WhatsApp Lead Agent with n8n + Claude (free workflow)

What this agent does

Every WhatsApp message to your business number wakes the agent up. Claude reads it, works out what the person wants (price, booking, support or spam), answers price questions only from your own price list, sends your booking link to people who are ready, and saves every lead to Google Sheets. When it isn't sure, it hands the chat to you on Slack instead of guessing.

It remembers the last 10 messages per phone number, so conversations feel natural.

What you need

• An n8n account (n8n Cloud or self-hosted)
• A WhatsApp Business Cloud API number (a Meta developer app with a phone number)
• An Anthropic API key for Claude
• A Google Sheet for prices and leads
• Slack (optional, for handoffs)

Step 1: Import the workflow

1. Download the JSON file below.
2. In n8n, click Create Workflow, open the ⋯ menu and choose Import from File.
3. You will see: WhatsApp Trigger → Text messages only → AI Agent (with Claude, chat memory and three tools) → Has a reply? → Send reply.

Step 2: Connect WhatsApp

Open WhatsApp Trigger and create a WhatsApp OAuth credential from your Meta app. Open Send reply, create a WhatsApp API credential and paste your Phone number ID (Meta app → WhatsApp → API setup).

Step 3: Connect Claude

Open the Claude node, create an Anthropic credential and paste your API key.

Step 4: Add your price list

Create a Google Sheet with two tabs:

• Prices with columns Service, Price, Includes
• Leads with columns Date, Name, Phone, Need, Status

Paste the sheet URL into Price list and Log lead. The agent will never quote a price that is not in this sheet.

Step 5: Write the agent's rules

Open AI Agent → Options → System Message. Replace https://cal.com/YOUR-LINK with your booking link and add your business name. Keep the "never" rules: they are what stops the agent from inventing discounts or promising things you don't offer.

Step 6: Handoff, test, activate

1. In Hand off to owner, connect Slack and pick a channel (or delete the node and the handoff line in the instructions).
2. Click Execute workflow and send your business number a message from another phone, like "How much is a website?"
3. Check the reply arrives and a row lands in Leads. Then flip the switch to Active.

Troubleshooting

• No run starts: the Meta app's webhook must be subscribed to messages, and the number must be in live mode.
• Credential errors after import: imported workflows never include credentials. Open each red node and select your account.
• Replies only work for 24 hours: that's WhatsApp's rule. After 24 hours without a customer message, you need an approved template to message them first.