Summary
If your business gets leads through Instagram, you can use Wati’s AI Assist to automatically collect their WhatsApp numbers and save them to their contact profiles.
AI Assist uses an AI Agent in the Chatbot Builder to ask Instagram contacts for their phone numbers. Once collected, the number is saved as a Contact Attribute and can be used for WhatsApp campaigns or other follow-up activities.
Note: AI Assist is available on the Pro and Business plans.
Instructions
How AI Assist works
AI Assist uses an AI Agent to collect a WhatsApp number from an Instagram contact during a chatbot conversation.
The AI Agent can:
Ask Instagram contacts for their WhatsApp number.
Save the collected number to Contact Attributes.
Optionally save the number as a Flow Variable for use later in the same chatbot session.
Try to collect the number up to 3 times.
Escalate the chat to a human operator or team if the number cannot be collected.
Set up AI Assist
1. Add an AI Agent to your chatbot
Go to Chatbot Builder in Wati.
Add an AI Agent node to your chatbot flow.
Set the AI Agent's objective to collect the contact's WhatsApp number.
Configure the number of times the AI Agent should attempt to collect the number, up to 3 attempts.
2. Define what happens next
Set up the next step based on whether the AI Agent successfully collects the number.
If the number is collected
Add a Thank You message node.
Save the number to Contact Attributes so it can be used for future communication.
If the number is not collected
Assign the chat to a human operator or team for manual follow-up.
Trigger AI Assist for Instagram leads
After creating the chatbot, use Rules to trigger AI Assist when a new Instagram lead starts a chat.
1. Create a rule
Go to Rules in Wati.
In the Action block, select the chatbot you created with the AI Agent.
2. Add filter conditions
To trigger AI Assist for new Instagram leads, use these filter conditions:
Contact initiates a new chat
Contact does not exist
These conditions help ensure that AI Assist runs for new Instagram contacts.
Note: If you have other Instagram rules switched on, check their filters don't overlap with this one. Two matching rules start two bots on the same conversation, and the customer gets both.
3. Activate the rule
Enable the rule after completing the setup.
When a new Instagram lead meets the configured conditions, the AI Agent automatically starts the conversation and attempts to collect their WhatsApp number.
Find the numbers you've collected
Go to the Contacts page and use the Source filter to find contacts with Instagram as the source. These are contacts collected from Instagram using AI Assist.
You can also open a contact from the Contacts page or Team Inbox and check Contact Attributes. The Source attribute shows Instagram for contacts collected through AI Assist.
From there the contact can be included in WhatsApp campaigns like any other.
The collected number can then be used for WhatsApp campaigns and other follow-up activities.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
AI Assist
1. What does Wati AI Assist do for Instagram leads?
Wati AI Assist uses an AI Agent in the Chatbot Builder to ask Instagram contacts for their WhatsApp numbers. The collected number is saved as a Contact Attribute and can be used for WhatsApp campaigns and other follow-up activities.
2. Which plans include AI Assist?
AI Assist is available on the Pro and Business plans.
3. What can the AI Agent do when collecting a WhatsApp number?
The AI Agent can ask an Instagram contact for their WhatsApp number, save the number as a Contact Attribute, optionally store it as a Flow Variable for use during the same chatbot session, and try to collect the number up to 3 times.
4. What happens if AI Assist cannot collect the WhatsApp number?
If the AI Agent cannot collect the WhatsApp number after the configured attempts, the chat can be assigned to a human operator or team for manual follow-up.
Set up and trigger AI Assist
5. How do I trigger AI Assist for new Instagram leads?
Create a rule in Rules and select the chatbot containing the AI Agent in the Action block. Use the filters Contact initiates a new chat and Contact does not exist, then enable the rule.
6. What happens if multiple Instagram rules match the same conversation?
If 2 Instagram rules match the same conversation, both bots start and the customer receives messages from both. To avoid this, make sure the filters for your Instagram rules do not overlap.
Find collected WhatsApp numbers
7. How do I find contacts collected from Instagram using AI Assist?
Go to the Contacts page and use the Source filter to find contacts where the source is Instagram. You can also open a contact from the Contacts page or Team Inbox and check Contact Attributes. The Source attribute shows Instagram for contacts collected through AI Assist.