What is WhatsApp Multiagent: Multiple Agents one Number
When a company grows and receives tens or hundreds of messages per day via WhatsApp, a single agent is not enough. The concept of WhatsApp multi-agent solves exactly this challenge: it allows multiple people to answer conversations simultaneously from a single business phone number.
In this article we explain in detail what is WhatsApp multi-agentHow does it work technically, what are the limitations of the WhatsApp Business application, how does the official API remove those restrictions and what features does your team need to operate efficiently with multiple agents on a single number.
Definition: What is WhatsApp Multiagent
WhatsApp multi-agent is a customer service scheme where multiple human agents (and optionally artificial intelligence agents) manage WhatsApp Business conversations from the same account and phone number, through a shared platform.
In simple terms, it is the ability for your entire sales, support or customer service team to work from the same WhatsApp number without interfering with each other, with each agent handling their assigned conversations independently.
Fundamental characteristics of a multi-agent system
A true multi-agent WhatsApp system includes:
- Shared inbox: All incoming messages arrive at a central panel visible to the team.
- Assignment of conversations: Each chat is assigned to a specific agent, avoiding duplicate responses.
- Status visibility: Supervisors can see who is attending each conversation and the status of each conversation.
- Unified history: Any agent can consult the complete history of a client, regardless of who served him previously.
- Unique number: The customer always interacts with the same WhatsApp number of the company, no matter how many agents are behind it.
The Technical Limitation of WhatsApp Business App
To understand why there is a need for multi-agent solutions, it is essential to know the technical constraints of the free WhatsApp Business application.
Maximum 4 linked devices
The application of WhatsApp Business (the free version that you download to your phone) allows you to link a maximum of 4 additional devices in addition to the main phone. This means that, at best, only 5 people can access the same account simultaneously.
Operational problems with linked devices
Even with the 4 devices allowed, the multi-agent experience in WhatsApp Business App is poor:
| Problem | Description |
|---|---|
| No chat assignment | There is no way to assign conversations to specific agents. Everyone sees all messages. |
| Duplicate answers | Two agents can respond to the same customer without knowing that the other has already done so. |
| No metrics | There are no response time, volume per agent or customer satisfaction reports. |
| No transfer | It is not possible to formally transfer a conversation from one agent to another. |
| No internal notes | Agents are not allowed to leave internal comments on a conversation for their colleagues. |
| No automation | Only basic quick responses are available, without flows or artificial intelligence. |
| Limited synchronization | Linked devices may lose synchronization if the main phone is disconnected for extended periods of time. |
When 4 devices are not enough
For any company that handles more than 50 conversations per day or has a support team of more than 4 people, the free WhatsApp Business app falls short. Typical scenarios where a professional multi-agent solution is needed include:
- Sales teams with 5 or more salespeople
- Support centers with rotating shifts
- Companies with multiple departments (sales, support, collections)
- Businesses that need 24/7 attention with staff turnover
- Operations requiring supervision and performance metrics
How WhatsApp Business API Resolves the Limitation
The WhatsApp Business API (also known as WhatsApp Business Platform or WhatsApp Cloud API) is Meta's official solution for businesses that need advanced communication capabilities. Unlike the free application, the API has no limit on the number of agents that can operate on the same number.
Technical architecture of the multi-agent system via API
The technical operation of a multi-agent system based on the WhatsApp API is as follows:
-
Connection with Meta: The multi-agent platform (such as Aurora Inbox) connects to the official WhatsApp Business API through Meta verified credentials.
-
Reception of messages via webhook: Every time a customer sends a message to the company's WhatsApp number, Meta sends a notification (webhook) to the server of the multi-agent platform.
-
Internal distribution: The platform receives the message and routes it to the corresponding agent according to the configured assignment rules.
-
Response via API: When the agent responds, the platform sends the message back to the customer through the API, and the customer receives it as if it came directly from the company's WhatsApp number.
-
No limit to the number of agents: Since the interaction occurs at the server level (not at the device level), there is no restriction on how many agents can be active simultaneously.
