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Automation

Current V4 availability

The V4 Automation page is currently marked Coming Soon. You cannot create or manage V4 automations from this page yet.

Continue operating existing automations in V3 until the V4 automation engine is released. The V4 page previews planned webhook triggers, label triggers, scheduled follow-ups, response logs, and workflow actions, but those controls are not currently available for configuration.

The remainder of this page describes the planned/legacy automation model. Do not treat its setup steps as an available V4 workflow until Wabot removes the Coming Soon state.

Where to Find It​

Sidebar → CORE → Automation — https://app.wabot.io/dashboard/automation

Automation Dashboard

Before You Build an Automation​

  1. Connect the WhatsApp account that will own the workflow.
  2. Create any labels, templates, Broadcast Lists, Google Sheets connection, or webhook endpoint that the flow will use.
  3. Decide whether the same person may trigger the flow more than once.
  4. Write down a controlled test case before enabling the automation.

The Automation Dashboard​

When you open Automation, you see stats and a list of all your flows:

  • Total Automations (e.g. 2 / 50 used)
  • Active — how many are currently enabled
  • Total Executions — lifetime run count
  • Contacts Processed

Filters: All Status, All Triggers.

The table columns:

  • Automation Name
  • Trigger (Label / Webhook)
  • Stats (runs, actions)
  • Created date
  • Status (Active / Inactive)
  • Actions (edit, duplicate, delete)

Creating an Automation​

Click Create Automation to go to /dashboard/automation/new. The setup form has three sections:

Create Automation Form

1. Basic Information​

  • Automation Name * — e.g. "Welcome New Lead"
  • Description — internal notes
  • Account Type:
    • Unofficial API
    • Official API
  • WhatsApp Account * — pick from the dropdown
  • Status — Enable or disable

2. Trigger Type​

Choose one:

Use case: Triggered by external webhook calls from forms, CRM, e-commerce platforms, custom apps.

  • The webhook URL is generated after you create the automation
  • You can then paste it into Google Forms, Stripe, Typeform, Formidable, etc.
  • External systems POST data to this URL to trigger a new run

3. Advanced Settings​

  • Run Once Per Contact — prevents re-running if the same contact re-triggers
  • Error Handling:
    • Skip action with errors (continue to next action)
    • Stop automation on error

For a label trigger, select the label and either Label Added or Label Removed. Click Create & Add Actions to open the flow builder.

Adding Actions​

After creation, you build the flow by adding actions one by one. Common action types:

ActionWhat it does
Send MessageText, image, video, PDF, voice note
WaitDelay X minutes / hours / days
Add LabelTag the contact
Remove LabelUntag the contact
Add to GroupAdd contact to an audience group
Remove from GroupRemove contact from a group
Update Google SheetAppend a row or update existing
Call WebhookHTTP POST to an external URL
Condition (If/Else)Branch based on contact data
End FlowTerminate the automation early
Schedule Follow-UpCreate a later follow-up for the person
Cancel Follow-UpCancel pending follow-ups for the person
Send Official TemplateSend an approved Official API template

Arrange actions in sequence. Each action passes context (contact info, trigger payload) to the next.

Configure and Test the Flow​

  1. Add the first action after the trigger.
  2. Fill its fields and insert variables from the trigger payload or contact data.
  3. Add delays, conditions, and follow-up actions in their intended order.
  4. Save the flow.
  5. Trigger it with your own test contact or a test webhook payload.
  6. Open the automation's Logs and Follow-ups areas to confirm every step completed as expected.
  7. Enable the automation only after the test outcome is correct.
tip

The trigger type is fixed after creation. If you need to change from a webhook trigger to a label trigger, clone or create a new automation rather than assuming the existing trigger can be changed.

Example — Lead Nurturing Flow​

flowchart TD
    A[Trigger: Webhook from website form] --> B[Send: Welcome message]
    B --> C[Wait: 30 minutes]
    C --> D[Send: Product brochure PDF]
    D --> E[Wait: 1 day]
    E --> F{Label still 'new-lead'?}
    F -->|Yes| G[Send: 10% discount code]
    F -->|No| H[End Flow]
    G --> I[Add Label: 'nurtured']

Build it in Wabot:​

  1. Create automation with Webhook trigger, name it "Lead Nurturing".
  2. Copy the generated webhook URL.
  3. In your website form or Zapier, configure a POST to that URL on submit.
  4. Add actions:
    • Send Message: "Hi {name}, thanks for your interest!"
    • Wait: 30 minutes
    • Send Message (with PDF attachment): "Here's our product brochure."
    • Wait: 1 day
    • Condition: If label = new-lead
      • True → Send Message: "Here's 10% off: SAVE10"
      • False → End Flow
    • Add Label: nurtured
  5. Enable the automation.

Triggering from Anywhere (Webhook)​

Once created, the webhook URL looks like:

https://app.wabot.io/api/automation/webhook/YOUR_UNIQUE_ID

Call it from:

  • A button on your website (via JavaScript fetch)
  • Zapier / Make / Pabbly actions
  • A cron job or scheduled task
  • Stripe webhooks on payment events
  • Google Forms via Apps Script
  • Any custom app that can POST JSON

Example payload:​

{
  "phone": "60123456789",
  "name": "Ahmad",
  "email": "ahmad@example.com",
  "order_id": "1234"
}

All fields become available as placeholders in your Send Message actions: {name}, {email}, {order_id}, etc.

Monitoring Runs​

Click an automation to see the Settings, Actions, Logs, and Follow-ups tabs:

  • Logs — executions, errors, filters, and journey view
  • Follow-ups — scheduled work created by the automation
  • Retry or Retry Failed — available for failed log entries after you correct the cause
  • Live Preview and Preview Message — review the configuration before enabling it

Use this to debug flows and ensure nothing fires silently.

warning

An automation cannot be enabled without a connected WhatsApp account. Website accounts are not supported for automation creation, updates, or enabling.

Maintain an Automation​

From the automation list, you can search and filter by status or trigger. Use the row actions to:

  • Enable / Disable an automation without deleting its setup.
  • Edit its settings and actions.
  • Clone a working flow before adapting it to a new campaign.
  • Delete obsolete flows after checking their pending logs and follow-ups.

Use a unique, descriptive name and keep a disabled test version of important production workflows.

Best Practices​

  • Keep flows small and focused — one outcome per automation
  • Use Run Once Per Contact to prevent spam on re-triggers
  • Always add an error-handling path
  • Test with your own number before enabling
  • Use labels as checkpoints to prevent duplicate nurturing
  • Monitor the Total Executions and Contacts Processed on the list page

See also: Webhooks & API · Chatbots · Broadcast