Before connecting a bot to your business WhatsApp account

Before accepting a quote to connect a bot to your business WhatsApp account, ask for a written answer: which product and connection method will the provider use? A bot replying during a demonstration does not answer that question.

My starting point would be to check whether the integration uses the official route, what its limits are and what we would do if it stopped working. Then compare features and price. A quick reply is of little use if the quote does not explain what it depends on.

A working connection does not prove it is authorised

The official route for these integrations is WhatsApp Business Platform. There are also tools that connect programs to WhatsApp Web. For example, whatsapp-web.js uses a software-controlled browser; the project itself states that it is neither authorised by nor officially affiliated with WhatsApp and warns that it cannot guarantee you will avoid being blocked.

That statement is more useful than a sales promise that nothing ever goes wrong. It does not tell us the probability of a block or when one might happen. It does make clear that the tool should not be presented as an official integration.

Do not consider the matter settled by a QR code, a screenshot or the word “API” in a quote. Ask for the product name and a reference to official documentation explaining the connection. If the answer remains ambiguous, postpone connecting the number your customers use.

The risk is losing access to the channel, not cancelling your phone service

The WhatsApp Business policy allows access to be limited or removed for violations. It also provides for restrictions following negative user feedback. This concerns access to WhatsApp; it is not the same as cancelling your phone service with your carrier.

If that contact appears on your quotes, vehicles or website, an interruption could leave enquiries unanswered. We do not need to portray it as an inevitable business closure to take it seriously. Prepare an alternative channel and a way to notify people waiting for a reply.

The official route still requires compliance with the policies; it is not a guarantee against every restriction. WhatsApp publishes resources for requesting a review if you believe you have not violated its rules. Having that review route does not mean anyone can promise immediate restoration.

What I put in writing at Hebra Studio

Clause 6.5 of my services agreement records these two criteria: WhatsApp integration uses Meta’s official WhatsApp Business Platform, directly or through an authorised provider; I do not develop integrations based on unofficial libraries or WhatsApp Web sessions.

Three checks before giving the go-ahead

• The proposed connection. Ask the provider to identify the platform, method and dependencies. Check that the demonstration uses that same solution, rather than another one that is easier to show.
• An itemised cost. Ask for channel charges, provider charges and maintenance to be separated. According to Meta’s technical documentation, since 1 October 2026, Meta charges for service messages from the 1,001st message each month per phone number, with the first 1,000 free. If the account has no payment method, Meta stops delivering them once that free tier is exhausted. For more detail, see the article on the WhatsApp pricing change of 1 October (in Spanish).
• The response to an incident. Agree who will investigate what happened, where the account status can be checked and how you will handle enquiries in the meantime. Do not confuse your provider’s response time with a restoration deadline that depends on WhatsApp.

These answers let you compare two quotes on more than their initial price. My recommendation would be to choose a proposal you can identify and whose limits you understand. If you still cannot explain how it connects to WhatsApp and your response to a restriction, you need more information before approving it.