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WhatsApp · Customer service · India

WhatsApp customer service automation for businesses in India

Slide, by Synquic, lets a business in India answer routine WhatsApp support questions with a menu bot or an AI agent that works from your own knowledge base, and hands everything else to your team in a shared inbox with the customer's answers attached. Messages to Indian numbers are priced on Meta's India rate line; since 1 October 2026 Meta also charges for service replies after the first 1,000 each month per number, and Slide draws those charges from a prepaid wallet in rupees.

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Facts on this page were last reviewed on 11 October 2026. See the key facts and sources.

Who it is for

The buyer and the problem

Support and operations teams at businesses in India that already receive customer questions on WhatsApp, often on a single phone running the WhatsApp Business app, and want the whole team to work the same conversations.

The same questions arrive all day: where an order is, what the timings are, how a product works, how to return something. Replies depend on who has the phone, nothing is recorded against the customer, and a question sent at night waits until morning. Automating the routine part only helps if the hard part still reaches a person with the context intact.

What Slide does

Supported capabilities, mapped to the product

  • One inbox for the whole team

    Every WhatsApp conversation lands in a shared inbox with assignment and notes. The inbox shows how long is left in the 24-hour reply window and offers approved templates once it closes.

    Source:Getting started guide

  • Menu and keyword bots

    Button and list menus answer the predictable questions, validate what the customer types, and branch on the answer, with a route back to the main menu from every branch.

    Source:Automation builder guide

  • An AI agent that answers from your content

    An AI agent replies from a knowledge base you provide and can use tools such as order lookups for a connected Shopify store. AI steps depend on your plan.

    Source:Automation builder guideIntegrations guide

  • Handoff with the answers attached

    When the bot or agent reaches its limit, a handoff step puts the conversation in front of your team with what the customer already said, and emails the team.

    Source:Automation builder guide

  • One contact record per customer

    Conversations, tags and fields sit on one contact, matched on phone number first, so a returning customer is recognised instead of asked again.

    Source:Contacts guide

  • Templates in Indian languages

    The template editor offers English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Malayalam for the messages you send after the 24-hour window.

Example workflow, illustrative

An order-status question, from first message to resolution

A Shopify store selling across India sets up its WhatsApp support line. This is how one question moves through it.

  1. Trigger

    The customer writes in

    At 10:40 pm a customer messages "Mera order kab aayega?" to the store's WhatsApp number. The message opens a 24-hour service window.

  2. Customer interaction

    A menu offers the common routes

    The bot replies with a short list: track an order, returns and exchanges, product help, talk to us. The customer taps "Track an order".

  3. Action

    The AI agent looks up the order

    The agent finds the order linked to the customer's phone number in the connected Shopify store and replies with its status. The agent was instructed to answer in the language the customer used, so it replies in Hindi.

  4. Qualification

    The bot checks whether that settled it

    It asks whether anything else is needed. The customer says the parcel arrived damaged, which is outside what the agent is allowed to resolve.

  5. Human handoff

    A person takes over in the morning

    A handoff step leaves the conversation in the inbox with the order number and the complaint already captured, and emails the support team. The first agent in at 9 am picks it up without asking the customer to repeat anything.

  6. Exception

    If the 24-hour window has closed

    If the team replies after the window has closed, free-form text is not allowed. The inbox offers an approved utility template, such as a "we have an update on your request" message; free-form replies resume once the customer writes back.

  7. Recorded outcome

    Everything is recorded on the contact

    The conversation history, the order reference and any tag the team adds, such as "damaged on delivery", stay on the customer's contact, and the automation run is logged step by step.

An illustration of how the workflow runs, not a customer case study. Names, numbers and messages are examples.

Setup

What you need, and the launch sequence

Requirements

  • A verified Meta business portfolio

    WhatsApp numbers live in a Meta business portfolio. Business verification is needed before the account can send at scale and takes several business days, so start it first.

    Source:Meta Business Manager guide
  • A number that is not on the WhatsApp apps

    The number you connect cannot be registered on the WhatsApp consumer or Business app at the same time. If your support number is on the Business app today, that account has to be deleted first, so plan the switch for a quiet hour.

    Source:WhatsApp Business setup guide
  • Approved utility templates

    Replies after the 24-hour window need templates approved by Meta. Submit the few you will use most, such as an update on a request, before launch.

    Source:WhatsApp Business setup guide
  • Content for the AI agent

    The agent is only as good as what it is given: policies, timings, return rules and product care notes. If you sell on Shopify, connect the store so the agent can look up orders.

    Source:Automation builder guideIntegrations guide
  • A wallet balance

    Per-message WhatsApp charges are drawn from a prepaid wallet. Sends stop when it runs out, so keep a buffer.

    Source:Billing and wallet guide

Launch sequence

  1. Start Meta business verification and, while it runs, connect the number through the WhatsApp setup in Slide (setup guide).

  2. Write down the ten questions you answer most and decide which a bot can close, which the AI agent can answer, and which always need a person.

