SendApp 2025: The Year WhatsApp Became Truly "Autonomous"“
If there's one thing 2025 has taught us, it's this: automation is no longer enough. Italian companies (SMEs, e-commerce, retail, services, franchising) are not just looking for tools to "program messages," but systems capable of understand the context, respond naturally is move the negotiations forward without wasting the teams' time.
At SendApp, we've clearly seen this evolution: WhatsApp Business has become the most effective channel for generating rapid conversions, reducing response times, increasing customer loyalty, and turning support into a sales engine. And the element that has accelerated everything is’Conversational AI, integrated into marketing automation processes designed to work “in the background”.
This article is ours year in review in an operational key: numbers, trends and above all practical Italian examples to understand how to use WhatsApp, automation, and AI to grow in 2026.
2025 in numbers: What really matters to WhatsApp Business users
Numbers are only useful if they tell the story of real change. In 2025, the most frequent question we received was: "How can I reply to everyone on WhatsApp without losing quality and without hiring more people?".
The answer is not a single tool: it's a ecosystem made up of official APIs, automatic flows, segmentation, a shared inbox, and AI that handles repetitive requests, leaving operators only with high-value cases.
The metrics we've seen grow the most
- Average first response time: those who automate correctly on WhatsApp go from hours to minutes.
- Chat conversion rate: when the path is guided (questions, catalog, payment, reminders), the chat stops being "support" and becomes "assisted sales".
- Reduction of repetitive ticketsFAQs, order tracking, availability, reservations, and basic quotes can be handled by AI.
- Data quality: each conversation becomes a signal (interest, objection, urgency), useful for segmenting and automating follow-ups.
From marketing automation to conversational automation (the real leap)
For years, "marketing automation" meant emails, tags, funnels, and campaigns. In 2025, for many Italian companies, the most profitable automation was WhatsApp: more immediate, more personal, and with a read rate that makes every message a real opportunity.
The difference between “classic” automation and conversational automation is that on WhatsApp you are not just sending: you are speaking. And speaking requires context, tone, timing, and the ability to handle exceptions. This is where the’Conversational AI.
What does "self-marketing" mean on WhatsApp?
In practice, this means building a system that:
- welcomes the contact and qualifies it (e.g. “Are you interested in X or Y?”);
- answers frequently asked questions in natural language;
- proposes the next step (quote, appointment, payment, demo);
- activate automatic follow-ups if the user does not respond;
- passes the conversation to an operator when needed (intelligent handover);
- records data and preferences for future campaigns.
The "Big Moments" of 2025: Trends That Changed the Rules
More than a release timeline, 2025 was a watershed year for three reasons: the adoption of official APIs, the explosion of conversational AI, and the maturity of multi-step flows on WhatsApp.
1) WhatsApp as a complete channel: marketing, sales and customer care
Many companies have stopped using WhatsApp just to “reply to messages” and have started building paths:
- Acquisition: click-to-WhatsApp from Meta Ads or in-store QR.
- Qualification: guided questions (budget, city, need, urgency).
- Conversion: sending catalog, payment, order/booking confirmation.
- After-sales: tracking, instructions, upsells, reviews.
2) Conversational AI: From “rigid chatbot” to understanding assistant
In 2025, AI became truly useful when it stopped being a button menu and started handling real conversations: poorly written requests, transcribed voice messages, unscripted questions, users who change their minds mid-chat.
The point is not to “put ChatGPT on WhatsApp”, but to design an assistant that:
- respects brand policy and tone;
- use up-to-date knowledge bases (FAQs, price lists, conditions);
- knows when to stop and switch to a human;
- he doesn't invent: he asks for clarification when some information is missing.
3) Shared inbox and processes: AI works if the team is organized
A common mistake is to think that AI "saves" a confusing process. In reality, AI makes an already clear process scalable: who manages what, which tags to use, when to escalate, and which SLAs to meet.
In 2025, we saw that the best-performing companies have:
- a shared inbox with conversation assignment;
- labels/segments by status (new lead, quote sent, in negotiation, customer);
- approved templates and follow-up automations;
- an AI assistant that manages the “first level” and prepares the work for the operators.
Practical Italian examples: 6 WhatsApp automations that increase sales and productivity
Below you will find concrete use cases (typical of the Italian market) that you can replicate with a platform-based approach. WhatsApp API, automations and Conversational AI.
