Let the bot handle messages first

On a number where the bot handles messages first, every new chat goes to your flows. It stays out of the inbox while a flow is answering it, and reaches the inbox only when a flow hands it over, someone takes it over, or nothing matches. Agents only ever see chats that need a person.

Turn it on

Go to Automation → Numbers. On a number's card, turn on Bot handles messages first. You need permission to publish flows.

• One flow answers each message must be on first (at the top of the Numbers page). If it isn't, the switch says so. While any number is bot-first, you can't turn One flow answers each message off; the page names the numbers.
• Give the number a Default flow. Otherwise the card warns: "Messages that match no flow go straight to the inbox. Set a Default flow to handle them."
• Turning it on changes new chats only. Chats already open keep their place.

Which flow answers a message on the number is the same ladder as always: see Flows and WhatsApp numbers.

How a chat moves

While a chat waits in the inbox for a person, the bot stays quiet. Only a keyword whose trigger has Start even while a person is handling the chat starts a flow, and that gives the chat back to the bot.

A chat you start yourself, by sending the first message, belongs to the inbox.

Bot conversations

Owners, admins and supervisors see the chats the bot has under Inbox → Bot conversations, with a count. Agents never see them in their lists, counts or search, and can't open one by link.

Each row shows the flow and what it's doing, for example "Welcome · waiting for reply". Opening one shows the conversation read-only. In place of the reply box, a banner says what the bot is doing, for example "Flow ‘Welcome’ is handling this chat · waiting for reply since 10:42". The customer panel has an Automation section linking to the flow's run.

The banner offers two actions. Both need permission to assign conversations as well as to see bot conversations, and both stop the flow on that chat:

• Take over: the chat becomes yours, and you can reply.
• Send to inbox: the chat goes to the inbox unassigned, and routing places it in a queue or with an agent.

Good to know

• On a bot-first number, a flow that starts on a detected intent doesn't answer yet. A message that only an intent flow would match goes straight to the inbox. Use a keyword or a Default flow for those messages for now.
• If you had a chat open before the bot took it and you try to send, nothing is sent and what you typed stays in the box. Owners, admins and supervisors see "The bot is handling this chat. Take over to reply." with Take over. Agents can't take a chat over from the bot: they're told a supervisor can, or to wait until it reaches the inbox.
• Earlier conversations in the customer panel include chats the bot handled only for owners, admins and supervisors.
• Try a message on the Numbers page says when a chat would fall through to the inbox, or when only an interrupting keyword can start a flow because the chat is waiting in the inbox.
• Turning bot-first off doesn't move chats the bot already has. They stay with it until a flow hands them over or someone takes them over.