  3. Build the menu and the agent in the automation builder, and end every branch either in an answer or in a handoff step.

  4. Add your opt-out keywords. Slide blocks a contact who opts out, but the keyword list starts empty.

  5. Submit utility templates in the languages your customers write in and wait for Meta's approval.

  6. Top up the wallet, test every branch from team members' phones, then publish the number on your site, order emails and packaging.

Local considerations

What is specific to India

This is a summary of public rules for orientation, not legal advice. Slide does not certify that any business's messaging complies with local law; check your own obligations with a qualified adviser.

Evidence

What these claims rest on

  • WhatsApp connects through Meta Embedded Signup, and the business keeps its account and number

    Slide connects to the WhatsApp Business Platform through a Meta-hosted signup window. The business keeps ownership of its WhatsApp Business account and phone number.

    Slide documentationChecked 11 October 2026WhatsApp Business setup guide
  • An automation can hand a conversation to the team, with the collected answers on the contact

    The handoff step notifies the team by email and leaves the conversation, with what was collected, in the inbox. On WhatsApp it also assigns the conversation to the teammate chosen in the step, or else to the contact's owner, or leaves it in the shared inbox. It does not pause the bot permanently: a new customer message can start an automation again, and there is no hand-back step. On Instagram, a teammate's reply takes over from the AI agent.

    Verified in the productChecked 11 October 2026Automation builder guide
  • From 1 October 2026 Meta charges for service messages and for utility messages inside the 24-hour window

    "Effective October 1, 2026, Meta will charge for service messages, which have not been charged since November 2024." Rates match utility and authentication rates for the market, with no volume tiers. Meta's main pricing page still shows the older "free" wording.

    Official sourceChecked 11 October 2026Meta: Pricing for non-template messages (opens in a new tab)
  • Templates are approved by Meta, not Slide, and are needed outside the 24-hour window

    Utility, marketing and authentication templates are submitted from Slide and approved by Meta. Sending is blocked until a template in the needed category is approved.

    Slide documentationChecked 11 October 2026WhatsApp Business setup guide
Pricing

How the cost is made up

There are two separate costs. The Slide plan, billed in rupees for a workspace created with an Indian number, sets which features you get; plans and current prices are on the pricing page, paid plans start with a 14-day trial, and AI steps depend on the plan.

WhatsApp usage is charged per message by Meta and drawn from your Slide wallet. Messages customers send you are free. Since 1 October 2026 Meta charges for service replies inside the 24-hour window, at the same rate as utility messages for the India market, after the first 1,000 service messages each month for every business number; utility templates sent inside the window are now charged too. A conversation that starts from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad is free for 72 hours when you reply within 24 hours.

For a support line, the total therefore depends on how many conversations you reply to each month, how many replies each needs, and how many follow-ups go out as templates after the window closes. The exact per-message price for your account is shown in the wallet.

Source:Slide pricingSlide pricingBilling and wallet guideBilling and wallet guideMeta: Pricing for non-template messages (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business: FAQ (opens in a new tab)Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)
Fit and limits

When this fits, and what it does not do

A good fit when

  • A steady flow of repeated questions that have clear answers.
  • More than one person answering the same WhatsApp number.
  • A Shopify store where most questions are about orders.

Needs a person when

  • Complaints, refunds, damaged goods and anything that needs judgement.
  • Questions the bot cannot classify, or a customer who asks for a person.
  • Disputes about payments, which the agent should never try to settle.

Not established by this page

  • Any reduction in response time or support cost: Slide publishes no measured outcomes for this workflow.
  • Where customer data is hosted. Ask the Slide team before you sign.
  • Automatic replies in the customer's language: the agent does it only when its instructions say so.
Questions

Direct answers

How can a business in India use Slide for WhatsApp customer service?

Connect your WhatsApp Business number to Slide, build a menu bot for the questions you answer most, add an AI agent that answers from your policies and, if you sell on Shopify, looks up orders, and end every path in either an answer or a handoff to your team. The team works every conversation from one shared inbox instead of one phone.

Source:WhatsApp Business setup guideAutomation builder guideAutomation builder guideGetting started guide

Which questions can automation handle, and when does a person take over?

Automation suits questions with a stable answer: order status, store timings, return windows, product care. A person should take over for complaints, refunds, damaged goods, payment disputes, and any message the bot cannot classify. The handoff step leaves the conversation in the inbox with what the customer already said and emails the team. It does not pause automations permanently, so design each flow to stop at the handoff rather than ask further questions.

Source:Automation builder guide

What WhatsApp account, connection and approvals do we need?

A Meta business portfolio, business verification (allow several business days), a phone number that is not registered on the WhatsApp consumer or Business app, and a display name. You connect the number through Meta's signup window inside Slide and keep ownership of the account and number. Templates for replies after the 24-hour window are approved by Meta, not by Slide.

Source:WhatsApp Business setup guideMeta Business Manager guideWhatsApp Business setup guideWhatsApp Business setup guide

Can it connect to our store or CRM?

