Blog
Notes from building Replai.
Founder writing on what we're building, what we're learning, and the choices behind the product.
2026-05-18
Setting up a multilingual WhatsApp chatbot: an SEA-focused guide
How to build a WhatsApp chatbot that handles English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, and mixed-language messages the way SEA customers actually write them.
Read2026-05-18
What to do if WhatsApp bans your business number
A practical playbook for recovering a banned WhatsApp Business number — appeal process, what works, what doesn't, and how to prevent it next time.
Read2026-05-18
What does WhatsApp Business API actually cost in 2026? A real fee breakdown
An honest breakdown of WhatsApp Business API costs in 2026 — Meta's per-conversation fees by country, BSP tool fees on top, and what the all-in cost looks like for a small business.
Read2026-05-16
WhatsApp Business API vs WhatsApp Business App: what small businesses actually need
The official WhatsApp Business API is built for enterprise broadcast. The WhatsApp Business app is built for solo founders. Most small businesses are stuck in the middle — and that's the bracket Replai built for.
Read2026-05-16
WhatsApp chatbot for Shopify stores: what actually works in 2026
Most 'WhatsApp for Shopify' guides assume you'll apply for the WhatsApp Business API. For small Shopify stores, that's the wrong starting point. Here's the realistic setup.
Read2026-05-16
Why we stopped asking customers for an Anthropic API key
We launched Replai on a BYOK model — bring your own API key, we don't mark up your tokens. It was honest. It also gated our actual customers out of the funnel. Here's what we changed and why.
Read2026-05-15
Will WhatsApp ban your number? An honest answer.
We run on Baileys, the unofficial WhatsApp library. Ban risk is real for any tool in this category. Here's what we do to mitigate it, what you should do, and what we can and can't promise.
Read2026-05-12
I built Replai because I was drowning in my own WhatsApp inbox
The first version of Replai was a hack I built to keep my own small business afloat. Then I realised every other small-business owner in SEA had the same problem.
Read