Key difference: device vs. server
| Appearance | WhatsApp Business App | WhatsApp Business API |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is executed | Physical devices (phone + 4 linked) | Cloud servers |
| Limit of agents | 5 max. | Unlimited |
| Assignment of chats | Not available | Automatic or manual |
| Automation | Basic quick answers | Chatbots, AI, complete flows |
| Integrations | None | CRM, ERP, e-commerce, etc. |
| Cost | Free | Per conversation (charged by Meta) + platform |
| Verification required | No | Yes (verified Meta Business account) |
How Conversation Assignment Works
One of the most important aspects of a multi-agent system is the way in which conversations are distributed among the available agents. There are several allocation models:
Automatic assignment by round-robin
New conversations are distributed equally among all available agents, following a rotating order. The first new message goes to Agent 1, the second to Agent 2, and so on.
Advantage: Balanced workload distribution.
Ideal for: Teams where all agents have the same capabilities.
Assignment by department or team
Messages are routed to specific teams according to predefined criteria. For example, if the customer mentions "return", the conversation is routed to the support team; if he mentions "quote", it is sent to the sales team.
Advantage: Clients are attended by the most qualified team to solve their queries.
Ideal for: Companies with differentiated departments.
Availability allowance
The system detects which agents are online and available in real time, and only assigns conversations to those who are active. This is critical for teams with staggered schedules or shifts.
Advantage: No message is left unattended because it is assigned to an absent agent.
Ideal for: Teams with rotating shifts or different time zones.
Assignment by artificial intelligence
In advanced platforms such as Aurora Inbox, an AI agent analyzes the content of the incoming message and automatically determines which agent or team is best suited to handle it, based on the customer's history, the subject of the query and each agent's current load.
Advantage: Optimizes customer experience and team efficiency.
Ideal for: High volume companies looking to maximize productivity.
Key Functionalities of a WhatsApp Multi-Agent System
For a team to operate efficiently with multiple agents on a single WhatsApp number, the platform must include certain essential functionalities:
1. Intelligent routing of conversations
The system must be able to route each conversation to the right agent or team automatically, based on configurable rules, keywords, customer data or artificial intelligence.
Internal notes and collaboration
Agents need to communicate with each other about a conversation without the customer seeing those messages. Internal notes allow you to leave context for partners who can pick up the conversation in the future.
3. Transfer of conversations
When an agent is unable to resolve a query, he/she should be able to transfer the conversation to another agent or a supervisor with a single click, including all previous context.
4. Presence and status indicator
The system should show which agents are online, available, busy or absent. This avoids assigning conversations to people who are not active and allows supervisors to monitor team availability.
5. Metrics and reports by agent
Each agent should have individual metrics: average response time, number of conversations attended, resolution rate and customer satisfaction. This allows you to identify areas for improvement and recognize good performance.
6. Predefined answers and templates
To streamline service, agents should have a library of frequently asked questions and approved templates that they can insert at the click of a button.
7. Automation with AI for agent support
Modern platforms include AI assistants that suggest answers to the agent, summarize long conversations and automatically classify the type of query, reducing manual effort.
8. Multichannel unified inbox
In addition to WhatsApp, a robust multi-agent system should consolidate messages from other channels (Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, TikTok, email) in the same inbox, so that the agent does not have to switch between multiple applications.
Benefits of Implementing WhatsApp Multiagent in your Company
Adopting a professional multi-agent WhatsApp solution transforms the customer service and sales operation:
Reduced response times
With multiple agents attending simultaneously, customers receive responses in minutes instead of hours. Studies show that a response time of less than 5 minutes increases the probability of conversion by 80%.
Deletion of lost messages
In a multi-agent system, no message is left unread. All conversations are visible in the shared tray and the system alerts when there are unattended chats.
Immediate scalability
Adding a new agent takes minutes: just create an account on the platform and assign permissions. No new phone, no new line and no additional technical configuration is required.
