đź’¬ Handle WhatsApp customer inquiries with AI and intent routing

⚡ 1,816 views · 💬 Support Chatbots

Description

Handle WhatsApp customer inquiries with AI and intent routing (Whatsapp Chatbot)

An intelligent, fully customizable WhatsApp customer support chatbot template that works for ANY business - whether you sell fashion, electronics, food, furniture, cosmetics, or anything else. This workflow combines pre-built responses for common queries with AI for complex questions, creating a cost-effective 24/7 customer support solution that adapts to your specific products and services.

Who it’s for

This universal template works for ANY business type:

What it does

This is a UNIVERSAL template - it works for ANY business by simply updating the product categories, company information, and response templates. No coding knowledge required for basic customization!

The workflow automates WhatsApp customer support through intelligent routing and AI assistance:

  1. Receives WhatsApp messages via WhatsApp Business API webhook trigger
  2. Parses message data extracting user info, chat ID, and message text
  3. Classifies intent using pattern matching to determine what the customer wants (product inquiry, contact info, support, greeting, etc.)
  4. Routes intelligently to the most appropriate response handler:
    • Product inquiries → Pre-built catalog responses with pricing and links
    • Contact information → Static company details (address, phone, hours)
    • Complex queries → AI agent with full company context
  5. Maintains conversation context using memory to remember previous messages
  6. Sends formatted responses back to the customer via WhatsApp with markdown formatting

The hybrid approach (pre-built responses + AI) balances speed, cost, and intelligence - common questions get instant answers while complex queries receive personalized AI assistance.

How to set up

Requirements

You’ll need:

Setup Steps

  1. Configure WhatsApp Business API

    • Sign up with a WhatsApp Business API provider (Twilio, 360Dialog, or Meta)
    • Get your API credentials (phone number ID, access token, webhook verify token)
    • Add credentials to n8n’s WhatsApp node
    • Copy the webhook URL from n8n and configure it in your provider’s dashboard

  2. Customize Company Information

    • Open the “Build AI System Prompt” node
    • Replace all placeholder text with your actual company details:
      • Company name
      • Address and phone numbers
      • Email and website
      • Product categories and brands
      • Policies (COD, warranty, returns, delivery)
      • Store hours

  3. Configure Product Responses

    • Edit the “Generate Product Response” node
    • Replace the sample products with your actual catalog:
      • Product names and specifications
      • Prices (update currency if not using INR)
      • Product URLs from your website
      • Add/remove product categories as needed

  4. Update Contact Details

    • Edit the “Generate Contact Info Response” node
    • Add your complete contact information
    • Update store hours and addresses

  5. Set Up AI Credentials

    • Add your Google Gemini API key to the credential manager
    • (Optional) Connect Google Docs if you want to use a product catalog document

  6. Activate and Test

    • Activate the workflow in n8n
    • Send test messages to your WhatsApp Business number
    • Test different intents: greetings, product questions, contact requests
    • Verify responses are accurate and timely

WhatsApp Business API Providers

Option 1: Meta Cloud API (Official, free for moderate usage)

Option 2: Twilio (Reliable, paid service)

Option 3: 360Dialog (WhatsApp-focused)

Option 4: MessageBird, Vonage, others

How it works

Intent Classification System

The workflow uses keyword pattern matching to classify user intent into these categories:

Priority 1: Contact Information (highest priority)

Priority 2: Greetings

Priority 3: Product Inquiries

Priority 4: AI Fallback

Response Architecture

Pre-Built Responses (Fast & Cost-Effective)

AI Agent (Intelligent & Flexible)

Conversation Memory

The workflow uses buffer window memory to remember recent conversation:

Message Flow Example

User: “Hi” → Intent: greeting → Response: Welcome message with menu

User: “Show me monitors” → Intent: product_inquiry (monitors) → Response: Pre-built list of monitors with prices

User: “Which one is best for gaming?” → Intent: general_inquiry (complex) → Response: AI analyzes previous context (monitors) and recommends gaming-focused option

