Meta's AI agent in WhatsApp Business: what it answers, how to teach it and which features it turns off
Meta Business Agent is Meta's AI inside the WhatsApp Business app: it answers questions about your hours, products, prices, payments and shipping using your catalog, profile and whatever you teach it. Today it's only available in some countries for select businesses, and connecting it turns off your greeting and away messages (and can affect broadcast lists). See how it behaves and decide whether it fits.
Updated: October 9, 2026
Does WhatsApp Business have AI?
Yes: Meta Business Agent, Meta's AI for businesses. You turn it on under Tools > AI agent, but for now it's only available in some countries for select businesses; if you don't see the option, you can join the waitlist.
What can Meta's AI agent answer?
Questions about basic information (hours, location), products and services, recommendations, prices, discounts, payments and shipping. It uses your catalog, profile, website, description, address and hours, plus what you teach it.
What happens to my greeting and away messages if I turn on Meta's AI?
They're turned off automatically, because they interfere with the AI's replies. It can also affect broadcast lists and disappearing messages. If you delete the agent, you get them back.
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How it replies (and when it hands off)
Press play: the AI answers what it knows and, when it can't, the chat goes to the human handoff list for you to reply.
Illustrative recreation based on the WhatsApp Help Center (checked October 9, 2026). Menus can vary by app version and country.
What it does and doesn't
| Does | Keep in mind |
|---|---|
| Answers hours, location, products, prices, discounts, payments and shipping | Only in some countries and businesses; language depends on your business number |
| Recommends products from your catalog | Turns off greeting and away, and can affect broadcast lists and disappearing messages |
| Learns from your replies in learning mode | If you reply yourself, it stops generating replies in that chat until you unmute it |
| Flags chats that need a person (human handoff list) | Chats with the AI are used to improve Meta's AI, even if you mute it |
How to set it up and choose where it replies
- In Tools tap AI agent (if it's not there, it isn't available to you yet).
- Accept the terms and finish setup on the phone.
- Under Your AI agent > AI replies choose: all new 1-1 chats, 1-1 chats except with contacts, only chats from ads, or paused but learning.
- Check the AI handoff list in Chats every day.
Teach it with examples (copy and adapt)
Under Your AI agent > Knowledge you can add example responses, documents and images. What cuts mistakes most is your policies in writing:
We ship nationwide. Same metro area: 1 to 2 days; rest of the country: 2 to 5 business days. Free shipping over US$75.
We accept card (payment link), bank transfer and PayPal. No cash on delivery.
Exchanges within 15 days with the tag on. Customer pays return shipping unless it's a factory defect.
We hold items for 24 hours without payment. After that they're released.
Wholesale pricing from 6 units of the same model. For a quote, hand the chat to a person.
Knowledge is managed from the main phone, not WhatsApp Web.
Does it fit you?
Answer the 4 questions to see what fits.
Teach it your information (examples below) and check the human handoff list every day.
With ChatSales the AI answers from your information, works alongside your automatic messages and hands the chat to the right person in a shared inbox.
The alternative for teams
An AI assistant on the official API answers from your information without turning off your automatic messages, works with several people on one number and keeps every conversation in your pipeline.
Ideas to sell more on WhatsApp, in your inbox
What's new in WhatsApp and Meta, AI for business, sales and marketing, with verified data and ready-made templates. Free, no spam, unsubscribe in one click.
We'll email you to confirm. Read our privacy notice.
Sources
WhatsApp Help Center: about Meta Business Agent · set it up · teach it · greeting and away disabled · AI handoff list · behavior in chats · pause or delete. Checked October 9, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why don't I see the AI agent in WhatsApp Business?
Because for now it's only available in some countries for select businesses. WhatsApp offers a waitlist.
Can I turn the AI off in one chat?
Yes. In the chat tap Respond manually; you can also pause or delete it from the app on the phone.
What language does it reply in?
WhatsApp says the language is determined by your business phone number and that not all languages are supported yet.
Does Meta use my chats?
According to WhatsApp, messages in chats with the agent connected are used to improve Meta's AI, even if you mute it. Deleting it stops the sharing.
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