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

# Get started: build your first WhatsApp bot with Paige

> Sign up, create a project, build your first bot with AI, test it on real WhatsApp via Paige Dev, and only connect your own WhatsApp number when you're ready to go live.

This guide walks you through everything you need to go from a new account to a working WhatsApp bot. You'll build and test a fully working bot before ever connecting your own WhatsApp Business number — connecting WhatsApp is the last step, and it's what takes your bot live.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your account">
    Go to [paigme.dev](https://paigme.dev) and sign up. You can create an account with your email address or sign in with Google.

    After signing up with email, Paige will send you a verification link. Open the email and click the link to confirm your address before continuing.

    <Tip>
      Google sign-in skips the email verification step and gets you into the dashboard faster.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your first project">
    When you log in for the first time, Paige automatically creates a project called **My First Bot** and takes you straight to it. You don't need to do anything — the project is ready to use.

    A project is your workspace for a single bot. It comes with its own bot code editor, database, conversation history, and settings. You don't need a WhatsApp number to start building — that comes later. Every new project includes a 14-day free trial with full access to every paid feature — Conversations, Broadcasts, Deploy, and your bot running on a connected WhatsApp number — so you can build and prove your bot end to end before subscribing. If you want to build a second bot for a different use case, you can create additional projects from the dashboard at any time.

    <Info>
      If you already have projects from a previous session, Paige opens the most recently used one instead of creating a new one.
    </Info>

    <Tip>
      The first time you open a new project, a **guided tour** walks you through the journey — sending your first chat message, opening the preview, testing on Paige Dev, connecting WhatsApp, and deploying. Each tip points at the matching UI control and auto-advances when you complete the step. Click **Skip tour** on any tip to dismiss it permanently for that project.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build your bot with the AI assistant">
    Open the **Bot** tab in your project. You'll see the AI chat interface on the left and your bot code on the right.

    Type a description of what you want your bot to do. For example:

    > "When someone messages me, greet them by name and ask if they want to know our opening hours or our location."

    The AI reads your request and writes (or rewrites) the bot code for you. You can keep refining it by sending follow-up messages — ask it to add conditions, change the wording, or handle edge cases.

    <Tip>
      You don't need to know how to code to use the AI builder. Describe what you want in plain language and iterate from there. If you do know how to code, you can also edit the bot code directly.
    </Tip>

    When you're happy with the bot, click **Deploy** to make it the active version. Paige saves a version snapshot every time you deploy, so you can always roll back if something goes wrong.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test your bot with the preview and Paige Dev">
    You don't need a WhatsApp number to test your bot. Paige gives you two test surfaces:

    * **The in-app preview** — every change you make in the AI chat can be tested instantly inside the app.
    * **Paige Dev** — a shared WhatsApp number that runs your bot exactly as it would in production.

    To use Paige Dev, open the **Test** section in your project and follow the instructions to link your phone to the Paige Dev number. Once linked, message Paige Dev from your phone and your project's bot will respond. Changes you deploy show up in your test conversation immediately.

    <Info>
      Paige Dev routes messages to the bot code in your project, so changes you make and deploy are reflected immediately in your test conversations.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect WhatsApp to take it live">
    This is the last step — and the only step that requires WhatsApp at all. Once your bot is ready for real users, link your own WhatsApp Business number to take it live.

    Open your project and go to **Settings → WhatsApp**. Click **Connect WhatsApp** to start the Meta embedded signup flow. You'll log in to your Facebook account, select or create a WhatsApp Business Account (WABA), and choose the phone number you want to use.

    See [Connect your WhatsApp Business number](/whatsapp-setup) for a full walkthrough of this process, including what to do if you don't have a WhatsApp Business Account yet.

    <Note>
      You need a Facebook account to complete the Meta embedded signup. The phone number you connect must not already be registered as a personal WhatsApp account on an active device.
    </Note>

    Once connected, share your WhatsApp Business number with real users — your bot is live.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="WhatsApp flows" icon="workflow" href="/concepts/flows">
    Add interactive multi-screen forms to your bot using WhatsApp Flows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Message templates" icon="file-text" href="/guides/templates">
    Create Meta-approved templates for sending outbound notifications.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Built-in database" icon="database" href="/concepts/database">
    Store and query bot data using your project's built-in database.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Invite your team" icon="users" href="/guides/workspaces">
    Collaborate with teammates by creating a shared workspace.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>