User: “What’s your address?” → Intent: contact_info → Response: Complete contact details

How to customize the workflow

STEP 1: Customize Product Categories

The workflow comes with example categories for multiple business types. Replace them with YOUR categories:

For a Fashion Store:

const categories = [
  { pattern: /(shirt|tshirt|top)/i, category: 'tops' },
  { pattern: /(jeans|pants|trousers)/i, category: 'bottoms' },
  { pattern: /(dress|gown|kurti)/i, category: 'dresses' },
  { pattern: /(shoe|footwear|heels)/i, category: 'shoes' },
];

For a Grocery Store:

const categories = [
  { pattern: /(vegetable|veggies)/i, category: 'vegetables' },
  { pattern: /(fruit|fruits)/i, category: 'fruits' },
  { pattern: /(dairy|milk|cheese)/i, category: 'dairy' },
  { pattern: /(snack|chips|biscuit)/i, category: 'snacks' },
];

For a Beauty/Cosmetics Store:

const categories = [
  { pattern: /(skincare|cream|serum)/i, category: 'skincare' },
  { pattern: /(makeup|lipstick|foundation)/i, category: 'makeup' },
  { pattern: /(perfume|fragrance)/i, category: 'perfumes' },
  { pattern: /(hair|shampoo|conditioner)/i, category: 'haircare' },
];

For a Home Furniture Store:

const categories = [
  { pattern: /(sofa|couch)/i, category: 'sofas' },
  { pattern: /(bed|mattress)/i, category: 'bedroom' },
  { pattern: /(table|desk|dining)/i, category: 'tables' },
  { pattern: /(chair|seating)/i, category: 'chairs' },
];

For a Restaurant:

const categories = [
  { pattern: /(pizza|italian)/i, category: 'italian' },
  { pattern: /(burger|sandwich)/i, category: 'fast_food' },
  { pattern: /(biryani|curry|indian)/i, category: 'indian' },
  { pattern: /(dessert|sweet|ice cream)/i, category: 'desserts' },
];

STEP 2: Customize Product Responses

Update the “Generate Product Response” node with YOUR actual products:

Example for Fashion Store:

if (category === 'tops') {
  response = `Hi ${userName}! Check out our *TOPS* collection:\\n\\n`;
  response += `👕 *Cotton Casual T-Shirt*\\n   💰 ₹499\\n   🎨 5 colors available\\n   🔗 yourstore.com/tshirts\\n\\n`;
  response += `👚 *Formal Shirt*\\n   💰 ₹899\\n   🎉 Buy 2 Get 20% OFF\\n   🔗 yourstore.com/shirts\\n\\n`;
}

Example for Grocery Store:

if (category === 'vegetables') {
  response = `Fresh *VEGETABLES* available, ${userName}:\\n\\n`;
  response += `🥕 *Fresh Carrots (1kg)*\\n   💰 ₹40\\n   🌱 Organic\\n\\n`;
  response += `🍅 *Tomatoes (1kg)*\\n   💰 ₹30\\n   ✅ Farm Fresh\\n\\n`;
}

Example for Restaurant:

if (category === 'italian') {
  response = `Delicious *ITALIAN* dishes, ${userName}:\\n\\n`;
  response += `🍕 *Margherita Pizza*\\n   💰 ₹299\\n   👨‍🍳 Chef's Special\\n\\n`;
  response += `🍝 *Creamy Alfredo Pasta*\\n   💰 ₹349\\n   🔥 Bestseller\\n\\n`;
}

STEP 3: Update Company Information

Edit the “Build AI System Prompt” node:

For a Boutique:

const systemPrompt = `You are a customer service assistant for Elegant Threads Boutique.

COMPANY INFORMATION:
- Business: Women's Designer Clothing Boutique
- Products: Ethnic wear, western wear, accessories
- Price Range: â‚ą1,500 - â‚ą15,000
- Speciality: Custom tailoring available
- Store Address: Shop 12, Fashion Street, Mumbai
- Phone: +91 98XXXXXXXX
- Delivery: Pan-Mumbai, 2-3 days
- Returns: 7-day no-questions-asked return policy
`;

For a Tech Store:

const systemPrompt = `You are customer support for TechHub Electronics.

