Restaurant ordering AI agent on WhatsApp
Takes delivery orders on WhatsApp from your menu, confirms the total and sends the order to the kitchen.
How it works
Trigger: WhatsApp — a customer sends a message
- A customer orders on WhatsApp.
- The agent checks the menu for items, sizes, prices and availability.
- It repeats the full order, address and total, then saves it.
- It sends the order to the kitchen's Telegram group.
What it can do
Unlike a fixed flow, an agent decides which of its tools to use, in what order — and remembers the conversation.
- Takes orders in Arabic or English from your live menu sheet
- Suggests alternatives when an item is unavailable
- Adds delivery fees by area and confirms the total
- Sends confirmed orders straight to the kitchen
System prompt
The instructions that shape the agent. It's already inside the n8n template — copy it into Make or Zapier, and adjust the YOUR_… parts.
You are the WhatsApp ordering assistant for YOUR_RESTAURANT. Reply in the customer's language and dialect (Egyptian Arabic, Gulf Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic or English). Be warm and brief.
Today is {{ $now.toFormat('cccc HH:mm') }}. Opening hours: YOUR_HOURS. Delivery areas and fees: YOUR_DELIVERY_AREAS.
Tools:
- "Menu": our menu (item, size, price, available). Always check it for items and prices.
- "Place order": saves the confirmed order. Use only after the customer confirms items, quantities, address, phone and total.
- "Send to kitchen": sends the confirmed order to the kitchen group.
Rules:
- Never invent dishes, prices, offers or delivery times. If an item is unavailable, suggest a similar one from the menu.
- Repeat the full order with prices and the total (including delivery fee) before placing it.
- Payment is cash on delivery or YOUR_PAYMENT_METHODS — never ask for card details in chat.
- Ask about allergies only if the customer mentions them; never make health claims.Safety rules
Built into the prompt and the tools:
- Never invents dishes, prices or offers
- Repeats the full order before placing it
- Never asks for card details; makes no health claims
Uses your own AI key (Claude, OpenAI or another model). Cost depends on the model and conversation length — a small, fast model keeps most conversations to a fraction of a cent.
Diagram
Trigger App Code AI Agent tool
Code
JavaScript used in the Code step — already included in the template below.
// Keeps only text messages and pulls out who sent it and what they asked.
const msg = $input.first().json.messages?.[0];
if (!msg || msg.type !== "text") return [];
return [{ json: { from: msg.from, question: msg.text.body } }];Build it
Pick your tool — same automation, step by step.
Copy and paste straight into an n8n canvas (Ctrl+V), or download and use Import from File. Then connect your own credentials and replace every YOUR_… placeholder. AI steps use a Claude model node — swap it for OpenAI, Gemini or Ollama if you prefer.
Show code (296 lines)
{
"name": "Restaurant ordering AI agent on WhatsApp (Flowngn)",
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## Restaurant ordering AI agent on WhatsApp\nTakes delivery orders on WhatsApp from your menu, confirms the total and sends the order to the kitchen.\n\n**Setup**\n1. Open each node and connect your own credentials.\n2. Replace every YOUR_… placeholder.\n3. Test once, then activate.\n\nFree template from Flowngn",
"height": 260,
"width": 340
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Setup notes",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
-420,
-60
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"updates": [
"messages"
]
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Incoming message",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.whatsAppTrigger",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
0,
0
],
"webhookId": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a"
},
{
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Keeps only text messages and pulls out who sent it and what they asked.\nconst msg = $input.first().json.messages?.[0];\nif (!msg || msg.type !== \"text\") return [];\n\nreturn [{ json: { from: msg.from, question: msg.text.body } }];"
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Get question",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
300,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"promptType": "define",
"text": "={{ $json.question }}",
"options": {
"systemMessage": "=You are the WhatsApp ordering assistant for YOUR_RESTAURANT. Reply in the customer's language and dialect (Egyptian Arabic, Gulf Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic or English). Be warm and brief.\n\nToday is {{ $now.toFormat('cccc HH:mm') }}. Opening hours: YOUR_HOURS. Delivery areas and fees: YOUR_DELIVERY_AREAS.\n\nTools:\n- \"Menu\": our menu (item, size, price, available). Always check it for items and prices.\n- \"Place order\": saves the confirmed order. Use only after the customer confirms items, quantities, address, phone and total.\n- \"Send to kitchen\": sends the confirmed order to the kitchen group.\n\nRules:\n- Never invent dishes, prices, offers or delivery times. If an item is unavailable, suggest a similar one from the menu.\n- Repeat the full order with prices and the total (including delivery fee) before placing it.\n- Payment is cash on delivery or YOUR_PAYMENT_METHODS — never ask for card details in chat.\n- Ask about allergies only if the customer mentions them; never make health claims."
