How to set who replies on each number (AI, agent, and department)
Choose, for each WhatsApp number, whether AI or your team replies, which AI agent handles it, and which department the conversations go to.
2 min readBasicUpdated on November 12, 2026
Where to find it in Cognizy
Video lesson coming soon. For now, follow the steps below.
Each WhatsApp number can have different service settings. One number can be handled by AI, another only by your team, and each one can send conversations to a different department. What you set here applies only to the chosen number and overrides what's configured for the company.
Where to find it in Cognizy
Before you start
- Only the owner and admins can change the number's settings.
- The number needs to be connected in Settings › Channels › WhatsApp.
- To choose an agent and department, first create at least one AI agent and one department.
Step by step
- Step 1:
At the bottom of the menu, click Settings.
- Step 2:
In Channels, click WhatsApp.
- Step 3:
On the number's card, click Service and receiving to open the options.
- Step 4:
In Who replies on this number, choose an option. Cognizy AI: the AI replies on its own. AI with team approval: the AI writes and someone approves before sending. Team only (AI off): only people reply. Inherit from organization follows what's set for the whole company.
- Step 5:
In Agent that replies on this number, choose the AI agent that serves whoever writes to this number. If you leave it on Department agent or the default, the conversation's department agent or the company's default agent replies.
- Step 6:
Cognizy asks if the change should also apply to conversations that already exist. Click Only new ones to leave old ones as they are, or Apply to existing ones to change them all.
- Step 7:
In Default department, choose the team that receives new conversations from this number. Only that department's team, the owner, and admins see these conversations. The same question appears: choose again between Only new ones and Apply to existing ones.
- Step 8:
Check that Receive messages on this channel is turned on. If off, the number only sends messages and incoming messages won't show up in Conversations.
How to know it worked
The options stay marked on the number's card and are saved instantly, with no save button. The next conversation that comes in on that number already follows what you chose.
If something goes wrong
The agent or department fields are empty.
There's no AI agent or department in the company yet. Create the agent in Serve › AI Agents and the department in Settings › People and access › Departments, then come back to this screen.
I chose a department and part of the team stopped seeing the number's conversations.
With a default department, only that team's members, the owner, and admins see the conversations. Add people to the department or set the field back to None (whole team sees it).
The AI isn't replying on this number.
Check that Who replies on this number isn't set to Team only (AI off) or My system (via API), and that Receive messages on this channel is turned on.
Next step
Reply to a customer from the dashboard to see the number's conversations arriving in Serve › Conversations.
Sign in with your Cognizy account to save your progress.
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