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This guide explains the fundamental concepts you’ll encounter when building with Wassist. Whether you’re using the dashboard or the API, these concepts apply universally.

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Agents

An Agent is an AI-powered assistant that handles conversations on WhatsApp. Each agent has its own personality, knowledge, and capabilities defined by its configuration.

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Key Agent Properties

PropertyDescription
NameThe display name of your agent
System PromptInstructions that define how the agent behaves, its personality, and constraints
First MessageThe welcome message sent when a user starts a new conversation
IcebreakersQuick-reply buttons shown with the first message to guide users
Profile PictureThe avatar displayed in WhatsApp
A well-crafted system prompt is the most important factor in your agent’s quality. Be specific about tone, knowledge boundaries, and how to handle edge cases.

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Tools

Tools extend your agent’s capabilities by connecting it to external services. When a user asks a question that requires real-time data or an action, the agent can call a tool to fulfill the request.

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Types of Tools

Connect to any REST API to fetch data or trigger actions. Define the endpoint, parameters, and how the agent should interpret responses.Examples:
  • Check order status from your e-commerce platform
  • Book appointments in your calendar system
  • Look up product inventory
Let your agent browse and extract information from web pages in real-time.Examples:
  • Check current prices on your website
  • Pull the latest blog posts
  • Verify stock availability
Enable your agent to create images based on user requests using AI image generation.
Transfer conversations to other agents or human operators when specialized help is needed.
Connect to Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for advanced integrations with external systems.

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Conversations

A Conversation represents an ongoing dialogue between a user and an agent. Wassist manages conversation state, history, and context automatically.

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Conversation Properties

PropertyDescription
MessagesThe full history of messages exchanged
ContextStructured data extracted during the conversation
MemoryPersistent key-value storage that survives across sessions
CreditsIf monetization is enabled, the user’s remaining credits

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Message Types

WhatsApp supports rich message formats beyond plain text:
  • Text — Standard text messages with emoji and formatting
  • Images — Photos and graphics with optional captions
  • CTA Buttons — Call-to-action buttons that link to URLs
  • List Selections — Interactive menus for structured choices
  • Templates — Pre-approved message templates for outbound messages

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Memory

Memory Keys let your agent remember information about each user across conversations. Unlike conversation context (which resets), memory persists indefinitely. 
Memory Key: "customer_name"
Type: string
When to Update: "When the user tells you their name"
Use cases:
  • Remember user preferences
  • Track subscription status
  • Store order history references

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Documents & Knowledge Base

Upload files to give your agent specialized knowledge. Wassist processes documents using AI embeddings, allowing your agent to search and retrieve relevant information during conversations. Supported formats:
  • PDF documents
  • Word documents (.docx)
  • Plain text files
  • Markdown files
Documents are processed asynchronously. You’ll see a status indicator while processing completes.

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WhatsApp Business Accounts

To deploy agents to production, you connect a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA). This gives you:
  • Dedicated phone numbers — Your own business numbers
  • Business profile — Company name, description, and verified badge
  • Message templates — Pre-approved templates for outbound messaging
  • Higher messaging limits — Send more messages as your reputation grows
You can deploy different agents to different phone numbers under the same business account.

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Monetization

Wassist includes built-in tools to generate revenue from your agents:

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Paywalls

Set a message limit after which users must take action:
  • Purchase Link — Redirect to a payment page
  • Subscribe — Start a subscription through Wassist
  • Terminal — Stop the conversation with a custom message

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Credits

A flexible token-based system where:
  • Users start with initial credits
  • Each message or tool use consumes credits
  • Users can purchase more credits

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Ads

Display promotional content within conversations (optional).

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Wake-Up Configs

Wake-Up Configs let your agent proactively reach out to users based on triggers. Instead of waiting for users to message first, your agent can initiate conversations. Example triggers:
  • “If the user hasn’t responded in 24 hours, send a follow-up”
  • “If a new product launches, notify interested users”

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Outbound Triggers

Outbound Triggers are webhooks that let external systems trigger your agent to send messages. When your backend receives an event (new order, appointment reminder, etc.), it can call Wassist to send a templated message.

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Next Steps

Create Your First Agent

Follow the quickstart guide to build an agent in minutes.

SDK Overview

Learn how to manage agents programmatically.