COMPANY INFORMATION:
- Business: Consumer Electronics Retailer
- Products: Smartphones, laptops, accessories, home appliances
- Price Range: â‚ą500 - â‚ą2,00,000
- Speciality: Same-day delivery in Delhi NCR
- Warranty: Extended warranty on all electronics
- Store: Connaught Place, New Delhi
- Phone: +91 11-XXXXXXXX
`;

For a Bakery:

const systemPrompt = `You are the assistant for Sweet Delights Bakery.

COMPANY INFORMATION:
- Business: Fresh Baked Goods & Custom Cakes
- Products: Cakes, pastries, cookies, bread
- Price Range: â‚ą50 - â‚ą3,000
- Speciality: Custom cakes for all occasions (24hrs notice)
- Store: Baker Street, Bangalore
- Phone: +91 80-XXXXXXXX
- Delivery: Free above â‚ą500 within 5km
`;

Additional Customization Options

Change AI Model

Replace Google Gemini with other LLM providers:

Simply swap the “Google Gemini Chat Model” node with your preferred model.

Add More Intents

Extend the intent classification in the “Classify User Intent” node:

// Add order tracking
if (/track.*order|order.*status|where.*order/i.test(text)) {
  intent = 'order_tracking';
}

// Add complaint handling
if (/complaint|unhappy|problem|issue|refund/i.test(text)) {
  intent = 'complaint';
}

// Add shipping questions
if (/shipping|delivery|courier|when.*arrive/i.test(text)) {
  intent = 'shipping_inquiry';
}

Then add corresponding response nodes in the routing switch.

Integrate with CRM

Connect to HubSpot:

Connect to Salesforce:

Connect to Airtable:

Add Multi-Language Support

Method 1: Google Translate API

Method 2: Multilingual AI

Rich Media Responses

Send images:

return [{
  chatId: chatId,
  image: 'https://yoursite.com/product.jpg',
  caption: 'Check out this product!'
}];

Send documents:

Send location pins:

Human Handoff Logic

Add escalation for complex issues:

// Check if AI can't help
if (complexityScore > 8 || sentiment === 'angry') {
  // Notify human agent
  // Transfer conversation
  // Set status: 'awaiting_agent'
}

Integrate with:

Connect to Inventory

Real-time stock checking:

Dynamic pricing:

Add Analytics

Track metrics:

Integration options:

Business Hours Management

Add business hours logic:

const now = new Date();
const hour = now.getHours();
const isBusinessHours = (hour >= 10 && hour < 20); // 10 AM - 8 PM

if (!isBusinessHours) {
  return [{
    response: "We're currently closed. Our hours are 10 AM - 8 PM. We'll respond when we open!"
  }];
}

A/B Testing Responses

Test different response styles:

Track which versions lead to more sales/conversions.

Tips for best results

1. Start Simple

2. Monitor and Iterate

3. Balance Pre-Built vs. AI

4. Optimize Response Times

5. Test Different Scenarios

6. Keep Responses Concise

7. Maintain Brand Voice

8. Handle Failures Gracefully

9. Respect Privacy

10. Monitor Costs

Common use cases across industries

Fashion & Apparel Store

Electronics & Tech Store

Grocery & Food Store

Beauty & Cosmetics

Home Furniture Store

Restaurant & Cafe

Jewelry Store

Bookstore

Important Notes:

Getting Started Tip: Start with just contact info and product inquiries. Once that works smoothly, add AI responses for complex queries. Gradually expand based on actual customer needs you observe in conversations.

đź”— Nodes Used

WhatsApp Business Cloud, AI Agent, Simple Memory, WhatsApp Trigger, Google Gemini Chat Model

đź“Ą Import

Download workflow.json and import into n8n: Workflow menu → Import from File

📖 Importing guide · 🔑 Credential setup