# Group Chat Mode

> Let your AI agent answer inside selected WhatsApp groups — and only the members you choose.

Source: https://waslo.io/docs/group-chat-mode · Last updated: 2026-10-12

## What it does

Normally your AI agent works in one-to-one chats. **Group Chat Mode** (Growth plan) lets it also work inside WhatsApp groups you pick — without ever spamming the room. Typical uses:

- **Hospitality** — a booking group with you, your co-host, and the guest: the AI answers only the guest's questions (check-in time, directions, amenities) and stays out of everything else.
- **Agencies** — a shared group with a client: the AI handles routine questions, your team handles the rest.
- **Internal groups** — observe-only mode records the group's messages and never replies. There is no summary feature.

> Available on the **Growth plan**, for **WhatsApp QR numbers**. The WhatsApp Cloud API doesn't support group messaging at all (a Meta platform limitation), and Telegram groups are on our roadmap.

## Safety first — everything is off by default

Group support is **double opt-in**:

1. **Per number** — open **Groups** in the sidebar and flip the switch for a WhatsApp number. Until you do, group messages are ignored entirely.
2. **Per group** — once the switch is on, any group that number is in appears in the list as **Discovered** the moment someone writes in it. The AI stays completely silent in a discovered group until you explicitly enable it.

This means your AI can never surprise you by talking in a group you didn't choose.

## Reply modes

Each enabled group gets one of three modes:

| Mode | What happens |
|---|---|
| **Reply to allowed members** | The AI answers members whose policy is *Allow*. Anyone can still summon it with an @mention. |
| **Reply when mentioned** | Silent unless someone @mentions the AI or replies to one of its messages. |
| **Observe only** | The AI reads and records the conversation but never sends anything. |

## Per-member control

Inside a group's settings you'll see every member who has spoken, each with a policy:

- **Default** — follows the group's default policy (reply to everyone, or ignore everyone).
- **Allow** — the AI answers this person.
- **Ignore** — the AI does not answer this person on its own (their messages are still read as context). A deliberate @mention from them still gets an answer.

**The classic setup**: in a booking group with a guest, set the group default to *Ignore everyone*, then set only the guest to *Allow*. The AI answers the guest and leaves you and your co-host alone. A deliberate @mention always gets an answer — so you can still summon the AI yourself when you need it.

## Booking and catalog inside groups

Toggle **Booking & catalog tools** per group and the AI can check availability, book appointments, and answer product questions right inside the group — each member's booking is tracked separately, so two people booking in the same group never collide.

## Built-in guardrails

- A per-group **replies-per-minute cap** (default 3 replies per minute) so the AI can never flood a room.
- No welcome messages, no follow-ups, and no voice notes inside groups.
- An optional **monthly credit cap** per group.
- Group replies cost normal message credits.

## Where group conversations appear

Enabled groups show up in your **Inbox** like any other conversation — with the group's name, a group icon, and the sender's name above each message so you always know who said what. You can reply manually from the dashboard and your message goes to the group.