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How to Set Up and Use the AI Support Agent (KnowBot) in Wati

Updated over 3 weeks ago

Summary

This guide explains how to set up and use the AI Support Agent, Wati’s AI-powered chatbot designed to improve your support team's efficiency. The AI Support Agent leverages OpenAI models, including ChatGPT and GPT-4 Turbo, to understand customer queries and generate responses using uploaded knowledge documents. This article covers:

  • How to create and configure an AI Support Agent

  • How to trigger the AI Support Agent using automations

  • How the AI Support Agent works within Team Inbox

  • How to update the AI Support Agent’s knowledge base

  • How to monitor the AI Support Agent’s performance

  • AI Support Agent pricing and FAQs

Video Walkthrough - AI Support Agent (Knowbot)

Here’s a quick video walkthrough on how to set up AI Support Agent (Knowbot):

Instructions

Prerequisite: AI Support Agent is available only for Pro and Business plan customers. You must have at least one AI Support Agent created before use.

What is AI Support Agent (formerly KnowBot)?

AI Support Agent is Wati’s AI-powered chatbot that helps your support team by providing quick, human-like responses. It uses ChatGPT, GPT-4 Turbo, and other OpenAI models to understand queries and reply based on the information you upload.

Simply add a PDF document or webpage URL with FAQs or other details, and AI Support Agent will use it to generate answers in chats. You can trigger it using Rules in your automation.

Note: The AI Support Agent currently supports only PDF documents and webpage URLs as training sources. It does not support external API integrations yet.

How to create and use an AI Support Agent

Setting up an AI Support Agent is easy. You’ll need to have either the Administrator or Automation Manager role to access this feature.

Step 1: Open the AI Support Agent builder

  • Go to the Automations tab in your Wati dashboard.

  • In the left-hand menu, click on AI Support Agent.

Step 2: Set up basic details

  • Click Build AI Support Agent.

  • Enter a Name and a Description so you can easily identify your AI assistant later.

Step 3: Choose a language

  • Decide how your AI Support Agent should handle languages:

    • Auto-Detect: The AI will detect the customer’s language and reply in the same one.

    • Specific language: If you want the AI to always respond in one language (e.g., English or Spanish), choose it from the list.

  • Click Save and Continue.

Step 4: Add training content

  • Create a document that contains all the information your AI Support Agent should use, such as FAQs, policy docs, or product details.

  • Save the document as a PDF file and upload it.

  • You can also add one or more web URLs. The AI will scan these pages and use the information to improve its answers.

Note:

  • Web URLs can take a few minutes to sync. You can exit the setup process—Wati will continue syncing the content in the background.

  • With the Pro plan, you can add up to 20 web URLs.

  • With the Business plan, you can add up to 50 web URLs.

Step 5: Save and activate your AI Support Agent

Once your content has synced:

  • Click Save to complete the setup.

  • Your AI Support Agent is now ready to start handling customer queries!

That’s all it takes! Your AI Support Agent is now live and trained with your custom content.

Choosing when to trigger the AI Support Agent

After creating your AI Support Agent, the next step is deciding when it should take over chats and start responding to customer queries. This guide explains the different ways you can trigger the AI Support Agent, whether automatically through conditions or manually through the Team Inbox.

Ways to trigger the AI Support Agent

There are several ways to control how and when your AI Support Agent gets involved in a chat.

1. Automation Triggers

Use Wati Automations to define conditions under which a chat gets automatically assigned to the AI Support Agent. For example, you might set a rule that routes all new chats during non-business hours to the AI.

a. Automation Rules (recommended)

Automation Rules offer more control and flexibility. You can:

  • Set trigger conditions (e.g., a new chat starts).

  • Apply filters (e.g., specific tags or channels).

  • Choose an action (e.g., assign the chat to the AI Support Agent).

This is the preferred method for assigning chats to your AI Support Agent and is fully supported for all new Wati accounts.

b. Keyword Match (legacy feature)

Set up keywords related to the topics your AI Support Agent can handle, like “support,” your product name, or a specific service. When a customer message includes the keyword, the chat gets assigned to the AI Support Agent.

Note: Keyword match is a legacy feature. For new accounts, it has been replaced by Automation Rules.

c. Default Actions (legacy feature)

You can use Default Action Automations to assign chats to the AI Support Agent when no team members are available, such as outside office hours.

Note: This is also a legacy feature. New customers should use Automation Rules instead.

2. Manual assignment

Team Inbox users can manually assign a chat to the AI Support Agent at any time. Once assigned, the AI will respond to any new incoming messages in that chat.

Automated resolution confirmation and chat closure

The AI Support Agent can now detect when it has successfully answered a customer’s query, confirm the resolution, and automatically take actions like sending a custom message or closing the chat. Additionally, it supports assumed ticket resolutions by allowing you to close chats after sending a reminder when the customer hasn’t replied. To try these new features, go to Automations > AI Support Agent > Manage Rules, then click Create Rules.

Improved memory for better chat context

We’ve improved the memory of our AI Support Agent so it can remember the whole conversation better, including what the customer says and how it responds. This helps it understand the chat more clearly and talk in a way that feels more natural and human-like.