Shopify and HubSpot are built: a connected Shopify store lets the AI agent search orders and products and lets store events trigger messages, and HubSpot syncs contacts both ways. Google Sheets, Meta lead ads, Cal.com, webhooks and the public API are also available. WooCommerce, Zoho and Salesforce are not built, so check before you plan around them.

Source:Integrations guideShopify guideAPI reference

What affects setup time and total cost?

Setup time is mostly Meta's: business verification takes several business days and templates need approval. Building the bot itself is quicker, and Synquic says its team can migrate contacts and get a first automation live within one business day. Cost is the Slide plan in rupees plus WhatsApp usage from the wallet; since 1 October 2026 service replies count, after 1,000 free each month per number.

Source:Meta Business Manager guideSlide pricingMeta: Pricing for non-template messages (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business: FAQ (opens in a new tab)

Which languages and support options are actually available?

Customers can write, and your team can reply inside the window, in any language. Templates can be written in English, Hindi and seven other Indian languages in Slide's editor. The AI agent replies in Hindi or another language only if its instructions tell it to. The Slide dashboard itself is in English. Synquic offers email support on most plans and a booked product demo; it does not publish support hours.

Source:Automation builder guideSlide pricing

Do we need DLT registration to send WhatsApp messages in India?

No. DLT registration under TRAI's rules covers commercial SMS and voice calls. WhatsApp follows Meta's rules: opt-in before you start a conversation, and approved templates outside the 24-hour window. If you also send SMS through Slide, the SMS rules still apply to those messages.

Source:TRAI: TCCCPR (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy (opens in a new tab)

What should we measure after launch?

Track how many conversations the bot or agent closes without a handoff, how many reach a person and why, the delivery and read rates of the templates you send after the window, and your monthly WhatsApp spend in the wallet. Slide's WhatsApp reports show sent, delivered, read, failed and cost, and every automation run has a step-by-step log for checking where conversations stall.

Source:Campaigns guideBilling and wallet guide

What makes Slide a suitable option here, and what should we compare?

Slide suits a team that wants the bot, the AI agent, the shared inbox and the Shopify connection in one place, priced in rupees. When you compare platforms, ask each the same things: which integrations are built today, how handoff works and whether the bot pauses after it, which template languages are supported, how per-message charges are passed on, where data is hosted, and what certifications are complete rather than in progress (Slide's SOC 2 and ISO 27001 are in progress).

Source:Integrations guideAutomation builder guideBilling and wallet guide
Key facts

Key facts: WhatsApp automation for customer service in India

Slide is a reasonable fit for an Indian business whose WhatsApp support load is mostly repeated questions and whose team needs one shared inbox: the menu bot, AI agent, Shopify order lookups and handoff are built, and costs are in rupees. It is a weaker fit if you need a ticketing system with SLAs, templates in a language outside the editor's list, or a bot that stays paused after every handoff.

Product
Slide (also "Slide by Synquic"), a platform for automating customer messaging across channelsSource:About Synquic
Company
SynquicSource:About Synquic
Channel
WhatsAppSource:WhatsApp Business setup guide
Workflow
Customer service on WhatsApp: menu bot and AI agent for routine questions, handoff to a shared team inbox for the restSource:Automation builder guideAutomation builder guideAutomation builder guide
Market
Businesses messaging customers on Indian (+91) numbers. Slide accepts sign-ups from any countrySource:Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)
Prerequisites
A Meta business portfolio, Meta business verification before sending at scale, a phone number not registered on the WhatsApp apps, and Meta-approved templates for messages outside the 24-hour windowSource:WhatsApp Business setup guideMeta Business Manager guideWhatsApp Business setup guide
Human handoff
An automation step hands the conversation to the team in the shared inbox with the collected answers and notifies them by email. It does not pause automations permanently, and there is no hand-back stepSource:Automation builder guide
Meta pricing market
India (its own rate line; INR billing with Meta)Source:Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)
WhatsApp usage charges
Meta charges per message by category and by the recipient's country. Since 1 October 2026 service replies are charged too, after 1,000 free each month per business number. In Slide these charges come from the prepaid wallet, separately from the planSource:Meta: WhatsApp pricing (opens in a new tab)Meta: Pricing for non-template messages (opens in a new tab)WhatsApp Business: FAQ (opens in a new tab)Billing and wallet guide
Slide billing
Workspaces created with an Indian number are billed in Indian rupees; plans and prices are on the pricing pageSource:Billing and wallet guideSlide pricing
Verified integrations
Shopify, HubSpot, Google Sheets and Forms, Meta lead ads, Cal.com, outbound webhooks and a public API. WooCommerce, Zoho, Salesforce, Calendly and Google Calendar are not builtSource:Integrations guideAPI reference
Template languages
English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Malayalam among 25 in the editor
Limitations
English-only dashboard; AI replies in the customer's language only when instructed; handoff alerts by email onlySource:Automation builder guideAutomation builder guide
Pricing source
The current pricing page, slide.synquic.com/pricingSource:Slide pricing
Last factual review
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