How-To Guidebeginner5 minutes

How to Set Up AI Auto-Reply on WhatsApp

Step-by-step guide: How to Set Up AI Auto-Reply on WhatsApp. Easy to follow with screenshots and examples.

AI auto-reply takes Auto-Reply one step further: instead of a fixed string, the bot uses an LLM to generate context-aware replies based on the incoming message. Best for customer-support, FAQ heavy DMs, and study groups.

Prerequisites

  • Active BotWave session.
  • !ai command enabled.
  • A short system prompt with your business/group info.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Dashboard → AI → Auto-reply → ON

    Pick the scope (DM only, specific groups, or everywhere).

  2. 2

    Write a 1-2 paragraph system prompt

    Example: "You are the assistant for CampusBites, a Lagos student delivery service. Hours: 10am-10pm. Min order: ₦1500. If asked about delivery fee, say it depends on distance and offer to calculate."

  3. 3

    Set the daily query cap

    Default 10/day on free tier; raise on paid tiers. Per-user caps prevent abuse.

  4. 4

    Test with a friend

    Have them DM the bot a typical customer question. Tune the system prompt based on the result.

Expected result

DMs and configured groups get LLM-generated, context-aware replies within 1-3 seconds.

Power-user tips

  • Include "escalate to human if uncertain" in the system prompt, the bot will defer rather than hallucinate.

Common pitfalls

  • AI auto-reply will sometimes get a question wrong. Use the conversation log to spot patterns and improve the prompt.

Frequently asked questions

Can I review and approve AI replies before they send?

Yes, enable Suggest mode in Dashboard → AI → Auto-reply.

Ready to put this into practice?

Create your free BotWave account and connect a session in under 2 minutes.

Get started free