n8n WhatsApp bot: connect it step by step, or skip the code
How to build an AI WhatsApp bot with n8n: what Meta asks for, the three nodes, its real cost in executions, and what does not come ready — and the ready alternative on your official number with no code.
The ArabyBot teamOfficial Meta partner · written from our own platform dataOn this page 6
The short answer
You need an app on Meta for Developers with the WhatsApp product, a number on the WhatsApp Cloud API and a permanent token, then three nodes in n8n: «WhatsApp Trigger» receives the customer's message, «AI Agent» with a model and memory writes the reply, and «WhatsApp Business Cloud» sends it. Someone who knows these tools has it running in hours, and its upkeep stays with you: the webhook, the token, templates, the 24-hour window, voice notes and handing chats to a person. If you want the result with no code and no n8n, ArabyBot gives you the same agent ready on your official number, and its team helps you connect it.
Also asked as: «بوت واتساب n8n» · «ربط واتساب ب n8n» · «n8n واتساب» · «n8n whatsapp ai agent» · «n8n whatsapp bot» · «n8n whatsapp integration» · «n8n whatsapp bot pricing»
What is n8n, and why do people build WhatsApp bots with it?
n8n is an automation tool that links apps together in a «workflow» of nodes: one node starts on an event, nodes process the data, and a node acts on the result. You can run it on your own server or on their cloud. What made it popular for WhatsApp bots is the «AI Agent» node, which puts an AI model in the middle of the workflow, so the bot becomes: a message arrives, a model writes the reply, the reply is sent. What is n8n?
A WhatsApp bot on n8n, step by step
- Set up the Meta side
An account on Meta for Developers, a business portfolio, and a Business-type app where you add the WhatsApp product and pick your portfolio. Then you put your privacy policy and terms links in the app settings and switch it to Live mode.
- The number and the token
Your number has to be registered on the WhatsApp Cloud API; Meta gives you a test number for trying only. The token the API setup page generates is temporary and ends after a day, so real use needs a permanent token from a system user in Business Settings.
- Credentials in n8n
For the sending node: the access token and the WhatsApp Business Account ID. For the receiving node: the App ID and App Secret from the app's basic settings.
- The workflow in three nodes
«WhatsApp Trigger» on the messages event, then «AI Agent» with a model from OpenAI, Google or others, plus conversation memory and instructions in your business's voice, then «WhatsApp Business Cloud» with the Send operation to the customer's number.
- Subscribe and publish
Publishing the workflow registers the webhook URL on your app, but it does not subscribe the app to the WhatsApp Business Account; you do that with an API call, or no message arrives. And Meta takes one webhook per app, so the test URL replaces the production one whenever you use it.
How much does a WhatsApp bot on n8n cost?
Three things get paid for: n8n itself, the model and WhatsApp. The one rarely mentioned matters most: every message a customer sends runs the workflow once, so at least one execution.
| Item | On n8n | Note |
|---|---|---|
| n8n Cloud | Starter at 20 euros a month for 2,500 executions, Pro at 50 euros for 10,000, billed annually | 2,500 executions means about 2,500 customer messages a month |
| n8n on your own server | No licence fee for the Community edition | You pay for the server and handle updates, backups and security |
| The model | Its provider bills you for every reply | Depends on the model and the length of the chat |
| A reply inside the 24-hour window after the customer's message carries no Meta fee | Template messages, such as marketing and reminders, are charged per message by country |
WhatsApp API message prices in every Arab country
What does not come ready in n8n
Three nodes are enough for a bot that replies. A bot that sells and serves customers needs more, and every part of it is a workflow you build and look after:
| What your business needs | On n8n | In ArabyBot |
|---|---|---|
| Voice notes | A download step and a transcription step you build | Understands them and replies in text |
| Your products and prices | Extra nodes that read from a sheet or a database | Reads them from your store or knowledge base when asked |
| Taking and confirming the order | A workflow you write yourself | Takes it and confirms it on WhatsApp |
| Handing the chat to a person | No inbox; you build the handover yourself | A unified inbox your team takes over from |
| Broadcast campaigns | You send templates with a node; lists and opt-outs are on you | Campaigns with templates and segmented lists |
| Messenger, Instagram and website chat | A workflow for each channel | The same agent on every channel |
| Upkeep | The token, the webhook and updates are on you | On us |
The alternative: a ready WhatsApp bot with no n8n and no code
If what you want is the result rather than the tool, ArabyBot gives you the same AI agent ready: you connect your number on the official WhatsApp Cloud API from the dashboard — your current number can stay on the WhatsApp Business app in coexistence mode — then create the agent, pick the model, give it your information and deploy it. You need no account with any AI provider, and anyone with a key can use it. Our team helps you connect on WhatsApp.
The ArabyBot AI WhatsApp bot · Connecting ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude to WhatsApp · Pricing
Your sheets or order system can stay on n8n: an HTTP Request node sends a WhatsApp message from your number through ArabyBot's API for sending messages from your system, on the plans that include it, while the agent keeps answering customers. The API integration
Since 15 January 2026 Meta's WhatsApp Business terms bar general-purpose assistants whose main service is the AI itself, and allow AI that serves your business's customers, whether you build it on n8n or on a ready platform.
Frequently asked questions
Is n8n free?
The Community edition you host on your own server is on GitHub with no licence fee, but you pay for the server and look after it and its updates. n8n Cloud comes in plans by executions: Starter at 20 euros a month for 2,500 executions and Pro at 50 euros for 10,000, billed annually, as on their pricing page on 26 October 2026.
Can I connect n8n to the ordinary WhatsApp app on my phone?
The official route is a number on the WhatsApp Cloud API, which is what n8n's official nodes work with. Nodes and tools that work by scanning a WhatsApp Web code are unofficial and put the number at risk of a ban.
Why does my n8n bot not answer WhatsApp messages?
The three usual causes: your Meta app is not subscribed to the WhatsApp Business Account — publishing the workflow registers the webhook but does not subscribe it; the test URL replaced the production one, because Meta takes one webhook per app; or the temporary token expired a day after it was made.
Does an n8n bot understand voice notes?
Not on its own. You build a step that downloads the audio file from WhatsApp, a step that turns it into text with a transcription model, then pass it to the agent. In ArabyBot the agent understands the voice note and answers it in text with no step from you.
Does WhatsApp allow an AI bot built with n8n?
Yes, as long as it serves your business's customers: answering about your products, their orders and bookings. Since 15 January 2026 Meta's terms bar general-purpose assistants whose main service is the AI itself, whatever tool built them.
What is the difference between n8n and ArabyBot?
n8n is a general automation tool where you build everything yourself from nodes. ArabyBot is a ready platform for selling and customer service on WhatsApp: the AI agent, the inbox, broadcasts, the store and order confirmation, running on your official number with no workflow to write and no server to maintain.
How we write these guides Figures come from our platform and Meta's actual invoices, dated with their sample; we describe what works today, not what we plan, and say what we do not do and when someone else is the better choice. Reviewed by the ArabyBot team on 26 October 2026.
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