Your customers don’t want to wait on hold or fill in a web form. More and more, they just send a WhatsApp message and expect a quick, helpful reply, at any hour.

Today, the same Aethex agent that answers your phone calls can answer them there too. It works on one number with one memory of every customer, and your team can stevp in whenever they want.

Skip straight to the video walkthrough →

Meet customers where they already are

Connect a WhatsApp Business number once and choose which agent answers it. From then on, your agent:

• Replies to every message as it arrives, with nothing needed from your team

• Understands voice notes, transcribing and answering them like text

• Offers tap-to-reply menus, so customers can pick an option in one tap

• Remembers each customer across chats and calls, so a call picks up where the chat left off

• Answers WhatsApp calls in the same voice it uses on the phone, once your number qualifies

WhatsApp in practice

A few ways teams can put it to work:

• Always-on customer support: Answer FAQs and guide customers at any time, with a human handoff for exceptions.

• Customer reactivation: Reach dormant customers with relevant, data-informed conversations, then transfer qualified cases to a human agent with a summary.

• Collections and repayment support: Support loan recovery workflows using customer-level information such as amounts owed and due dates, with escalation paths for more complex cases.

• Outbound follow-up: Teams can use approved message templates for outreach, while retaining the option to step into a conversation manually

Connect your number in 15 minutes

Before you start, have four things ready:

• A Facebook login that manages your business on Meta (you can create a business portfolio during setup – we show you in the walkthrough)

• The phone number you want to use, able to receive a text or call for a six-digit code

• The Aethex agent you want to answer it.

• The phone number you want to use for the WhatsApp connection (it cannot be already linked with a WhatsApp account)

Full Walkthrough:

Heads up: connecting moves the number out of the WhatsApp phone app for good. If it’s in use there, delete that account in the app first, or use a spare number. Customers keep messaging the same number; your agent simply answers instead of a phone. Numbers already set up with another WhatsApp provider can move straight across.

Or follow these steps:

1. In the Aethex platform, go to the WhatsApp tab on the left hand side and select Connect.

2. Select the agent you want to connect WhatsApp to. You can change it at any time.

3. In the Meta (Facebook) window that opens, log in with the Facebook account that manages your business.

4. Add the phone number you want to use for WhatsApp (it cannot be currently linked to a WhatsApp account)

5. Enter the six-digit code Meta sends by text or voice call.

6. Then add your business portfolio or create a new one and a WhatsApp business account.

7. [If creating a business portfolio you will need to submit for approval to Meta – see walkthrough video]

8. Confirm, and Aethex finishes the setup for you automatically.

9. And just like that you have connected your AethexAI Agent to your WhatsApp – be sure to create templates for written responses and outreach for your agents

Shortly after connecting, Meta sends your number a note about finishing its own setup. You can safely ignore it.

Your team stays in control

One shared inbox. Every customer conversation sits in a single timeline, chats and calls together. A team member can take over any thread, which pauses the agent, then hand it back. The agent picks up with full context. If a customer asks for a person, the handover happens automatically.

Start conversations, not just reply. WhatsApp allows free-form replies for 24 hours after a customer’s last message. To reach someone outside that window, you use a template: a message Meta approves in advance, with blanks like a name or booking time. Campaigns send a template to a whole list. You can set the pace, schedule it, and pause or cancel at any time, and track delivery per recipient.

Opting out. There’s no automatic STOP keyword yet. If a customer asks not to be contacted, the agent handles it in conversation. Remove them from your campaign lists yourself.

Calls that grow with your number

WhatsApp is a Meta product. You keep your own WhatsApp Business account, Meta bills you directly for conversations, and Meta sets how many conversations your number can start each day. Replies to customers who message you first are always unlimited.

To move up quickly, verify your business in Meta Business Manager early and add a payment method, which templates and campaigns need. Keep message quality high, because Meta lowers the limit if customers react badly.

Meta doesn’t allow businesses to call customers in the United States, Canada, Nigeria, Egypt or Vietnam. Customers there can still call you.

Common questions

• Setup says my number is already in use. It’s still registered in the WhatsApp phone app or another WhatsApp Business account. Delete it from within the app, or select the existing business account during setup so the number moves across.

• The verification code didn’t arrive. Meta limits how many codes a number can get each day. Wait a while, then choose the voice-call option instead.

• My display name says “in review”. That’s normal for a new number and usually clears within a day. Messaging works in the meantime.

• Replies work, but templates and campaigns fail. Add a payment method in Meta Business Manager, under WhatsApp Manager → Payment settings.

• There’s no call button in the chat. Your number hasn’t reached the 2,000 limit yet. Keep messaging and calls will switch on. Inbound calls will work before this limit is reached.

• Customers are writing in, but the agent isn’t answering. Check the number’s health page. Removing the number and connecting it again usually fixes it.

Any further issues and questions feel free to contact your dedicated account manager for support.

Get started

WhatsApp is available now for all Aethex Enterprise customers. Connect your first number today, or book a 1:1 and we’ll set it up with you.

Book a 1:1 with Alex →