WhatsApp onboarding

Guests can reach your venue on WhatsApp, just like they call you now. They send a message and Bonnie replies right away, day and night, so you never miss a question or a booking. It is the same Bonnie that answers your phone.

This guide gets WhatsApp live in three steps. It takes about five minutes.

Before you start

Have these ready:

• Your Bonnie Dashboard login (app.bonnie.ai).
• The login of your Facebook business account. You need full admin access to the business profile. With partial access the connection gets stuck. Not sure you have those rights? Check that first.
• A mobile phone within reach. Meta calls you once with a verification code.
• Five undisturbed minutes. It does not take longer, but stopping halfway means starting over.

Good to know: the WhatsApp your venue already uses keeps working. You create a new WhatsApp number here that Bonnie manages. The two are separate.

Step 1: Connect to Meta

1. Log in to app.bonnie.ai.
2. In the left menu, under Conversations, click WhatsApp.
3. Find the right assistant and click the plus next to it. The Meta flow starts.
4. "Type your personal phone number": enter your own mobile number. Meta calls you on it once with a verification code. Nothing else happens with this number; it is only there to receive that one call.
5. You now see the Bonnie number, already filled in. Copy this number, you need it in a moment.
6. Log in to your Facebook business account and select the right business profile.
7. Always choose to create a new number. Do not connect your existing WhatsApp. Bonnie manages every conversation on this number, and your current WhatsApp keeps working as it does today.
8. Name: the name of your venue. Guests see this at the top of their WhatsApp, so use the name they know.
9. Number: paste the Bonnie number you copied in step 5. This must always be the Bonnie number.
10. Verification: choose verification by phone call, not by SMS. SMS does not work here. You are called on the mobile number from step 4 and hear the code. Type it in.

Done: the connection is live.

Step 2: The widget on your website

The widget is the WhatsApp button on your site. Guests click it and are in a conversation with Bonnie right away.

1. Click Create widget.
2. Choose a floated button. It floats along while the guest scrolls, so it is visible on every page. This is the version we recommend. Does a floating button not fit your site? Choose the regular button and place it as a standalone button on a page, for example your contact or booking page.
3. Set up the rest of the widget: colours, style and position. You see a preview right away. Check how it looks on a phone too.
4. Copy the code.
5. Paste the code on your website, or send it to whoever manages the site. One line is enough: "Can you place this code on the site? It is a WhatsApp button."

Do you manage the site yourself in WordPress, Webflow or Squarespace? Paste the code in the section for scripts or custom code, usually in the footer.

Step 3: Add WhatsApp to your other channels

So guests reach you the same way everywhere.

Your WhatsApp link is https://wa.me/ plus your Bonnie number without the plus sign, spaces or dashes. If your number is +31 85 000 0000, the link is https://wa.me/31850000000.

Google Business Profile: go to your profile, then Contact, then Chat, then WhatsApp, and enter the link.

Instagram, Facebook and other channels: put the same link in your bio or contact details. Consider an automatic reply on Instagram DMs too, something like "Great that you are reaching out! Send us a WhatsApp and you get an answer within a minute", with the link after it.

Use exactly the same number everywhere, so guests always end up in the same WhatsApp.

Test it

In the dashboard, go to the WhatsApp page and click "Send Bonnie a WhatsApp". You are in a conversation right away. Ask something a guest would ask: opening hours, or a table for tonight.

Stuck, or want someone to walk through it with you?

Message us on WhatsApp: +31 20 227 9334. Our help assistant explains every step in plain language, day and night, and a colleague reads along.

Prefer to do it together live? Book fifteen minutes with Nathalie, your Customer Success Manager. Or e-mail csm@bonnie.co.

Frequently asked questions

Can guests make, change and cancel reservations on WhatsApp? Yes. Bonnie makes reservations, changes and cancellations directly in the conversation, connected to your existing reservation system. No double work, everything syncs automatically.

Can Bonnie handle group bookings on WhatsApp? I want less e-mail. Yes, and this is exactly where WhatsApp shines. Bonnie recognises requests for groups and events and captures everything in one conversation: date, group size, occasion, budget and special requests. No more days of back-and-forth e-mail, but one complete request you can act on right away. Bonnie handles the request according to your rules or hands it to your team, complete with all the background.

Tip: make WhatsApp the main contact channel on your website and in your Google Business Profile, and give your e-mail address less prominence. Requests then come in through this channel, where Bonnie qualifies them right away, so your team only keeps the requests that really need attention.

How do I promote WhatsApp to my guests? Create your own WhatsApp widget for your website in your own branding (see step 2). Add WhatsApp as a contact channel to your Google Business Profile, so guests can message you directly when they find your venue on Google. Put the link in your Instagram and Facebook bio too.

Can I connect my existing WhatsApp Business number? No, during the connection you always create a new number. Bonnie manages every conversation on that number. The big advantage: your current WhatsApp keeps existing and working as you are used to. The two sit side by side.

Is WhatsApp included in my subscription? Yes. For the first 150 beta venues WhatsApp is included at no extra cost. We want to learn more about the impact and the underlying business model together with our venues and teams.

Bonnie works on usage: every answer via Bonnie costs 10 credits, whichever channel. An average WhatsApp conversation is 6 answers, so 60 credits. For comparison: one minute of calling via Bonnie also costs 60 credits. Everything is deducted from the same bundle you have now; the credits are just used through a different channel.

What if Bonnie cannot answer a question on WhatsApp? She hands the conversation to your team, including the full context, or shares your contact details or a link of your choice. You decide what happens next.

Is this the same Bonnie as on the phone? Yes. One team member, two channels. Bonnie knows your menu, opening hours and preferences, and gives the same answers on WhatsApp as on the phone. All conversations and transcripts are kept in one place.

How fast does Bonnie reply on WhatsApp? Right away, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Outside opening hours, during busy moments, or while your team is busy with guests. You never miss a request again.

How does Bonnie comply with the GDPR and protect data? Bonnie strictly follows GDPR guidelines to protect personal data, with robust security measures including encryption and secure storage. In line with the GDPR, Bonnie offers direct transfers or callback requests for those who prefer a human. For details see our Privacy Statement and Terms of Service. To access, change or delete your personal data, contact privacy@bonnie.co. Bonnie is also committed to ethical AI: by default she introduces herself as an AI assistant. You can adjust that introduction yourself in the dashboard.