# Set up a WhatsApp agent

Use [**Agent**](https://bird.com/dashboard/w/whatsapp/agent) to prepare a Meta Business Agent for a connected WhatsApp number. Give it your business information and instructions, try customer questions, then choose who it can answer. Your team can continue the exchange in [Conversations](/docs/guides/whatsapp/conversations) when a person needs to help.

## Before you start

You need a [connected WhatsApp number](/docs/guides/whatsapp/numbers/connect), permission to manage WhatsApp, and someone on your team to handle conversations the agent hands over.

Meta decides which numbers qualify, based on the business category, country, account standing, and other requirements. Finance is among the unsupported categories. Check the current requirements in [Meta's Business Agent overview](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/overview).

The owner of the WhatsApp Business account must accept Meta's Business Agent terms in WhatsApp Manager. A payment method is needed before the agent can answer **Everyone**. You can test with an allowlist before setting up billing. [Meta's setup guide](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/get-started) explains the terms and billing steps.

## Set up the agent on your number

1. Open **WhatsApp** > **Agent**.
2. If the number shows **Terms not accepted**, select **Accept terms** and have the account owner complete the steps in WhatsApp Manager. Return to Bird and refresh the page.
3. For an eligible number, select **Turn on**. Bird opens the agent page while WhatsApp prepares it.
4. Wait for **Preparing** to finish before editing. Open **Settings**. If **Enable agent** is on, turn it off and select **Save** while you prepare its knowledge.

Each number has its own agent configuration. **Live** means the agent is enabled; check the **Audience** column to see whether it answers everyone or the allowlist.

![The WhatsApp Agent list showing connected numbers, agent status, audience, and setup actions](/images/docs/dashboard-whatsapp-agents.png)

## Add the information customers need

Open **Knowledge** and start with the questions your team answers most often:

- Under **Websites**, enter a website address and select **Add**. Wait for **Read** before relying on that source in a test. **Queued** and **Reading** mean processing is still underway.
- Under **Questions and answers**, select **Add a question**. Write the question as a customer would ask it, add the answer you want the agent to use, and select **Add**.
- Under **Files**, use **Upload a file** for supporting documents that are not available on your website.

Use current, consistent sources. For a workshop business, useful starting questions include what to bring, how to change a booking, and whether a venue has step-free access.

![Agent Knowledge showing website reading status and saved customer questions and answers](/images/docs/dashboard-whatsapp-agent-knowledge.png)

Complete **Business information** and **Contact info** with a description of the business, relevant policies, and ways to reach your team. Select **Save**. Review this information when your opening hours or policies change.

![The agent's Business information fields for its description, workshop registration, delivery, and policies](/images/docs/dashboard-whatsapp-agent-business-info.png)

## Explain how the agent should respond

Open **Skills** and select **Add a skill**. Give it a short **Handle**, describe **When to use it**, and write the instructions under **What to do**. Select **Add** to save.

For example, a skill for workshop enquiries can tell the agent to ask which session interests the customer and answer from the published workshop information. Keep instructions specific, and avoid promising actions your business has not connected or authorized.

![The agent's Skills page showing saved instructions and the Add a skill action](/images/docs/dashboard-whatsapp-agent-skills.png)

## Test a complete exchange

Open **Test**, enter a customer question, and select **Send**. Continue with a follow-up to check that the agent uses the earlier context. Select **New conversation** to try another scenario from the beginning.

Test a familiar question, a question your sources do not answer, and a request to speak to a person. Compare the answers with your policies, correct the source or skill, and test again. The test uses your saved configuration, works while the agent is off, and does not message a real customer. Test messages are not billed.

![An agent test conversation with a customer question, the agent's reply, and a follow-up message](/images/docs/dashboard-whatsapp-agent-test.png)

## Try the agent with your team, then customers

1. Open **Settings**. Under **Availability**, set **Audience** to **Allowlist only**.
2. Under **Handoff**, turn on **Enable handoffs** so the agent can return control when a person needs to help. Choose the wording customers hear, then select **Save**.
3. Under **Allowlist**, enter each test contact's WhatsApp phone number with its country code and select **Add**.
4. Turn on **Enable agent** and select **Save**. Ask those contacts to message your business number in WhatsApp, and follow their exchanges in **Conversations**.
5. When the replies and handoff work as expected, complete Meta's billing setup, change **Audience** to **Everyone**, and select **Save**.

![Agent Settings showing availability, audience, and handoff controls](/images/docs/dashboard-whatsapp-agent-settings.png)

In **Conversations**, a teammate can select **You** under **Assignee** to take over, then select **AI agent** to return control. Keep someone responsible for checking handoffs after launch.

To pause replies, turn off **Enable agent** and save. The agent keeps its knowledge. Enabling it again applies to conversations that start afterwards.

## Troubleshoot setup

- If a number is **Not eligible**, check Meta's current requirements. If **Accept terms** opens Meta's **Sorry, this content isn't available right now** page, the number may not be eligible.
- If a website shows **Could not read** or **Nothing to read**, check that the address opens and contains accessible business information.
- If **Everyone** cannot be enabled, check the payment method on the WhatsApp account.
- For an unexpected test answer, review the saved knowledge and skills, then start a **New conversation**.

## Next steps

- [Manage WhatsApp conversations and handoffs](/docs/guides/whatsapp/conversations).
- [Plan a WhatsApp AI agent and its responsibilities](/docs/guides/whatsapp/ai-agents).
- [Read Meta Business Agent capabilities](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/meta-business-agent/capabilities).

## Related resources

- [Connecting WhatsApp to Bird: from buying a number to a live channel](/learn/whatsapp/connecting-whatsapp-to-bird) (video)
- [What is the 24-hour customer service window on WhatsApp?](/explained/whatsapp/what-is-the-24-hour-customer-service-window) (answer)
- [WhatsApp message builder](/tools/whatsapp-message-builder) (tool)
- [WhatsApp](/whatsapp-api) (product)

[Get an implementation brief](/learn/workspace?topic=whatsapp)