WhatsApp Business Setup Checklist

☐ Pick the number: [dedicated business number] that is NOT already tied to a personal WhatsApp account, and confirm it can receive an SMS or voice OTP

☐ Choose the setup: for an AI agent you need the WhatsApp Business Platform / API, not the basic Business app

☐ Choose your provider or BSP: [provider name] and create the WhatsApp Business Account (WABA)

☐ Set the display name: [Business Display Name] (must match your real brand, no extra promo words)

☐ Fill the profile: logo, category [category], address [address], website [https://yoursite.com], and hours

☐ Write the About and greeting: [short one-line description of what you do]

☐ Start business verification with Meta using [legal business name] and [business document]

☐ List where opt-in happens: website form, checkout, click-to-chat link, QR code, in-store [list your sources]

☐ Add clear consent wording near each opt-in: "[Business Name] may message you on WhatsApp about [topic]. Reply STOP to opt out."

☐ Record consent: store the timestamp, source, and phone number in your CRM for every opt-in

☐ Separate the purposes: keep transactional opt-in (order updates) distinct from marketing opt-in (promotions)

☐ Honor opt-out: make STOP / UNSUBSCRIBE instantly remove the contact and confirm with one message

☐ Never import or message purchased or scraped lists

☐ Set your click-to-chat link and QR with a prefilled first message: ["Hi, I'd like help with..."]

☐ Identify which messages start a conversation (need an approved template) vs replies inside the 24-hour window (free-form)

☐ Draft a welcome / opt-in confirmation template: "Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out to [Business Name]. How can we help today?"

☐ Draft an order or appointment update template: "Hi [Name], your [order/appointment] [reference] is [status]. Reply here with any questions."

☐ Draft a re-engagement template: "Hi [Name], following up on your [request]. Want us to pick this back up?"

☐ Assign each template a category: Utility, Authentication, or Marketing (category affects pricing and rules), and use variables not hardcoded data: {{1}} = name, {{2}} = reference

☐ Submit templates for approval and note status: [template name] - [pending / approved / rejected]

☐ Keep a fallback plan for any rejected template: revise wording and resubmit, do not work around the rules

☐ Connect the AI agent to the WhatsApp number, and give it its knowledge: products, pricing, hours, policies, FAQs, and links [paste sources or URLs]

☐ Write the agent persona: tone, what it can promise, and what it must never say [persona notes]

☐ Define the capture goal: which fields the agent collects (name, email, need, [other]) and saves to the CRM

☐ Set handoff triggers: human takeover on [billing dispute], [angry customer], [explicit "talk to a person" request], [high-value lead]

☐ Route handoffs to: [team / person / channel] with full conversation history attached

☐ Set after-hours behavior: agent answers and books a callback, or collects details and promises a reply by [timeframe]

☐ Confirm the same agent and CRM also cover your website, Telegram, and Instagram so context follows the customer

☐ Link your privacy policy [https://yoursite.com/privacy] and state how WhatsApp data is used

☐ Confirm a data deletion path: a contact can request removal and you can honor it

☐ Match message volume to your quality tier and warm up gradually instead of blasting on day one

☐ Keep content relevant and expected so users don't hit Block or Report

☐ Watch the number's quality rating in your provider dashboard: [green / yellow / red]

☐ Avoid prohibited content per WhatsApp Commerce and Business policies [review policy link]

☐ Assign an owner to monitor quality rating and opt-out rate weekly: [name]

☐ Send a message to the business number from a personal phone and confirm the agent replies

☐ Test the opt-in flow end to end and confirm consent lands in the CRM with source and timestamp

☐ Trigger each approved template and confirm variables fill correctly

☐ Ask the agent 5 real customer questions and check the answers are accurate [list your 5]

☐ Force a handoff and confirm the right person gets it with full history, then send STOP and confirm the opt-out is honored

☐ Test after-hours: message outside business hours and confirm the fallback behavior, and that captured leads appear in the CRM

☐ Sign off: [name] - [date] - ready to launch