1) E-commerce: cart recovery and pre-purchase assistance
ScenarioA user adds products to their cart but doesn't complete it. Or they ask, "What size do you recommend?" or "When are you arriving in Milan?".
Recommended automation:
- WhatsApp reminder message within 30–60 minutes (with correct consent and policies);
- AI that responds to shipments, returns, availability and size guides;
- Handover to the operator if the user requests a discount, invoice or special needs.
Expected result: more conversions and less time wasted on repetitive chats.
2) Medical practices and beauty centers: reservations and no-shows
Scenario: appointments made "verbally" and last-minute cancellations.
Recommended automation:
- booking flow with choice of service, location and time slot;
- automatic reminders 24h and 2h in advance;
- AI that handles requests like “can I move?”, “how long does it take?”, “what should I bring?”;
- Post-visit follow-up with review request and package proposal.
3) Real estate agencies: lead qualification and appointments
Scenario: lots of contacts from portals and campaigns, few truly ready.
Recommended automation:
- quick questions (area, budget, typology, timing);
- automatic sending of consistent property sheets;
- AI that answers recurring questions and collects documents (e.g. pay slips, references) when needed;
- transition to consultant when the lead is “hot”.
4) Schools and training: registrations and payments
Scenario: Request information on courses, timetables, certifications, and installments.
Recommended automation:
- guided path: course → level → location/online → dates;
- AI that explains programs, prerequisites and exam methods;
- sending payment link or requesting telephone contact;
- nurturing sequence on WhatsApp for those who "think about it".
5) Retail and physical stores: product availability and in-store pickup
Scenario“Do you have it in the shop?”, “Will you put it aside for me?”
Recommended automation:
- AI that collects model/color/size and checks availability (or initiates internal request);
- product reservation confirmation and collection window;
- automatic message if the product becomes available again;
- post-purchase with instructions and accessory proposal.
6) B2B: quick quotes and commercial qualification
Scenario: leads from trade shows, LinkedIn, or website forms asking for “a quote.”.
Recommended automation:
- AI that collects minimal data (sector, volumes, objective, times);
- automatic sending of a solution sheet and case studies;
- call booking with sales representative only when the requirements are met;
- automatic follow-ups if the lead doesn't respond (with a non-invasive cadence and tone).
Why AI saves time (and where humans are needed instead)
The biggest benefit of conversational AI on WhatsApp is not “answering for you,” but reduce low-value work and increase the quality of conversations reaching operators.
Perfect activities for AI
- FAQ (hours, base prices, shipping, returns, requirements);
- data collection (name, email, city, preferences);
- routing to the right department;
- recap and summaries for the operator (what he asked for, what was proposed).
Activities where the human remains central
- negotiation and discounts;
- complex complaints management;
- high-ticket consultative sales;
- sensitive situations (health, legal, emergencies).
How to Set Up a Self-Service WhatsApp Strategy in 7 Steps
- Define the goal: leads, bookings, cart recovery, support, upsells.
- Design the flow: what questions, what answers, what exits (operator, payment, appointment).
- Prepare the contents: FAQ, price lists, conditions, policies, tone of voice.
- Activate the official APIs to scale with reliability and automation (see WhatsApp API).
- Integrate AI where it is really needed
- Measure and optimize: response times, conversions, drop-offs, escalation reasons.
- Align the team: roles, tags, templates, procedures and SLAs.
2026: What to Expect (and What to Prepare for Now)
In the coming year we will see an acceleration on three fronts:
- Customization: increasingly contextual messages based on conversation history and behavior.
- Multi-channel automationsWhatsApp as a hub, with integrations to CRM, e-commerce, and calendars.
- More “operational” AI”: not just responses, but actions (create tickets, update statuses, generate summaries, propose next best action).
The good news: you don't need to overhaul everything. Often, you just need to start with a single, high-impact flow (bookings, cart recovery, or lead qualification) and build from there.
How SendApp can help you
SendApp offers complete solutions to manage WhatsApp Business professionally and efficiently:
- SendApp Official – Official WhatsApp Business API for bulk sending and automation
- SendApp Agent – AI chatbot with integrated ChatGPT for intelligent automatic responses
- Request a free consultation – Talk to an expert to find the ideal solution