Professionalization of service
The customer perceives a cohesive experience: he always interacts with the same number, receives consistent attention and can return to previous conversations without repeating his problem.
Continuity of service
If an agent gets sick, takes a vacation or leaves the company, the conversations remain on the platform. Another agent can take over the pending chats with access to the full history.
Management control
Supervisors have full visibility of the operation: they can see all conversations in real time, redistribute load, intervene in complex cases and make decisions based on concrete performance data.
Aurora Inbox: Multiagent Solution with Artificial Intelligence
Aurora Inbox is a multi-agent WhatsApp platform designed for companies that need to scale their customer service and sales without losing quality and personalization.
Why Aurora Inbox for WhatsApp multiagent
- Unlimited agents: No restrictions on the number of people that can attend from the same number.
- Advanced conversational AI: Artificial intelligence agents that answer inquiries 24/7, qualify leads, schedule appointments and make sales autonomously.
- Intelligent assignment: Automatic routing by rules, by equipment or by AI according to message content.
- Smooth transfer: Transfer of conversations between human agents and between AI agents and humans with all context preserved.
- Internal notes: Communication between agents within each conversation without the customer noticing it.
- Integrated CRM: Visual sales pipeline with opportunity tracking directly linked to conversations.
- Multichannel: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and TikTok in a single inbox.
- Detailed reports: Metrics per agent, per team and per period with real-time dashboards.
- RAG system: The AI responds based on your company's documents, catalogs and knowledge base.
- Support in Spanish: Fully Spanish-speaking support team for Latin America and Spain.
Activation process
- Create your Aurora Inbox account.
- Connect your WhatsApp number to the official API (Aurora Inbox manages the verification with Meta).
- You invite your team by creating agent accounts.
- You configure the allocation rules and, optionally, activate the AI agents.
- Your team starts attending from the shared tray immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is WhatsApp multi-agent and what is it for?
WhatsApp multi-agent is the ability for multiple agents (people or AI bots) to attend WhatsApp Business conversations from the same phone number, through a shared platform. It allows companies with sales or support teams to serve many customers simultaneously without needing multiple phone numbers, maintaining a centralized history and performance metrics for each agent.
How many agents can use the same WhatsApp number at the same time?
With the WhatsApp Business free applicationThe limit is 5 simultaneous persons (1 main phone + 4 linked devices). With a multi-agent platform based on the official WhatsApp Business APIThere is no technical limit: you can have 10, 50, 100 or more agents operating on the same number simultaneously. The limit is defined only by the plan you contract with your multi-agent platform provider.
Do I need to change my WhatsApp number to use a multi-agent system?
No. You can migrate your current WhatsApp number to the WhatsApp Business API and continue to use it with a multi-agent platform. Your customers will still see the same number as always. However, when you migrate to the API, you will no longer be able to use that number in the WhatsApp Business App simultaneously. Platforms like Aurora Inbox guide you step by step through this migration process to make it seamless.
What is the difference between WhatsApp multiagent and WhatsApp multi-device?
WhatsApp multi-device is the native WhatsApp feature that allows you to link up to 4 additional devices to one account. It is a basic functionality with no chat mapping, metrics or automation. WhatsApp multi-agent refers to a professional solution (API-based) that allows unlimited agents, with intelligent mapping, internal notes, transfers, reporting and artificial intelligence capabilities. Multi-device is for personal or micro-business use; multi-agent is for companies that need to scale their operation.
How much does it cost to implement WhatsApp multi-agent in my company?
The cost of implementing multiagent WhatsApp has two components: (1) the subscription to the multi-agent platformwhich varies from $15 to $99+ USD/month depending on the provider and plan, and (2) the cost per WhatsApp conversationMeta charges directly (approximately $0.05-0.15 USD per conversation depending on country and message type). Aurora Inbox offers plans starting at $29 USD/month with unlimited agents, conversational AI included and an initial balance of conversations so you can get started without unforeseen additional costs.
