> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.izap.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The assistant isn't replying

> A quick checklist for when the AI assistant doesn't reply on WhatsApp, replies the old way, or only replies in the Trainer.

Go through the list in order: the first causes are the most common.

## 1. Is the assistant on?

In the dashboard, open **AI Assistants** and check that the assistant's
**Active** switch is on. When it's off, the number doesn't reply to anyone.

<Note>
  If the assistant replies in the Trainer's test chat but not on WhatsApp, that
  doesn't mean it's on: the test chat always replies, even when the assistant is
  off.
</Note>

## 2. Is the right assistant on the number?

Each assistant's card shows the **WhatsApp number** it answers on. A common
mistake is having two assistants: one switched on but with no number, and
another on the number but switched off. In that case the number gets no
replies — turn on the assistant that's on the number, or assign the number to
the right assistant.

## 3. Is the number connected?

In **Integrations** → **WhatsApp**, the number should show as **Connected**. If
it shows **Problem**, or if the number was just connected and never replied,
check that the payment method was added in Meta. See
[WhatsApp connection problems](/en/troubleshoot-whatsapp-connection).

## 4. Was the AI paused in that conversation?

The AI pauses on its own in a conversation when someone replies to the customer
from the WhatsApp Business app on the phone, and comes back after the time set
in **AI pause** (1 hour by default). Someone on your team may also have paused
the conversation from the dashboard.

To hand the conversation back to the AI, open it in **Live Chat** and click
**Resume automation** or **Resubscribe the Assistant**. See
[Control the AI's replies](/en/control-ai-replies).

## 5. Are the WhatsApp Business app's automatic messages on?

If you use the WhatsApp Business app together with iZap, turn off the app's
**greeting message** and **away message**. The app sends those messages on your
behalf, and iZap may understand that a person took over the conversation —
pausing the AI right at the start.

## 6. Is it outside business hours?

Outside the hours set in **Settings** → **Business hours**, the assistant
doesn't chat. If you didn't set any hours, it replies at any time.

## 7. Was the plan limit reached?

On the Free plan, once the month's handled-contact allowance runs out, the AI
stops replying to **new** contacts — anyone already handled during the cycle
keeps getting replies. The dashboard shows a notice when this happens. See
[Plans and billing](/en/plans-and-billing).

## The assistant replies, but the old way

You edited the instructions in the Trainer but the replies didn't change? Check
that you clicked **Publish**. **Save** keeps the instruction only in the test
chat; only **Publish** takes the change to WhatsApp. Check what's live in the
**Published Instructions** tab.

## The assistant replies in the wrong language

In the assistant's settings, check the reply **Language** and whether
**Automatically detect customer language** is on. See
[Reply language](/en/control-ai-replies).

## Run an end-to-end test

1. From **another** phone, send a message to the connected number.
2. In the dashboard, check that the message shows up in the conversation.
3. See whether the assistant replies.

If the message doesn't even show up in iZap, the problem is the connection with
Meta, not the assistant: contact support. If it shows up and the assistant
doesn't reply, go back to the list above.

## Before you contact support

Send to [suporte@izap.ai](mailto:suporte@izap.ai):

* The connected number, with the country code.
* The test customer's number and the approximate time of the message.
* What you expected to happen and what happened.
* Screenshots of the conversation, if possible.