Solfreaks WhatsFlow is our WhatsApp automation work, built on the official WhatsApp Business Platform (the Cloud API) rather than on workarounds that risk getting your number banned. It handles the repetitive conversations, such as order updates, appointment reminders, lead capture and common questions, and passes everything else to your team.
Shops, clinics, schools, real estate agents and service businesses in Pakistan, the UK and the Gulf already run much of their day on WhatsApp. The aim is for customers to get an answer in seconds and for your staff to stop copying details between chats and spreadsheets.
What a WhatsApp build includes
- Approved message templates. We write and submit the templates for confirmations, reminders and updates, in the languages your customers actually use.
- Opt-in capture. Sign-up points on your website, at checkout or by QR code that record consent properly.
- Order and appointment flows. Confirmation, rescheduling, delivery status and reminders, driven by data from your system.
- Catalogue and lead capture. Product browsing in chat, and a short conversation that collects name, need and timing and drops the lead into your CRM.
- A shared team inbox. Several staff answer from one business number with assignment, notes and history, using an open-source inbox such as Chatwoot or a custom one.
- Human handoff. A keyword, or the bot's own confusion, passes the chat to a person with the full conversation attached.
- Integrations. CRM, Google Sheets, Shopify or your own backend, in both directions.
The rules Meta sets, and how they shape the build
You can only start a conversation with a customer using a template that Meta has approved. Approval can take from a few minutes to a couple of days, and rejections happen, usually over vague wording or promotional text filed as a utility message. Once a customer writes to you, a 24-hour customer service window opens in which you can reply freely. After it closes, you're back to templates.
Meta also rates the quality of your number. If many recipients block or report your messages, your sending limits can drop. That's why we build opt-in properly and cap how often anyone is messaged, and why we turn down jobs that involve blasting promotions to a bought list. Template messages are charged by category and country, and Meta revises its pricing from time to time, so we model your expected volume before you commit.
Optional AI replies can answer questions from your product and policy pages, with a firm rule to hand over when unsure. Meta's rules on AI bots on the platform have been changing, so we check the current terms before building one and keep it to questions about your own business. The bigger version is an AI agent that also updates orders and bookings.
Setting it up, step by step
- Account and number. We help you create the Meta business account, verify the business and pick a number we can register on the Cloud API. Verification can take anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks, depending on your documents.
- Map the conversations. We list every message, who gets it and what triggers it, before touching a template.
- Templates and flows. Templates go for approval early, because that's the step we can't speed up. A first set of flows is typically ready in two to three weeks.
- Connect your systems. Orders, bookings or leads flow in and out of your CRM, sheet or shop.
- Pilot, then widen. We start with a small group of customers, watch the quality rating and replies, and fix gaps before the full launch.
Good fit, poor fit
It works well when customers already message you, when the questions repeat and when something in your systems can answer them: stock, a booking calendar, an order status.
Pass on this if the plan is promotional blasts to a purchased list, or if you have no process behind the chat; automating a muddle only makes the muddle faster. And if you get a few chats a day, the free WhatsApp Business app is likely enough for now.
Price and timeline
Cost comes down to how many flows you need, which systems we connect, how many languages, the choice between an existing inbox and a custom one, and if AI replies are in scope. Meta's message charges and any inbox subscription are separate costs. We offer fixed scope for the initial build and a monthly plan for new templates, changes and monitoring. If you also want lifecycle messages beyond WhatsApp, our push and retention marketing work covers push, email and in-app messages. Expect between two and five weeks to go live with a first set of flows, and the quote follows a short discovery call.
Why Solfreaks for WhatsApp work
We work from Rawalpindi, in the same time zone as your Pakistani customers and close to Gulf business hours. A small team handles the work and talks to you directly. The WhatsApp Business account, number and templates are registered in your name, so if we ever part ways nothing has to be rebuilt. To get started, book a short call and tell us what your customers ask most often.
Open-source tools and references
A few public projects that come up a lot in this kind of work. They belong to other people and teams. We link to them because they are worth a look, not because anyone pays us to.
- n8n-io/n8nWorkflow automation tool, handy for connecting WhatsApp to CRMs and spreadsheets.
- chatwoot/chatwootOpen-source shared inbox that can sit behind a WhatsApp number.
- WhatsApp/WhatsApp-Nodejs-SDKMeta's Node.js SDK for the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Meta take to approve message templates?
Often from a few minutes to a couple of days, though Meta promises nothing. Rejections usually come from vague wording, missing examples for variables or promotional text submitted as a utility template. We write to Meta's published guidelines, submit early in the project and keep alternative wording ready, so a rejection costs a day, not a week.
Can I keep using the WhatsApp Business app on my phone?
It depends on the number. Traditionally a number moved to the Cloud API could not also be used in the regular app, though Meta has been adding ways to use both on one number in some cases, so we check the current options during setup. Many clients keep their existing number in the app and register a new one for automation.
Can we message customers who haven't contacted us first?
Only with their opt-in, and only through an approved template. Meta expects clear consent, and if many people block or report your messages, your sending limits can drop. We set up consent capture at checkout, on your site or by QR code, and keep a record of it. We don't send to bought or scraped lists.
What does WhatsApp itself cost, apart from your fee?
Meta charges for template messages, by category such as marketing or utility and by the recipient's country, and it revises the pricing now and then. Its current pricing page is the source of truth, so we model your expected monthly volume against it and show you the working. A hosted inbox or helpdesk tool may add its own subscription.
Do you work with clients in the UK and the Gulf?
Yes. We're in Rawalpindi, an hour ahead of the UAE and a few hours ahead of the UK, and we schedule calls to suit you. Templates are written and approved per language, so for anything beyond English and Urdu we ask you or a native reviewer to check the wording before we submit. Contract and payment details are agreed after the discovery call.
Talk it through with us
Tell us what you are building and where it hurts. You get a straight answer, a plan and a price, and if we are not the right people we will say so.
