Blog
Guides, comparisons and notes from building Replai.
How WhatsApp automation actually works for a small business, with real prices and the trade-offs other vendors leave out.
RSS- Policy and risk
Policy and risk
WhatsApp Business account under review: what it means and how long it takes
"Under review" appears in six different places for a business on WhatsApp, from a ban appeal to a catalog collection. Which one you are looking at, how long Meta says each takes, and what you can do meanwhile.
30 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Setup guides
Setup guides
Meta Business Agent on WhatsApp: what it does, who can use it and how to pause it
Meta Business Agent answers customers inside the WhatsApp Business app, trained on your Facebook Page, past chats and website. Where it is available, what it costs, how to pause or delete it, and when a separate assistant makes more sense.
30 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Setup guides
Setup guides
How many devices can use one WhatsApp Business number?
One WhatsApp Business number runs on a main phone plus up to four linked devices, or up to 10 on Meta's paid plans. What counts toward the limit, what the main phone still controls, and what to do when a team outgrows it.
30 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Policy and risk
Policy and risk
WhatsApp Coexistence: can the app and the Cloud API share one number?
Meta lets one number run the WhatsApp Business app and the Cloud API at the same time. What Coexistence actually does the moment you switch it on, what it unlinks, what it costs, and who should not bother.
18 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Policy and risk
Policy and risk
Why do WhatsApp linked devices keep logging out? The causes, and how to tell which one it is
WhatsApp Web and desktop sessions that drop every day or two usually come from one of a handful of causes. How to tell them apart in a week, starting with whether every device drops at once or one at a time.
17 Sep 2026 · 4 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
Best WhatsApp AI chatbots for small business in 2026: 8 tools compared on price, setup and what the AI actually costs
Eight WhatsApp AI chatbots compared for a small business: entry price, whether the AI is included or an add-on, whether you need the Meta Business API, and who each one actually suits. Every price verified in September 2026.
16 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Product
Product
Four days of chasing unpaid orders on WhatsApp, and what came back
We switched order recovery on for our own shop on a Sunday. Four days later it had chased ten unpaid orders, five had paid, and MYR 921 had come back. Here are all ten, including the five that ignored us.
14 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
Product
What's new: your bot reads your past chats, and writes like you
Replai can now import the conversation history already on your phone, learn your house voice from the replies you have written, and build a knowledge base out of answers you have already given. Conversation Packs also stopped expiring.
12 Sep 2026 · 6 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
Use ChatGPT to write your WhatsApp bot's rules, then paste them in
You do not need to learn prompt engineering to set up a WhatsApp assistant. Ask ChatGPT to interview you about your business, paste the result into your bot, and put the facts somewhere else entirely. Here is the exact prompt to start with and where each piece belongs.
11 Sep 2026 · 7 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
WhatsApp abandoned cart recovery for WooCommerce that rebuilds the cart
Most WhatsApp cart reminders send a link to /cart, which is empty when the customer opens it on a different device. This is how a token link rebuilds the exact cart on any device, when the reminder fires, how consent works, and what to write.
10 Sep 2026 · 9 min read
- Templates
Templates
WhatsApp order confirmation and update messages: 14 templates you can copy
Copy-and-paste WhatsApp messages for every order status: order received, paid, shipped with tracking, ready for pickup, delivered, refunded, unpaid-order reminders, cash on delivery and abandoned carts, with the rules that keep them short and welcome.
9 Sep 2026 · 9 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
How to send WhatsApp order notifications from WooCommerce, from your own number
Install the Replai for WooCommerce plugin, paste one URL and one secret, pick the statuses, edit the message with the field picker, send yourself a test and switch it on. About ten minutes, no Meta API, no template approval, no per-message fees.
9 Sep 2026 · 7 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
Trengo vs Respond.io in 2026: which shared inbox fits your team, and when you need neither
Trengo starts at €299 a month for ten users; Respond.io at $79 for five. Both run WhatsApp on the official API. A head-to-head on verified September 2026 pricing, channels, AI charges and contact limits, with a clear answer for teams of 3, 10 and 20, and for the small business that only needs one WhatsApp number answered.
6 Sep 2026 · 4 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
WhatsApp chatbot for cash-on-delivery orders: confirm the address, cut the fake orders, keep the human for payment
For online stores in Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East and Africa, most WhatsApp orders are cash on delivery, and most of the work is confirming them. A setup guide for a bot that answers stock and price questions, checks COD eligibility, collects the address and logs the order to a sheet, without touching payment.
