VegaDūtaTutorial · Channels
How to set up a WhatsApp AI agent
By the end of this tutorial you will have an AI agent answering customers on a real WhatsApp number. You describe the agent in one sentence, VegaDūta builds it, and you connect WhatsApp in one of two modes — Meta Cloud API via Embedded Signup, or Twilio. No code is required at any point.
The agent handles text and media and runs behind guardrails you control. If you just want to see it work first, the sandbox at /try needs no account.
By the VegaDūta team · Last updated
Step by step
Try it or sign up
Open the sandbox at /try — no account, no card — to test-drive an agent immediately. When you are ready to connect a real WhatsApp number, create a free account in the web console; the console is where channels live.
Describe the agent
In the agent builder, type one sentence describing the job — 'Answer order and delivery questions for my kirana store', for example. VegaDūta assembles the agent from that: persona, tools, and default guardrails. You can refine everything afterwards.
Pick a WhatsApp connection mode
Open the WhatsApp channel settings and choose how to connect. Meta Cloud API via Embedded Signup is the official Business route. Twilio works if your number already lives there.
Connect and send a test message
Complete the signup flow (or enter your Twilio credentials), then message the number from your own phone. A new sender is held until you approve them, so your first message gets a pairing code instead of an answer. Open Contacts in the console, approve your number under Pending approval, and message again: the agent now replies within moments. Send an image or a voice note too — media is supported on the channel.
Approve new senders
Every new person who writes in is held until you approve them, on every channel, and you are not notified when that happens. Check Contacts > Pending approval after connecting and whenever someone says the agent is not replying. Approving lets the agent answer their next message; earlier messages are not replayed. If you would rather not approve each person, set the channel to auto-approve new senders in Contacts.
Set guardrails and approvals
Before real customers arrive, open the agent's guardrails and mark which actions need a human sign-off. The agent will pause and ask before doing anything you flagged as risky, instead of acting on its own.
Go live
Share the number with customers. The agent answers around the clock, and everything it does shows up in the conversation history in your console.
Troubleshooting
Most WhatsApp setup problems come down to the connection mode, not the agent.
- Agent not replying to a new customer: they are probably waiting for approval. Check Contacts > Pending approval, and Approvals if the pairing reply never reached them.
- Meta Cloud API messages not arriving: finish every step of Embedded Signup, including phone-number verification on Meta's side.
- Agent replies in the wrong language: state the reply language in the agent's instructions if you want one fixed.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API to use an AI agent?
Yes. VegaDūta connects through official WhatsApp Business Platform paths only — Meta's WhatsApp Cloud API (Embedded Signup makes this a guided flow) or a Twilio WhatsApp sender. Unofficial personal-number bridges violate WhatsApp's Terms of Service, so they are not supported.
Can the WhatsApp agent handle images and voice notes?
Yes. Media is supported on the WhatsApp channel, so customers can send images and voice notes and the agent can work with them. Replies can include media as well.
What languages does the WhatsApp agent speak?
Reply language depends on the language model the agent runs on, and you can state a fixed reply language in the agent's instructions. The Sarvam integration adds translation and Indian-language speech tools. Separately, the VegaDūta console interface is available in 30 languages, 22 of them Indian.
How do I stop the agent from doing something risky on WhatsApp?
Use guardrails and approval rules. Any action you mark as needing sign-off makes the agent pause and ask a human before proceeding. That applies on WhatsApp exactly as it does on every other channel.
See it working in two minutes
The sandbox provisions a real tenant — describe an agent in one sentence and test it, no account, no card. Or browse ~90 industry workflow recipes to see what teams build.