Regaining control from the AI Support Agent

You can take control of any conversation back from the AI Support Agent by:

  • Manually assigning the chat to yourself or another team member.

  • Sending a reply directly from your user account in Wati.

Test your AI Support Agent before going live

Before adding the AI Support Agent to your live workflows, it’s a good idea to test it first:

  1. Start a chat by sending a message to your business’s WhatsApp number.

  2. Check how the AI responds.

  3. If needed, update the uploaded documents or settings to improve the responses.

Testing ensures a smooth experience for your customers when the AI Support Agent is live.

AI Support Agent in your Team Inbox

Once you’ve set up your AI Support Agent, you can manage, update, and monitor it directly from Wati’s Team Inbox. This guide covers how to identify chats handled by the AI Support Agent, update its knowledge base, track performance, and understand your usage and billing options.

Identifying AI Support Agent chats

Chats handled by the AI Support Agent are easy to spot in Team Inbox:

  • AI Support Agent as chat assignee: You'll see "AI Support Agent" listed as the assignee in both the chat list and message view.

  • Quick filter: Use the AI Support Agent filter to view all chats where the AI has responded.

  • AI messages: Messages from the AI Support Agent include a special icon, along with a system message showing when the agent took over the conversation.

Updating the AI Support Agent's knowledge base

To keep your AI Support Agent's responses accurate and up to date:

  1. Go to Automations > AI Support Agent.

  2. Click Edit on the AI Support Agent you want to update.

  3. Create a new PDF document that includes both the updated and previous content.

  4. Delete the old file and upload the new PDF.

  5. Click Save. Your updates will take effect immediately.

Tracking AI Support Agent performance

You can track how your AI Support Agent is performing using two reporting tools:

Operator performance report

  • Available under Team Inbox > Analytics.

  • Shows key metrics like Average First Response Time and Average Resolution Time.

  • The AI Support Agent appears as an operator in the report.

Weekly Team Inbox report

  • A scheduled email report is sent to your inbox.

  • Includes a summary of all AI-handled chats over the past 7 days.

AI Support Agent pricing

Free monthly response quota

Your subscription plan includes a free monthly quota of AI Support Agent responses:

Subscription Plan

Free Monthly Responses

Pro

250

Business

1,000

  • Unused responses do not roll over to the next month.

  • The quota resets at the start of each billing cycle.

Purchasing Additional Responses

If you run out of responses, you can purchase more:

  1. Go to Account Details > Your Plan.

  2. Click Buy AI Support Agent Responses.

  3. Purchase extra responses in batches of 1,000 as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Questions

1. What is the AI Support Agent?

→ The AI Support Agent is Wati’s AI-powered chatbot that uses OpenAI models like ChatGPT and GPT-4 Turbo to answer customer queries using the documents and web pages you provide.

2. Who can use the AI Support Agent?

→ Only customers on the Pro or Business plan can use the AI Support Agent. You must have at least one agent created before it can be used.

3. How do I set up an AI Support Agent?

→ Go to the Automations tab, select AI Support Agent, and follow the guided steps to name your agent, select a language, upload your training content (PDFs or URLs), and activate it.

Configuration and triggers for AI Support Agent

4. What kind of training content can I upload?

→ You can upload PDF files containing FAQs, policies, or product details. You can also add web URLs for the AI to reference.

5. How does the AI Support Agent handle languages?

→ You can set the agent to auto-detect the customer’s language or configure it to always reply in a specific language like English or Spanish.

6. How do I trigger the AI Support Agent automatically?

→ Use Automation Rules to define conditions for automatic assignment. You can also use legacy features like Keyword Match and Default Actions, but Automation Rules are recommended for new accounts.

7. Can I assign chats to the AI Support Agent manually?

→ Yes. Any Team Inbox user can manually assign a chat to the AI Support Agent at any time.

AI Support Agent in Team Inbox

8. How do I know if a chat is handled by the AI Support Agent?

→ Chats handled by the AI Support Agent are labeled with its name in the chat list and message view. There’s also a special icon and system message when the AI takes over.

9. How do I find all AI-handled chats in Team Inbox?

→ Use the AI Support Agent quick filter to view all chats the AI has responded to.

10. Can I take control back from the AI Support Agent?

→ Yes. You can do this by reassigning the chat to a team member or replying

directly from your Wati account.

Managing the AI Support Agent’s Knowledge Base

11. How do I update the AI Support Agent’s knowledge base?

→ Go to Automations > AI Support Agent, click Edit, delete the old PDF, and upload a new one that includes both new and existing information. Click Save to apply changes.

Monitoring and Reporting of AI Support Agent

12. How can I monitor the AI Support Agent’s performance?

→ Use the Operator Performance Report in Team Inbox > Analytics or review the Weekly Team Inbox Report sent to your email.

13. What metrics are included in the performance report?

→ The report includes key metrics like Average First Response Time and Average Resolution Time, and lists the AI Support Agent as an operator.

Billing and Usage of AI Support Agent

14. How many free responses do I get each month?

→ Pro plans include 250 responses per month, and Business plans include 1,000. Unused responses do not roll over.

15. What happens if I exceed my monthly quota?

→ You can purchase additional responses in batches of 1,000 from Account Details > Your Plan by selecting Buy AI Support Agent Responses.

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