> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.routiq.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# WhatsApp Channel

> WhatsApp Business via Meta — bounded automation only under Meta's January 2026 rules. Available in beta.

<Note>
  **Beta — available on request.** WhatsApp setup requires a Meta
  Business account, a verified WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), and
  Meta's approval of your message templates. We help you through this.
  [Email us](mailto:hello@routiq.ai?subject=WhatsApp%20Beta) to enable.
</Note>

<Warning>
  **Meta's January 2026 rule change.** As of January 2026, Meta has
  banned free-form chatbot conversations on WhatsApp Business. Robyn's
  WhatsApp behaviour is intentionally **bounded** to comply: pre-approved
  templates for outbound (confirmations, reminders, recall), structured
  reply parsing for inbound (YES / NO / RESCHEDULE), and instant human
  hand-off for anything outside those flows.
</Warning>

<Info>
  **Why this matters.** WhatsApp is the dominant patient channel in
  many markets (UK, Europe, parts of the AU South-Asian diaspora, all
  of LATAM). Where SMS is too transactional and email too slow,
  WhatsApp is where patients actually reply. Despite Meta's restrictions,
  bounded WhatsApp flows still beat SMS for confirmation rates by 10-30%.
</Info>

## What Robyn can do on WhatsApp (post-January 2026)

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Outbound: appointment confirmations" icon="check-double">
    Pre-approved Meta template. Patient replies YES / NO / RESCHEDULE — Robyn parses and acts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Outbound: reminders" icon="bell">
    Pre-approved template, sent at your configured cadence before each appointment.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Outbound: recall sequences" icon="rotate-right">
    Lapsed-patient reactivation. Pre-approved template; reply opens a 24-hour conversation window.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inbound: structured reply parsing" icon="comment-arrow-up">
    Patient replies to a Robyn template — Robyn parses YES/NO/RESCHEDULE/STOP within the 24-hour window.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Inbound: free-form messages" icon="hand-back-fist">
    Patient sends an unsolicited free-form message → Robyn acknowledges, captures details, escalates to your team. **Robyn does not free-form chat on WhatsApp.**
  </Card>

  <Card title="Opt-out compliance" icon="ban">
    STOP / DELETE — recognised across all languages, instantly removes the patient from WhatsApp outbound.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What your patient sees

> **Robyn (WhatsApp template):**
>
> *Hi Sarah, this is Routiq from Bondi Physio. Just confirming your appointment Friday 9 May at 2:00pm with Dr Lin.*
>
> *Reply YES to confirm, NO to cancel, or RESCHEDULE to change.*
>
> *Reply STOP to opt out of WhatsApp messages.*

> **Patient:** Yes
>
> **Robyn:** Great — see you Friday. If anything changes, just message us back.

## Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Email us to start the beta">
    [hello@routiq.ai](mailto:hello@routiq.ai?subject=WhatsApp%20Beta) — subject "WhatsApp Beta". We'll set up a 30-min onboarding call to walk you through Meta's setup.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a Meta Business and WhatsApp Business Account">
    Meta requires a verified business identity. We send you the exact steps:

    1. Create / claim Meta Business Manager
    2. Add your business documents for verification
    3. Create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) inside Meta Business Manager
    4. Add Routiq as a Solution Partner via the Meta dashboard

    Verification typically takes 2-7 business days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Provision a WhatsApp number">
    You can either:

    * **Migrate your existing clinic mobile number** to WhatsApp Business — preserves the number patients already know
    * **Use a new number** — provisioned through Routiq

    A WhatsApp number can't be used for normal calls/SMS once migrated, so most clinics use a separate dedicated number.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit message templates for Meta approval">
    Robyn ships with pre-built templates for confirmations, reminders, and recall in your language. Meta reviews each template (typically 24-48 hours) before they can be used.

    Custom templates can be submitted via **Settings** → **Channels** → **WhatsApp** → **Templates**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure escalation">
    Decide what Robyn does when a patient sends an unsolicited free-form message (which Meta requires Robyn not to chat-respond to):

    * **Email notification** — your team gets the message via email
    * **Forward to clinic line** — patient gets a call back
    * **Auto-acknowledge** — Robyn sends a polite holding message and notifies the team

    See [Human Escalations](/features/human-escalations).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Pricing

WhatsApp messaging is billed by Meta on a per-conversation basis (not per-message). Conversations are categorised:

| Category                           | Price guide (AU, indicative)    |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Utility (confirmations, reminders) | \~AUD \$0.04 / 24h conversation |
| Marketing (recall, promotional)    | \~AUD \$0.10 / 24h conversation |
| Authentication                     | \~AUD \$0.05 / 24h conversation |
| Service (patient-initiated)        | Free (Meta-funded)              |

Live pricing per region in the **Outbound** → **Usage** dashboard. Routiq passes through Meta's conversation costs at zero markup; on top of that, Routiq's messaging is charged at 10c AUD per message.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Why can't Robyn chat freely on WhatsApp like she does on SMS?">
    Meta's January 2026 rules ban free-form AI chatbots on WhatsApp Business to combat spam. The rules permit structured templates (confirmations, reminders) and human-in-the-loop responses, but not unbounded AI dialogue. Routiq complies by design — Robyn handles bounded flows and escalates everything else.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use my existing clinic mobile number?">
    Yes — Meta's number-porting flow migrates an existing mobile number to WhatsApp Business. Caveat: once migrated, that number can no longer receive normal calls/SMS. Most clinics provision a dedicated number instead.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if a patient asks Robyn a clinical question on WhatsApp?">
    Robyn doesn't reply free-form. She acknowledges the message ("We've received your message and will be in touch shortly") and escalates to your team via email or call.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long does Meta verification take?">
    Typically 2-7 business days for the WABA verification, plus 24-48 hours per message template review. We help you fast-track where possible.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will the same number work for SMS too?">
    No — once a number is migrated to WhatsApp Business, it can't be used for SMS. If you want both channels, you'll need separate numbers.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="SMS channel" icon="comment" href="/channels/sms">
    For free-form patient conversations and regions where SMS is dominant.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Appointment confirmations" icon="check-double" href="/outbound/appointment-confirmations">
    Two-way confirmation flows that work over WhatsApp templates.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>