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How to Connect n8n to WhatsApp: The Complete Integration Guide (2025)

Rodrigo Ferreira

01 Jul 2026 — 1 min read

WhatsApp is where customers actually reply. Connecting it to n8n lets you send notifications, capture inbound messages, and even run a full AI assistant that answers from your own documents — all automated. This guide covers the setup end to end.

Choose your WhatsApp path

There are two routes: the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API (Meta) for compliant, scalable messaging, or a third-party provider (Z-API, Evolution, Twilio) that wraps it with a simpler API. For production customer comms, the Cloud API is the durable choice.

Step 1 — Set up the WhatsApp Cloud API

In Meta for Developers, create an app, add the WhatsApp product, and note your Phone Number ID and a permanent access token. Add and verify the business phone number you'll send from.

Step 2 — Add the credential in n8n

Create a WhatsApp Business Cloud credential with your access token, then reference the Phone Number ID in the node. You can now send template messages and, within the 24-hour customer service window, free-form replies.

Step 3 — Receive inbound messages

Use the WhatsApp Trigger node. It exposes a webhook URL — paste it into your Meta app's webhook config and subscribe to messages. Every inbound message now starts a workflow with the sender, text, and any media attached.

Turn WhatsApp into a 24/7 AI agent

This template runs a RAG chatbot on WhatsApp that answers from your company docs automatically. Import it, connect WhatsApp, drop in your knowledge base.

Get the template on Gumroad →

Step 4 — Build an AI chatbot loop

The pattern: WhatsApp Trigger → (optional) vector search over your docs → AI Agent node → WhatsApp send. Add a memory node keyed on the sender's phone number so the bot remembers the conversation. That's a full retrieval-augmented assistant in a handful of nodes.

Rules and limits to respect

Outside the 24-hour window you can only send pre-approved message templates. Get those approved in Meta ahead of time. Respect opt-outs, and never blast unsolicited messages — WhatsApp bans aggressively.

Conclusion

Once connected, WhatsApp becomes a two-way automation channel: alerts out, questions in, AI answering around the clock. It's the highest-response channel most businesses have — and n8n makes it programmable.

Ready to automate this in minutes?

Skip the build. Import a battle-tested n8n workflow, connect your credentials, and go live today.

Get this template on Gumroad →

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