}
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Ordering agent",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.agent",
"typeVersion": 1.9,
"position": [
600,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"model": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "claude-sonnet-5",
"mode": "list"
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Claude model",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatAnthropic",
"typeVersion": 1.3,
"position": [
260,
220
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"sessionIdType": "customKey",
"sessionKey": "={{ $('Get question').item.json.from }}",
"contextWindowLength": 10
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Memory",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.memoryBufferWindow",
"typeVersion": 1.3,
"position": [
430,
220
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"descriptionType": "manual",
"toolDescription": "Returns our menu: item, size, price, available.",
"operation": "read",
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID",
"mode": "id"
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "Menu",
"mode": "name"
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Menu",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheetsTool",
"typeVersion": 4.5,
"position": [
600,
220
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"descriptionType": "manual",
"toolDescription": "Saves a confirmed order.",
"operation": "append",
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID",
"mode": "id"
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "Orders",
"mode": "name"
},
"columns": {
"mappingMode": "defineBelow",
"value": {
"time": "={{ $now.toISO() }}",
"phone": "={{ $('Get question').item.json.from }}",
"items": "={{ $fromAI('items', \"Items with sizes and quantities\", 'string') }}",
"total": "={{ $fromAI('total', \"Total including delivery fee\", 'number') }}",
"address": "={{ $fromAI('address', \"Delivery address\", 'string') }}",
"notes": "={{ $fromAI('notes', \"Special requests, or empty\", 'string') }}",
"status": "new"
}
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Place order",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheetsTool",
"typeVersion": 4.5,
"position": [
770,
220
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"descriptionType": "manual",
"toolDescription": "Sends the confirmed order to the kitchen's Telegram group.",
"chatId": "YOUR_KITCHEN_CHAT_ID",
"text": "={{ $fromAI('order', \"The full order: items, quantities, address, phone, total, notes\", 'string') }}",
"additionalFields": {
"appendAttribution": false
}
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Send to kitchen",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.telegramTool",
"typeVersion": 1.2,
"position": [
940,
220
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"operation": "send",
"phoneNumberId": "YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER_ID",
"recipientPhoneNumber": "={{ $('Get question').item.json.from }}",
"textBody": "={{ $json.output }}"
},
"id": "47157a09-d134-4c79-a014-3d2a8816de5a",
"name": "Reply on WhatsApp",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.whatsApp",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
900,
0
]
}
],
"connections": {
"Incoming message": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get question",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get question": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Ordering agent",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Ordering agent": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Reply on WhatsApp",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Claude model": {
"ai_languageModel": [
[
{
"node": "Ordering agent",
"type": "ai_languageModel",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Memory": {
"ai_memory": [
[
{
"node": "Ordering agent",
"type": "ai_memory",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Menu": {
"ai_tool": [
[
{
"node": "Ordering agent",
"type": "ai_tool",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Place order": {
"ai_tool": [
[
{
"node": "Ordering agent",
"type": "ai_tool",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Send to kitchen": {
"ai_tool": [
[
{
"node": "Ordering agent",
"type": "ai_tool",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
},
"pinData": {},
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"meta": {
"templateCredsSetupCompleted": false
},
"tags": []
}In Make, create a new scenario and add these modules in order:
- WhatsApp Business Cloud › Watch Events (messages)
- Tools › Set variable / Iterator + Array aggregator (same logic as the Code step)
- Make AI Agents › Run an agent — give it these tools: “Menu” (Google Sheets), “Place order” (Google Sheets), “Send to kitchen” (Telegram Bot); paste the system prompt as the agent's instructions
- WhatsApp Business Cloud › Send a Message
- Every module run uses Make operations — the free plan includes a monthly quota.
- Make's built-in functions (map, sum, formatDate…) can replace most Code steps; for complex logic use a code module.
- Module and step names can differ slightly as Make and Zapier update their apps.
In Zapier, create a new Zap and add these steps in order:
- WhatsApp — New Message
- Code by Zapier — Run JavaScript (paste the code from the Code section)
- Zapier Agents — create an agent (or AI by Zapier for a single step) — give it these tools: “Menu” (Google Sheets), “Place order” (Google Sheets), “Send to kitchen” (Telegram); paste the system prompt as the agent's instructions
- WhatsApp — Send Message
- Zaps with more than two steps need a paid Zapier plan.
- Webhooks, Filters/Paths and Code by Zapier are premium features on some Zapier plans.
- Code by Zapier runs JavaScript: reuse the code shown above, reading inputs from inputData instead of $json.
- Module and step names can differ slightly as Make and Zapier update their apps.
Tips
- Mark sold-out items as unavailable in the Menu sheet during service.
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