Olive AI β WhatsApp auto-reply bot for small Tanzanian businesses. A UMG Africa company product.
# π« Olive AI β WhatsApp Starter Bot
**A UMG Africa Company** β Engineering Africa's Future
A simple WhatsApp auto-reply bot for small businesses. Works for salons, restaurants, shops, and service providers.
---
## β‘ Quick Start
### 1. Clone & Install
```bash
cd ~/Projects/olive-ai-starter-bot
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
```
### 2. Configure
```bash
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your business details
nano .env
```
### 3. Run Locally
```bash
python app.py
```
Bot starts on `
0.0.0.0`
---
## π² Connect to WhatsApp (via Twilio)
1. **Sign up** at
console.twilio.com (free trial gives ~$15 credit β enough for hundreds of messages)
2. **Get your credentials**: Account SID + Auth Token β put in `.env`
3. **Activate WhatsApp Sandbox:**
- Console β Messaging β Try it Out β WhatsApp Sandbox Settings
- Save the sandbox number
- Set the webhook URL to `
your-domain`
4. **Expose local server** (for testing):
```bash
# Option A: Railway.app (free)
# Push to GitHub β deploy on Railway
# Option B: ngrok (quick test)
ngrok http 5000
# Copy the
xxxx.ngrok.io URL into Twilio webhook
```
5. **Send "join [sandbox-code]"** to the Twilio sandbox number on your WhatsApp to connect
---
## π Deploy for Free
| Platform | How | Cost |
|----------|-----|------|
| **Railway.app** | Push to GitHub β Railway β Set env vars | Free tier (500 hrs/mo) |
| **PythonAnywhere** | Upload files β Set webhook β Run | Free tier |
| **Render** | Connect GitHub repo β Deploy web service | Free tier (750 hrs/mo) |
### Railway Deploy (Recommended β 1-click)
Set these env vars in Railway dashboard:
- `TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID`
- `TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN`
- All `BUSINESS_*`, `PRICE_*` variables
---
## π Customisation
Edit `app.py` or `.env`:
- **Business name/location** β change env vars
- **Prices** β change `PRICE_*` env vars
- **Bot responses** β edit the reply functions in `app.py`
- **Add ne β¦