6 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
6 Chatfuel alternatives for WhatsApp in 2026: which one fits a small business
Chatfuel grew up on Facebook Messenger and its AI plan is $49 a month on top of Meta's WhatsApp message fees. Six alternatives compared on verified 2026 pricing, WhatsApp setup and AI, from ManyChat and Wati to flat-rate, API-free tools like Replai, grouped by who each one is for.
5 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
6 ManyChat alternatives for WhatsApp in 2026: when Instagram-first is the wrong shape
ManyChat is excellent for Instagram and Messenger and adds WhatsApp through the official API with Meta's fees on top. If WhatsApp is your main channel, these six alternatives compared on verified September 2026 pricing fit better, from Wati and Respond.io to flat-rate, API-free tools like Replai.
5 Sep 2026 · 6 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
6 Respond.io alternatives in 2026: for teams that want simpler pricing or WhatsApp only
Respond.io starts at $79 a month billed annually for five users, plus AI credits, contact tiers and Meta's message fees. Six alternatives compared on verified September 2026 pricing, grouped by whether you need a multichannel team inbox or just one WhatsApp number answered well.
5 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
6 Tidio alternatives for WhatsApp-first businesses (2026 pricing compared)
Tidio is a website live-chat widget first and reaches WhatsApp through the official API, with Lyro AI conversation limits that are not fully published. Six alternatives compared on verified September 2026 pricing for businesses whose customers start on WhatsApp, from Wati and Respond.io to flat-rate, API-free Replai.
5 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
7 Trengo alternatives for WhatsApp-first small businesses (2026 pricing compared)
Trengo starts at €299 a month for ten users, which is the wrong shape for a small business whose customers live on WhatsApp. Seven alternatives compared on verified 2026 pricing, WhatsApp setup, AI and who each one actually suits, from Respond.io and Wati to flat-rate tools like Replai.
5 Sep 2026 · 6 min read
- Comparison
Comparison
7 Wati alternatives in 2026: cheaper, simpler or API-free options for small businesses
Wati's Growth plan runs $39 to $69 a month depending on your country, before Meta's per-message fees and the AI add-on. Seven alternatives compared on verified September 2026 pricing, WhatsApp connection and AI, from Respond.io and Interakt to flat-rate, API-free tools like Replai.
5 Sep 2026 · 6 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
WhatsApp auto-reply bot for small businesses: the three kinds, what they cost, and how to set one up
An away message is not an auto-reply bot. This guide separates the WhatsApp Business app's built-in replies, keyword bots and AI bots that answer from your own documents, with 2026 costs, a ten-minute setup, and the questions each kind can and cannot answer.
5 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
WhatsApp chatbot for clinics: handle appointment requests and fee questions without giving medical advice
A setup guide for GP, dental, aesthetic and physio clinics that get the same WhatsApp questions all day: is there a slot, how much is it, do you take my panel. What goes in the knowledge base, where the medical-advice line sits, how to keep the bot out of existing patient chats, and what the first week looks like.
5 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
WhatsApp chatbot for tuition centres: answer every parent enquiry without touching your existing chats
A setup guide for tuition and enrichment centres that get the same parent questions on WhatsApp all evening: fees, timetable, levels, trial classes. What to put in the knowledge base, how to keep the bot out of your existing parent groups, and what a good first week looks like.
5 Sep 2026 · 6 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
WhatsApp chatbot without the Business API: how QR pairing works, what it costs and where it breaks
You can run an AI chatbot on the WhatsApp number you already have by pairing it as a linked device, with no Meta Business API application and no per-message fees. Here is exactly how that works, what it costs, the ban risk, and when the official API is the better choice.
5 Sep 2026 · 7 min read
- Pricing
Pricing
AiSensy pricing in 2026: plans, markups and what small businesses pay
AiSensy's Free, Basic and Pro plans in rupees and dollars, its per-message rates next to Meta's own, the chatbot and AI add-ons, and two worked monthly bills.
4 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Pricing
Pricing
Interakt pricing in 2026: plans, per-conversation charges and the real cost for Indian SMBs
Interakt's plan prices, its per-message rates over Meta's for Indian numbers, the AI agents add-on and taxes, and two worked monthly bills for an Indian SMB.
4 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Pricing
Pricing
Respond.io pricing in 2026: what a small team actually pays
Respond.io's Starter, Growth and Advanced prices, the user, contact and AI-credit meters underneath them, Meta's message fees on top, and two worked monthly bills.
4 Sep 2026 · 7 min read
- Pricing
Pricing
Wati pricing in 2026: plans, Meta fees and the real monthly cost
Wati's plan prices by region, what each tier includes, Meta's per-message fees on top, add-ons and extra users, and two worked monthly bills for a small team.
