How to brief a WhatsApp automation project on one page: a template for Indian buyers

The short version

A WhatsApp project brief is one page with eight parts. Fill it in before the early call. The page tells a provider what the chat is for, how it works today, where a person must take over, what data is involved and how you will know the work is good. With that page, the early call can be about the plan rather than the basics.

You do not need technical words for the brief. Write it the way you would explain the business to a new hire on their day one. If a part is unknown, write unknown and say who will find out.

Why most projects stall early

Projects usually stall for four reasons. The goal is a feature, such as a chatbot, rather than an outcome, such as a faster reply to order questions. The current flow is in someone's head. The handoff to a person is vague, so nobody knows when the bot should stop. And the measure of success is missing, so the project cannot be called done.

A one page brief fixes those four gaps. It forces the decisions into writing, and it shows the provider what you already know and what you need them to work out.

The eight parts of the page

Write each part in plain sentences. Keep each part to two or three lines. If a part needs more space, it probably needs its own call.

1. Goal. One sentence about the customer. For example, a buyer who asks about delivery gets the answer in the same chat within a few minutes.
2. Current flow. The steps a chat takes today, from the moment the message arrives to the end. Include who replies and what they type.
3. Volume. How many chats arrive in a typical week, and at what hours. Use your own count or mark it estimate.
4. Handoff rules. The exact moments a person must take over, such as a refund request, a complaint, a custom quote or any message with a medical or legal word.
5. Data. What information the chat touches, such as names, addresses, order numbers and payment status, and where it is stored today.
6. Success measure. One number you can check in a week, such as the share of order questions answered without a person, with a human check on a sample.
7. Timeline. The date you want an early version and the date you want it running in your business.
8. Approvals. Who signs off on the wording, the handoff rules and the go live date.

A filled example, illustrative

This example is illustrative and uses a made up brand. A home baking business sells cakes for weekend orders and gets many questions about delivery slots and eggless options.

Look at what the example does not do. It does not ask for a brand new app, a bigger budget or a promise of more sales. It names one flow, one measure and one test. That is enough for a provider to give a fair plan.

Questions to answer before the call

Once the page is filled, answer five questions in a note. What do customers ask most in the message that starts the chat? What answer do they never get wrong? What answer do they often get wrong? Which tool do you already use for orders? Who will look at the sample chats each week? Those answers save the early call from becoming a list of basics.

If your team is not sure about one answer, say so on the page. A brief that says we do not know yet, and this person will find out by Friday is more useful than a brief with guesses dressed up as facts.

How a provider should use the page

A good provider reads the page and returns three things: a short plan with steps, a scope that says what is in and out, and a list of questions they still need answered. If the reply is just a price, ask for the plan before anything else. A price with no scope is a guess.

Ask the provider to show how a handoff to a person works in the chat, not just in a slide. Ask how they will test wording with real questions from your chat history. Ask how changes are approved and how long each change takes.

Mistakes that delay the project

• A goal with no customer in it. Increase sales with a chatbot is not a goal. Name who is helped and what they get.
• Design before the flow. Drawing a bot before you have mapped the current chat wastes a week.
• No handoff rule. Without a rule, a bot keeps answering a complaint it should pass to a person.
• Too many measures. Pick one. You can add a second after the one measure is clear.
• No approver. When nobody signs off, every change waits for the same busy person.
• Sharing customer data without a plan. Decide what the provider can see, and remove details they do not need.

What to check before you pay for anything

Ask for a scope with a list of what is included, what is not included and how a change is priced. Check who keeps the chat data and how it is deleted. Ask what happens if the provider stops working with you, and whether you keep the wording, flows and sheets you paid for. Keep your own copy of the brief. It is yours.

Talk to a qualified adviser about any contract terms you do not understand. A brief makes the contract easier to read, but it does not replace the contract.

Frequently asked questions

How long should the brief be?

One page. If you need two, you probably have two projects. Split them.

Do I need to know the technology?

No. Describe the flow, the handoff and the measure. The provider handles the tools.

Should I include my budget?

Yes, as a range you are comfortable with, or write that you want a plan and a price together. A range helps the provider scope the work.

What if my chats are in Hindi or Hinglish?

Say so on the page and share a sample of real messages. Wording must match how your customers write.

How do I know the project is working?

Check the one success measure on a sample each week, and read the handoff log. A quiet dashboard is not proof.

Can you help me fill the page?

Yes. Send me your current flow and your order questions on WhatsApp, and we will fill the page together.

Your next step

Fill the eight parts for one chat flow this week. Answer the five questions in a note. Then book a 1:1 call on Zoom and send the page beforehand, so the call starts with the plan, not the basics.

Written by Madhur Tyagi, founder of The Human Algorithm. 8+ years, 25+ brands, since 2017.

Scope note: Examples are illustrative, not client results. Numbers are marked with their source or as unverified. Nothing on this page is sent unless you press the WhatsApp button.