MSMEs Can Now Reply to Customer Chats 24/7 Using AI on WhatsApp

WhatsApp Business users can now activate a new artificial intelligence (AI)-based feature called Meta Business Agent. This feature allows business owners to respond to customer messages automatically, 24 hours a day, directly through WhatsApp conversations.

WhatsApp introduced Meta Business Agent at the WhatsApp Business Summit (WABS) Indonesia 2026. The feature is designed for use by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) up to large-scale companies, with capabilities tailored to their respective needs.

Vice President of India & Southeast Asia Meta, Sandhya Devanathan, revealed that more than 1 million businesses worldwide are already utilising Meta Business Agent on WhatsApp and Messenger each week.

“Meta Business Agent helps businesses in Indonesia be present in every moment through AI-based conversations that are fast, personal, and available 24 hours a day. Whether for companies serving millions of customers or small and medium enterprise (SME) owners managing their business directly from their mobile phones,” Sandhya said at the WABS Indonesia 2026 event in Jakarta, Tuesday (11/8/2026).

For SME owners, Meta Business Agent can be activated directly through the WhatsApp Business application. This AI agent can be trained to answer specific questions about the business, provide product recommendations from the catalogue, schedule appointments, identify potential customers (lead generation), assist in the sales process, and even transfer conversations to a human team member if needed.

WhatsApp stated that the presence of this feature aims to help businesses remain responsive in serving customers, even outside operating hours. Meta’s internal data shows that more than 7 out of 10 Indonesians (71%) send messages to business accounts daily. Furthermore, 83% of respondents said that AI agents help them get services more quickly and efficiently.

For large-scale enterprises, WhatsApp provides the Meta Business Agent Platform. This dedicated platform allows companies to build, customise AI agents, and integrate them with existing business systems, such as Shopify, Zendesk, and Shopee.

Going forward, WhatsApp will also introduce a business search feature powered directly by Meta Business Agent within the application. Users will be able to search for specific business names through the WhatsApp search bar or share that business contact with friends and family conveniently.