TL;DR
A WhatsApp bot on the official Business API can handle catalogue browsing, in-chat ordering and payments, order updates, abandoned-cart recovery, and a large share of support. It cannot send unsolicited messages — promotional sends need opt-in and approved templates, and there is a 24-hour service window plus per-conversation pricing. Builds start from ₹25,000 (~$500).
A WhatsApp ordering botlets customers browse your catalogue, place an order, pay, and get support without leaving the chat. In India — where WhatsApp is the default way people message businesses — it can carry a real share of both sales and support. But it works inside Meta's rules, so it is worth knowing what it can and cannot do before you build one.
What a WhatsApp bot can do
- Catalogue browse and in-chat ordering — customers pick products and place orders inside the thread.
- Automated order-status updates — confirmation, shipping, and delivery messages sent automatically.
- In-chat payments — Razorpay or UPI payment links generated inside the conversation.
- Abandoned-cart recovery — nudges that bring shoppers back to checkout.
- Two-tier support — the bot handles the common questions and hands off cleanly to a human for the rest.
- Inventory in sync — connected to your store admin so the bot never sells what you do not have.
Built correctly, this is not a toy. One personal-care brand we worked with had a WhatsApp bot handling roughly sixty percent of its support load within weeks of launch.
What it can't do (the rules)
WhatsApp is not an open broadcast channel. The official Business API has guardrails you have to design around:
- No unsolicited messaging. You can only message customers who opted in, and promotional sends use pre-approved message templates.
- A 24-hour service window.Outside the 24 hours after a customer's last message, you can only reply with approved templates, not free-form text.
- Per-message pricing. Business-initiated conversations are billed by Meta, so broadcasts have a real cost — spraying messages is both against the rules and expensive.
Use the official WhatsApp Business API rather than unofficial automation — unofficial bots get numbers banned, and you lose the channel you built on.
WhatsApp vs a chatbot widget on your site
| WhatsApp bot | On-site chat widget | |
|---|---|---|
| Where customers are | Already in WhatsApp | Only while on your site |
| Re-engagement | Opt-in templates, order updates | Limited once they leave |
| Best for | Ordering + support in India | Pre-sale questions on desktop |
What it costs
At tilde a WhatsApp bot starts from ₹25,000 (about $500) and takes 2–3 weeks, with add-ons like abandoned-cart recovery, broadcasts, in-chat payments, and AI-assisted replies priced on top. Meta's per-conversation fees are billed separately by Meta.
Published 26 May 2026 · the tilde team
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