The word "chatbot" makes this sound like something you need a developer for. For the questions most small businesses actually get asked on WhatsApp, it isn't. A bot flow for "what are your hours" or "where is my order" is closer to building a simple flowchart than writing code.
Start with your actual repeat questions
Before building anything, look at your last month of WhatsApp conversations and count what comes up again and again. For most businesses it's a short list: hours, location, pricing, order status, return policy. Those five questions are usually 60-80% of incoming messages — and every one of them can be answered by a bot without a human ever seeing it.
How a basic flow actually works
A bot flow is a set of steps: a trigger (a keyword or button the customer taps), a response (text, or a menu of options), and an exit (hand off to a human, or end the conversation). You're not writing rules for every possible sentence someone might type — you're building a small menu tree, the same way an IVR phone menu works, except it's WhatsApp buttons instead of "press 1 for sales."
- A welcome message with 3-4 quick-reply buttons: Order Status, Hours & Location, Talk to a Person, Something Else.
- Each button leads to either an instant answer or a short follow-up question.
- "Talk to a Person" always exits straight to your team inbox — never trap someone in a bot loop.
The one rule that matters most
Every flow needs an obvious, one-tap way to reach a human. The fastest way to lose a customer's patience is a bot that can't admit it doesn't know the answer. Build the exit first, then build the flow around it.
What this doesn't replace
A bot flow handles repeat questions with predictable answers. It's not meant to handle complaints, negotiations, or anything where the right answer depends on judgment — route those to your team inbox immediately rather than trying to script around them.