Last updated: November 4, 2026.
Short answer: To create a WhatsApp bot without code, connect a WhatsApp Business number to a platform such as Mavibot through Facebook, build the conversation from blocks, test it and publish. Your bot can reply freely for 24 hours after a customer writes. To message first, you need approved templates. Meta charges for messages separately.
This guide is for small businesses that answer the same questions on WhatsApp again and again. You will see what a bot does, what you need before you connect, the steps to build one in Mavibot, what it costs and which WhatsApp rules matter. Mavibot is our product, so we mark the places where we describe it.
What a WhatsApp bot does and who needs one
A WhatsApp bot answers messages that arrive in your WhatsApp Business account without someone typing a reply. It can answer common questions, ask a few questions to qualify a lead before handing it to a salesperson, book appointments, send reminders and take orders.
For a small business that runs WhatsApp from a phone, the difference is simple. The bot replies at 2 am or while you are busy, and it brings in a person only when the conversation needs one.
What you need before you start
You connect WhatsApp to Mavibot through the official WhatsApp Business Platform (the API). You need:
- a Facebook account that manages your business in Meta Business Suite,
- an official WABA number registered directly in Facebook Business, which you pick after you sign in with Facebook,
- a payment method in your Meta account if you plan to send paid messages. Without one, Meta delivers only the free service messages.
You also need consent. Meta requires opt-in before you message people on WhatsApp, and the opt-in must name your business and say that the person wants to receive messages from it.
Build the bot in Mavibot step by step
1. Connect WhatsApp
In your Mavibot project, open the Messengers section and choose WhatsApp Business API. The window reminds you that you need an official WABA number registered directly in Facebook Business. Click Connect via Facebook, log in with your Facebook login and password and pick that number. After that the bot runs in the cloud, and you do not need to keep your phone online. Mavibot's WhatsApp Business API documentation describes the same connection step by step.
2. Create the first block with a trigger
Mavibot's builder works with blocks connected by arrows. Every flow starts with a green start block. Its trigger is the word or words that start the bot. You separate several words with semicolons, for example buy; rent; apply, and the match type decides whether the customer has to write exactly that word. From there you add white chat blocks for messages, questions and buttons.
3. Add replies, buttons and conditions
Connect blocks with arrows. A button or a keyword on an arrow decides which path the customer takes: if they tap Yes, they go one way, and if they tap No, another. You can add a message with a timer to send a reminder after a pause. When the flow grows, split the blocks into stages so the funnel stays readable.
4. Test the bot with Test chatbot
Before you give the number to customers, open Test chatbot in the builder and play the customer. Go through every branch, check what the bot answers and fix small wording problems. The test window works without a paid subscription, but it does not reproduce all WhatsApp limits, for example for buttons. Next to the dialog you see the client card with the variables the bot has saved.
5. Add templates for messages outside 24 hours
WhatsApp lets your bot send any text for 24 hours after the customer's last message. After that, and for messages you start yourself, you need a message template approved by Meta. In Mavibot you create a template from a funnel block and choose its type: utility, authentication or marketing. Meta reviews it, which usually takes about 8 hours and at most 48. Write variables with Latin letters, and note that a message with an empty variable is not sent.
6. Hand over to a person when needed
When a customer asks for something the bot cannot handle, you can route the chat to a team member. In the Dialogs section the person sees the conversation, and the Take client button lets them step in.
How the 24-hour window works
When a customer writes to your business, a customer service window opens for 24 hours and restarts with every new customer message. Inside it you can reply with free-form messages. Outside it you can only send approved templates. Meta calls the free-form replies service messages. Each business phone number gets 1,000 free service messages a month, and Meta charges from the 1,001st. For the current rates and the five message categories, see our WhatsApp Business API pricing guide.
What it costs
You pay two separate bills: Mavibot for the platform and Meta for the messages. Mavibot adds no markup per message.
| Plan | Price | Daily message limit |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 a month | 50 messages a day |
| Business | $39 a month | Up to 10,000 messages a day |
| Mavibot AI | $59 a month | Up to 10,000 messages a day, with an AI assistant for sales and customer management |
After you create a project, you get three days of full access, with a limit of 10,000 messages a day. Mailings are not available in that trial. Meta charges per delivered message by category and country, so a bot that mainly answers customers' questions mostly sends service messages.
Limits and rules to know
- Daily limit for new conversations. According to Meta's messaging limits, a new business portfolio can message 250 unique people per day outside the 24-hour window. Verifying your business raises it to 2,000. Replies to people who wrote to you do not count. See how many WhatsApp messages you can send a day.
- Quality. Meta rates how people react to your messages. Messages to people who did not ask for them lower quality and can lead to restrictions.
- Marketing to US numbers. Meta currently does not deliver marketing templates to numbers with US area codes.
Do not want to build the blocks yourself? Let Mavi do it
Mavi is Mavibot's AI agent. You describe the funnel you want in plain words, and it builds the flow in the builder.
Here is a real request. We asked Mavi for a WhatsApp scenario for a service business with online booking, for example a salon, a clinic or a consultant. When a client writes that they want to book, the bot replies and sends a link to the booking page. A client who asks another question, such as prices or opening hours, gets a short answer from the AI assistant and then the link, and a question that needs a person goes to a manager.
Mavi answered with a three-block scenario and put it into the builder: a start block with a greeting and the booking trigger, a chat block that sends the link to choose a service and a time, and a block that answers follow-up questions.
Check the result and edit it like any other flow. For more, see Mavi, the AI agent builder.
No-code platform vs the WhatsApp API directly
| No-code platform (Mavibot) | Direct WhatsApp API | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can build it | Anyone, no programming | A developer |
| Editing after launch | Drag and drop in the builder | Change the code |
| Message templates | Created from funnel blocks, Meta reviews them | Created and managed through the API |
| Costs | Platform plan plus Meta message fees | Development and hosting plus Meta message fees |
Next steps
Once the basic bot works, add the use cases that save the most time: appointment booking on WhatsApp, a WhatsApp chatbot for restaurants, lead qualification for real estate or an AI sales agent. You can start free in Mavibot or see the WhatsApp chatbot builder.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code to create a WhatsApp bot?
No. In a visual builder like Mavibot's you connect blocks with arrows. You can also let Mavi build the first version from a written description.
How much does it cost to create a WhatsApp bot?
You pay Mavibot for the platform and Meta for messages. Mavibot has a free plan with 50 messages a day, then plans at $39 and $59 a month. Meta charges per delivered message, and each number gets 1,000 free service messages a month.
Do I need to verify my business with Meta?
No, you can start without it. A new business portfolio can message 250 unique people a day outside the 24-hour window. Verification raises the limit to 2,000.
Which phone number can I connect?
An official WABA number registered directly in Facebook Business. After you sign in with Facebook in Mavibot, you pick that number from your account.
Does the bot need my phone to stay on?
No. After you connect through Facebook, the bot runs in the cloud and does not depend on your phone.
Can the bot hand a conversation to a person?
Yes. A team member can take over the chat from the Dialogs section in Mavibot.
Can the bot message customers first?
Yes, but only with a template approved by Meta, and only to people who agreed to receive messages from you.
How long does Meta take to approve a template?
In Mavibot it usually takes about 8 hours and at most 48.
Can I test the bot before customers see it?
Yes. Open Test chatbot in the builder and go through every branch as a customer. It works without a paid subscription.
Sources, checked on November 4, 2026: Meta for Developers, Messaging limits, Get opt-in for WhatsApp and Pricing on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Mavibot documentation, Pricing and WhatsApp Business API.