Insights · 5 min read
WhatsApp automation on the official Cloud API: what to know first
By Gnaneswar Kalinga, founder, MarketRun · Updated
The short answer
If you want WhatsApp to send reminders and order updates, or answer common questions for you, do it on Meta's official WhatsApp Cloud API, not on unofficial tools that copy WhatsApp Web, which can get your number restricted. On the official API, messages you start must use templates Meta approves, customers should agree to hear from you, and replies inside an open conversation can be written freely. Keep the WhatsApp Business account in your own name so the number stays yours.
The problem it solves
A post on r/smallbusinessindia described small online shops getting 20 or more WhatsApp messages a day asking 'Where is my order?'. Questions like that, plus reminders and follow-ups, are what WhatsApp automation takes off your hands. WhatsApp is the channel; the work is answering, reminding and following up.
Official API or unofficial tools
Unofficial tools drive the normal WhatsApp app or WhatsApp Web. They are cheap to start with, but they break WhatsApp's terms and put your number at risk. The official Cloud API is how WhatsApp wants businesses to automate, and it is what our own WhatsApp Gateway runs on.
Templates for messages you start
When your business messages a customer first, such as a reminder, an order update or a login code, the message must use a template that Meta has approved. Templates have fixed wording with blanks for names, dates and amounts. Plan them early: approval can take time, and wording that sounds like an offer may be charged as marketing instead of utility.
Free replies inside a conversation
When a customer messages you, you can reply freely for a limited window. This is where a shared inbox and AI-drafted replies help most: your team answers quickly, from one number, with the history in front of them.
What it costs
| Message type (Meta) | Typical use | Price per message, India |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | Booking confirmations, reminders, order updates | ₹0.115 |
| Authentication | One-time passwords (OTP) | ₹0.115 |
| Marketing | Offers and promotions | ₹0.8631 |
Meta's rate card for India, effective 1 October 2026. Replies to customers who message you first follow Meta's own rules, which Meta sets and changes; check its pricing page before you budget. With us, setting up the automation starts from ₹50,000, then from ₹30,000 a month to run and improve it.
Ask first, and make it easy to stop
- Ask customers to opt in before you message them.
- Send what they asked for: updates, reminders, answers.
- Make it easy to stop messages. Numbers that customers block or report get limited.
Keep the number and account yours
Set up the WhatsApp Business account in your company's name, and give any vendor access, not ownership. Meta bills message charges to that account.
A sensible first automation
Start with one job that already happens by hand every day, such as appointment reminders or order updates. Measure the time it saves, then add the next.
Sources
Questions people ask
Is the free WhatsApp Business app enough?
For one person answering a few chats a day, often yes. Move to the official API when several people share one number, when your software needs to send reminders or updates, or when you want replies connected to your CRM or calendar.
Can I message people who never contacted me?
Only with their opt-in and an approved template. Messaging people who did not ask is how numbers get blocked.