AI Appointment Scheduler with WhatsApp & Vapi

This workflow automates appointment scheduling for any service-based business, such as barbershops, clinics, spas, or tutoring services, replacing manual booking calls that burden staff. It uses Vapi.ai for AI-driven outbound calls to confirm appointments and WhatsApp for client notifications, streamlining scheduling for businesses with high appointment volumes. Key nodes include Webhook (receives booking requests), Code (validates inputs like date, time, phone), HTTP Request (initiates Vapi call), Code (monitors call status), Code (sends WhatsApp/Slack notifications and logs to Supabase), and Code (formats responses). Ideal for businesses handling 50+ weekly appointments, it ensures consistent scheduling and reduces no-shows. The ROI saves 8-12 hours weekly by automating 100+ bookings, boosting confirmation rates by 20%. Suits small to mid-sized service businesses across industries. Requires Vapi.ai Pro (~$50/month for 1,000 minutes), WhatsApp Business API (~$0.05/message), optional Slack/Supabase. Scales to 500 bookings/month; monitor Vapi/WhatsApp rate limits. Needs n8n and basic JSON skills. Install n8n via n8n.io (self-hosted) or cloud.n8n.io (hosted). Get Vapi API key, phone/assistant IDs from app.vapi.ai/settings; WhatsApp access token, phone ID from developers.facebook.com. Set environment variables (VAPI_API_KEY, VAPI_PHONE_NUMBER_ID, VAPI_ASSISTANT_ID, WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN, WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_PHONE_ID, optional SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL, SUPABASE_URL, SUPABASE_KEY) in n8n settings. Configure Webhook node with path appointment-scheduler; register URL in your app. HTTP Request uses Bearer auth; Code nodes validate/process data. Test with JSON: {date: \"2025-10-01\", start_time: \"14:00\", client_name: \"John Doe\", client_phone: \"+12345678901\", barbershop_phone: \"+19876543210\", service_type: \"haircut\", whatsapp_enabled: true}. Verify transcripts and notifications. Common errors: invalid tokens (check dashboards), webhook issues (test URL), phone format errors (regex in Code node). Activate in n8n; trigger via API. Monitor usage, rotate keys quarterly, optimize by caching responses. Go live after 5-10 test bookings.", "businessValue": "Saves 8-12 hours/week automating 100+ appointment bookings", "setupTime": "30-45 minutes", "difficulty": "Intermediate", "requirements": ["Vapi.ai Pro subscription with API access", "WhatsApp Business API with access token", "n8n instance (self-hosted or cloud)"], "useCase": "Automating appointment scheduling for any service-based business"