plan gives you the connection slot, not a new number.
Can I take over the conversation whenever I want?
Yes, at any time from the dashboard. The agent also hands the conversation back to you when it goes beyond what it has learned.
Do I need to know how to code to set it up?
No. You teach it about your business in a conversation, with no flow to design and no code.
How much does a WhatsApp bot cost?
On CertuAI, plans start from US$ 75 per month.
Where to go next?
Write to it the way your customer writes
No typing options, with typos, sending audio. That is how the message arrives on your WhatsApp, and that is how it's worth testing before you buy anything.
From US$ 75 per month, connecting by code or QR code. Meta's official API comes with Pro, at US$ 120 per month, or with Start plus the R$ 50 (Brazilian reais) per month add-on.
Create my agentIn short
What is a WhatsApp bot? A WhatsApp bot is any program that answers messages in place of a person. Menu bots follow a fixed script and ask the customer to choose an option. AI bots read what was written and answer with the business's information, without making anyone navigate through options.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the AI that answers a small business's WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger 24/7, with a built-in CRM, and is a Tech Provider on Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Paid plans start at US$ 75 a month, with no lock-in. Create my agent