Can I make a WhatsApp bot without the Business API?

Yes — providers like Green API and Whapi.cloud connect to a normal WhatsApp account via QR code, which is fine for small-scale use and testing. For production customer support at scale, Meta's official WhatsApp Cloud API is the recommended route.

How long does it take to build a WhatsApp bot?

With a template, about 10 minutes: load it, edit the text and menu options, test in the simulator, connect a provider. A custom flow with bookings, catalogs and branching typically takes an hour or two.

Do WhatsApp bots need approval from Meta?

Your Meta Cloud API app needs a WhatsApp Business account, and business-initiated message templates require approval. Replies to users who message you first (service conversations) don't need template approval, which is what most support bots use.

Can the bot hand over to a human?

Yes — FlowBot has Human Handoff and Goodbye/Handoff blocks, plus business-hours routing so the bot can answer after hours and let staff take over during the day.

How to make a WhatsApp bot — free, without coding

A WhatsApp bot answers your customers automatically — menus, FAQs, orders, bookings — 24/7 inside the app they already use. This guide shows the whole process with FlowBot, a free drag-and-drop builder, from blank canvas to a live bot on a real number.

What you need before you start

A browser. FlowBot runs entirely on the web; there is nothing to install and you can start in guest mode without an account.
A WhatsApp provider account (only for going live). The official route is Meta's WhatsApp Cloud API, which is free to set up and includes a free tier for service conversations. Twilio, Green API and Whapi.cloud also work and can be simpler for testing.

Step 1 — Design the conversation as a flowchart

Open the FlowBot builder and drag blocks from the palette onto the canvas: start with a Welcome Message, add a Menu Options block ("1 — Order, 2 — Track, 3 — Talk to a human"), then wire each menu option to the blocks that handle it. There are 40+ blocks covering FAQs, bookings, catalogs, payment links, CSAT ratings, business hours and human handoff. If you'd rather not start from scratch, load one of the free templates or describe your bot to the AI Builder and edit the flowchart it drafts.

Step 2 — Collect answers with variables

Blocks like Collect Info, Collect Phone and Ask & save answer store what the user types into named variables (like {name} or {order_id}) that later blocks can reuse — for example, "Thanks {name}, your order {order_id} ships today." FlowBot automatically asks for any variable a block needs but doesn't have yet.

Step 3 — Test in the live simulator

Click the simulator and chat with your bot exactly as a customer would. Menus, branches, variables and API calls behave identically to production, so you can fix wording and logic before anyone real talks to the bot.

Step 4 — Connect a WhatsApp provider

To put the bot on a real number, open the bot's activation panel and pick a provider:

Meta WhatsApp Cloud API (official, recommended). Create a free app at developers.facebook.com, add the WhatsApp product, and copy your access token and phone number ID into FlowBot. FlowBot gives you the webhook URL and verify token to paste back into Meta's dashboard.
Twilio. Use your Account SID and Auth Token; the Twilio Sandbox is a fast way to demo a bot in minutes.
Green API or Whapi.cloud. These connect through a QR scan to a regular WhatsApp account — quick for small businesses and testing.

Step 5 — Go live (or take the code with you)

Activate the bot and message your number — the flow you drew answers in real time. Prefer to run everything on your own server? Export the bot as a ZIP of Node.js + Express code and deploy it anywhere. The exported bot is standalone and keeps working even if you never open FlowBot again.

How much does a WhatsApp bot cost?

Building the bot with FlowBot is free. Running it costs only what your provider charges: Meta's Cloud API includes a free tier for user-initiated service conversations and charges for business-initiated template messages; Twilio charges per message; Green API and Whapi.cloud sell monthly plans. Most small businesses can run a support bot for free or nearly free.