4 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Growth
Growth
Running Click-to-WhatsApp ads? Here's how to answer the flood
What happens after someone taps a Click-to-WhatsApp ad, how to reply within seconds in the customer's language, and how to count qualified leads instead of taps.
3 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Product
Product
What's new in Replai: photo broadcasts, yearly plans and conversation top-ups
A short tour of what shipped in Replai over the last few months: image broadcasts, yearly billing with monthly cap refills, cheaper top-ups on bigger plans, cap alerts and better phone capture.
3 Sep 2026 · 5 min read
- Multilingual
Multilingual
WhatsApp customer service in Arabic and French: handling Darija voice notes with AI
How to set up an AI WhatsApp assistant for Moroccan and MENA customers who mix Darija, French and Arabic and send voice notes, without logging wrong orders.
3 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Guide
Guide
WhatsApp auto-reply for Malaysian small businesses: the 2026 guide
What the free WhatsApp Business app can and cannot auto-reply, when an AI reply is worth paying for, and what each path costs a Malaysian SME in ringgit.
3 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Operations
Operations
How many WhatsApp broadcast messages can you safely send per hour and per day?
The real WhatsApp broadcast limits per hour and per day: official API tiers, what is safe on a linked device, a warm-up schedule, and the warning signs to watch.
3 Sep 2026 · 9 min read
- Product
Product
How to send a WhatsApp broadcast with a photo without getting your number flagged
A guide to WhatsApp image broadcasts: preparing the photo, writing a three-line caption, checking consent, testing a small batch and staying inside safe limits.
3 Sep 2026 · 9 min read
- Pricing
Pricing
What counts as a conversation in WhatsApp AI pricing? Caps, cycles and top-ups explained
How a conversation is counted in Replai's plans versus Meta's per-message billing, what each cap covers, what happens at 80% and 100% of it, and how to size a plan.
3 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Use case
Use case
Running a health helpline on WhatsApp: how to design a triage bot that asks one question at a time
A working design for a WhatsApp health helpline bot, with the one-question pattern, the safety rules, the knowledge base, and the handover points that keep it safe.
3 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
How to write a system prompt for a WhatsApp customer service bot (with 4 templates)
The nine parts of a WhatsApp bot system prompt, the formatting rules WhatsApp forces on you, four paste-and-edit templates, and a real-message test to run first.
3 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Setup guide
Setup guide
Setting up a multilingual WhatsApp chatbot: an SEA-focused guide
How to build a WhatsApp chatbot that handles English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, and mixed-language messages the way SEA customers actually write them.
18 May 2026 · 8 min read
- Operations
Operations
What to do if WhatsApp bans your business number
A practical playbook for recovering a banned WhatsApp Business number: appeal process, what works, what doesn't, and how to prevent it next time.
18 May 2026 · 6 min read
- Costs
Costs
What does WhatsApp Business API actually cost in 2026? A real fee breakdown
An honest breakdown of WhatsApp Business API costs in 2026: Meta's per-conversation fees by country, BSP tool fees on top, and what the all-in cost looks like for a small business.
18 May 2026 · 9 min read
Build notes
WhatsApp Business API vs WhatsApp Business App: what small businesses actually need
The official WhatsApp Business API is built for enterprise broadcast. The WhatsApp Business app is built for solo founders. Most small businesses are stuck in the middle, and that's the bracket Replai built for.
16 May 2026 · 6 min read
Build notes
WhatsApp chatbot for Shopify stores: what actually works in 2026
Most 'WhatsApp for Shopify' guides assume you'll apply for the WhatsApp Business API. For most stores the job is answering the inbound queue and sending order updates from your own number. Here is the realistic setup.
16 May 2026 · 6 min read
Build notes
Why we stopped asking customers for an Anthropic API key
We launched Replai on a BYOK model: bring your own API key, we don't mark up your tokens. It was honest. It also gated our actual customers out of the funnel. Here's what we changed and why.
16 May 2026 · 3 min read
Trust
Will WhatsApp ban your number? An honest answer.
We run on Baileys, the unofficial WhatsApp library. Ban risk is real for any tool in this category. Here's what we do to mitigate it, what you should do, and what we can and can't promise.
15 May 2026 · 4 min read
- Origin story
Origin story
I built Replai because I was drowning in my own WhatsApp inbox
The first version of Replai was a hack I built to keep my own small business afloat. Then I realised every other small-business owner in SEA had the same problem.
12 May 2026 · 4 min read