Free WhatsApp bot: what you can do (and when it's worth paying)

WhatsApp has become the counter of many small companies. The problem is that the counter never closes: messages arrive at dawn, on Sunday, in the middle of the workday. And most ask the same thing: hours, address, price, whether you have such-and-such product.

A WhatsApp bot answers these questions on its own. And you can start without spending anything. In this article, we show what a free bot can do, what the limits are and how to know when it's time to change plans.

What a menu bot on WhatsApp is

It's an automatic agent that replies with options. The customer sends "hi", the bot greets them and shows a menu:

Hello! This is Padaria Exemplo. How can we help? 1. Hours and address. 2. Menu of the day. 3. Place an order. 4. Talk to the team.

The customer replies with the number and receives the ready-made answer, or a submenu, or is passed to someone on the team. It's simple, predictable and solves a lot.

What you can do with the free plan

On Combot, the WhatsApp bot is free up to 500 replies. With it, a small company can:

• Answer frequently asked questions: hours, address, payment methods, delivery area.
• Show products and services: menu, service price list, short catalog.
• Collect simple orders: the bot asks what the person wants and passes it to the team to confirm.
• Forward to the team: when the person chooses to talk to someone, or when the subject isn't in the menu.
• Answer outside business hours: let people know when the company opens and what they can get done in advance.

And you don't need to change numbers: the connection is made by scanning a QR Code with your phone, like on WhatsApp Web, and the bot starts replying on the number the company already uses.

Combot offers ready-made scripts for more than 100 industries (bakery, auto repair shop, clinic, real estate agency, internet provider and many others). You choose yours, adjust the texts and publish.

The limits of the free bot

Being free has limits, and it's better to know them up front:

• Number of replies. The free plan allows up to 500 replies. For those who receive few messages a day, it's usually enough to get started. For those who receive many, the limit is reached quickly.
• The menu doesn't understand free-form sentences. If the customer writes "are you open on holidays?" instead of choosing an option, the menu bot doesn't interpret the sentence the way an AI would. It shows the menu again or forwards to the team.
• It doesn't replace human support. Negotiation, complaints and complicated questions stay with the team.

How to build a menu that works

A bad menu annoys more than it helps. A few practical rules:

1. No more than five options in the main menu. More than that and people get lost.
2. Options named the way customers speak. "Orders" is better than "Special made-to-order requests".
3. Always an option to talk to someone. Nobody likes being stuck in the bot.
4. Short replies. Nobody reads a huge message on WhatsApp. Break it into parts.
5. Review the conversations. See where people give up or ask for the team, and adjust.

If you've never written a script, our guide helps: how to write a customer service script.

An illustrative example

Imagine (fictional example) a pet shop offering bathing and grooming.

The menu has four options: hours and address, bathing and grooming prices, booking an appointment and talking to the team. Those who choose "prices" receive the price list by size. Those who choose "booking an appointment" provide the pet's name, size and preferred day, and the team confirms. Sunday messages receive the opening hours and guidance to leave the request for Monday.

The pet shop owner now answers only what needs her, instead of repeating the price list several times a day.

When it's worth paying

There are two paths forward, and each solves a different problem:

• Volume: if the 500-reply limit isn't enough, the unlimited plan for the menu bot costs R$ 49 per month. The bot stays the same, with no reply limit.
• Intelligence: if customers write free-form sentences and the menu can't keep up, the AI bot understands natural language, is trained with your company's information and forwards to the team when needed. It costs R$ 79.90 per month and includes API and webhooks to integrate with your system.

We compare the two in detail in the article AI bot or menu bot.

What about phone calls?

The bot handles WhatsApp. If your company also receives many calls, AI Phone answers by voice and can send the requests to the same WhatsApp. Many customers prefer to call, especially when they're in a hurry.

Points to watch

• Don't use the bot to send bulk messages to people who didn't ask for them. Besides being annoying, it can get the number blocked.
• Handle data carefully. Ask only for what you need and follow the LGPD.
• Keep the phone connected. With the QR Code connection, the phone needs an internet connection.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need another number to use the bot?

No. The QR Code connection uses the WhatsApp number the company already has. Meta's official API is an advanced option, only for a new number.

Does the bot reply on my phone?

It replies on your number, and the conversations that need the team remain accessible for you to handle. Keep the phone connected to the internet.

Can I change plans later?

Yes. You start on the free plan and move to unlimited or to the AI bot when the volume or the type of question calls for it.

Summary

A free WhatsApp bot already handles repeated questions, organizes orders and answers outside business hours. Start with a short menu based on your customers' real questions, and keep an eye on the conversations. When the volume or variety of questions grows, that's the time to consider the unlimited plan or the AI bot.