> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.minimo.it/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI assistants on WhatsApp

> Assign an AI assistant to a WhatsApp number. It understands voice notes, photos and reactions, answers from your knowledge base, and can take real actions like booking.

WhatsApp on Minimo is **two-way**. Beyond DB-triggered outbound templates, you can assign an **AI
assistant** to a number so inbound conversations are handled automatically — the assistant reads your
knowledge base and connected data, understands what the customer actually sent, and can *do* things,
not just reply.

## Assign an assistant to a number

In the app, bind an assistant to a WhatsApp channel (number). Inbound messages to that number are
answered by the assistant; replies and history stay in the [unified inbox](/product/messaging/whatsapp),
where a human can take over at any time. Each number can have its **own** assistant — so with
[multiple numbers](/product/messaging/whatsapp-numbers) every brand or client gets a separate assistant.

## What the assistant understands

Customers don't only send text. The assistant reasons about the full message:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Voice notes" icon="microphone">
    A voice message is transcribed and understood — the assistant replies to what was *said*, without
    asking the customer to type it out.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Photos & images" icon="image">
    Computer vision reads inbound images — a receipt, a screenshot, a product photo — and the reply
    reflects what's in the picture.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reactions" icon="heart">
    An emoji reaction is treated as a reaction on the message it targets — not misread as a new
    message, and it never triggers a blind auto-reply.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Knowledge base" icon="book">
    Answers are grounded in your business knowledge, so customer-support questions get accurate,
    on-brand replies.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Assistants can take actions

An assistant can be given **Actions** — calls to your own API — so it can complete tasks on the
customer's behalf, with server-side identity, in-chat confirmation and an audit trail around every
call. Typical actions: look up data, create or reschedule a booking, cancel, check availability.

<Note>
  **In production:** BeautyGo runs its salon booking on a Minimo assistant. A client messages the
  WhatsApp number, the assistant finds the salon, checks availability and books the appointment, then
  answers follow-up questions from BeautyGo's knowledge base — end to end, no human in the loop.
</Note>

Actions are defined as an **Integration → Action → binding** and can be imported directly from an
**OpenAPI** spec (one draft action per operation). Identity-looking parameters (like the customer's
phone) are injected server-side to prevent a customer from acting on someone else's behalf.

<Tip>
  Building templates, segments and automations is done by **Mo**, Minimo's in-app AI marketer — see
  [Build with Mo](/product/mo). The WhatsApp *conversational* assistant described here is the one that
  answers and acts on inbound customer messages.
</Tip>

## Receiving in your own backend

If you want inbound messages, delivery events and template-status updates in your own systems too
(in addition to the assistant handling them), see
[Inbound & webhooks](/api-reference/messaging-channels/whatsapp/inbound-webhooks).