Insurance brokers on WhatsApp: fast answers for clients, with every piece of advice from a broker
Insurance brokers get WhatsApp messages all day: can you quote for my van, my renewal has gone up, can I add my son to the policy, I've had a bump, what do I do. Some are simple admin. Others need a qualified broker, because the answer depends on the client's circumstances and the cover they need. An AI agent can handle the admin side from a short brokerage note: collect the details for a quote, book a call, send documents you have prepared and remind clients about renewals they asked to hear about. It never recommends cover, never says whether something is covered and never handles a claim. This playbook shows where that line sits and how to set it up.
Why clients message their broker on WhatsApp
Clients message because it is easier than ringing, and because they can send a photo of a renewal letter, a driving licence or a dented bumper. Small business clients, such as tradespeople and shop owners, especially like it, because they can message from the job and read the reply later.
Most messages are about quotes, renewals, documents and changes to a policy. A few are about claims and accidents, and those are often stressful. A quick, calm first reply makes a big difference, as long as it comes with a clear handover to a person.
Admin, not advice
Insurance brokers are regulated, and in the UK that means the Financial Conduct Authority. Recommending a policy, comparing cover or saying whether something is covered can count as advice, and that belongs with your qualified team. Tell the agent plainly that it only handles admin: collecting details, booking calls, sending documents your team has prepared and explaining your process.
Your own compliance rules still apply to WhatsApp. Check what your firm needs for record keeping and data protection, and ask your compliance lead to read the agent's note before you go live. Client documents contain personal data, so collect only what a broker needs.
What customers ask on WhatsApp
- Can you quote for my van insurance? Renewal is next month.
- My renewal has gone up by £200, why?
- Can I add my son as a named driver?
- Can you send me my certificate of insurance?
- Am I covered if I lend my van to a friend?
- I've had a small accident, what do I do?
- Which policy would you recommend for my shop?
An example conversation
This illustration shows a van insurance quote request being set up for a broker. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Gary | Hi, my van insurance renews on 3 December and it's gone up a lot. Can you quote? |
| AI agent | Hi Gary, thanks for getting in touch. One of our brokers will look for a quote for you. So they can start, could you send a photo of your renewal letter, and tell me what you use the van for and whether anyone else drives it? |
| Gary | [photo] I'm a plasterer, just me driving. Can I keep my no claims? |
| AI agent | Thank you, that is everything to start. Questions about your no claims discount are best answered by a broker, so I have passed that on too. Would you like a call? Emma has Thursday at 10am or Friday at 2pm. |
| Gary | Friday 2pm. |
| AI agent | You are booked for a call with Emma on Friday at 2pm. She will ring this number. Your current policy runs until 3 December, so there is time to compare. |
What the agent answers
- Collecting the details and documents a broker needs to start a quote.
- Booking calls with a broker, in the slots you set.
- Sending documents your team has already prepared, such as certificates and schedules.
- Renewal reminders to clients who asked for them, in your wording.
- Explaining your process, opening hours and how to reach the claims line.
- Logging a change request, such as a new address, for a broker to process.
What it always hands to you
- Any recommendation about which policy or level of cover to choose.
- Whether something is covered, and any question about policy wording.
- Claims, accidents and anything about making a claim.
- Why a premium has changed, and any negotiation on price.
- Cancellations, refunds and complaints.
- Clients who seem vulnerable, distressed or confused about their cover.
Send claims to the claims line straight away
A client who has just had an accident needs one thing first: the right number. Put your claims wording in the note, including the insurer's or your claims line and anything they must do straight away, such as making sure everyone is safe and calling the police if needed. Tell the agent to send that wording first, then hand the chat to a broker. It should never say whether the claim will be paid or how it will affect the premium.
The WhatsApp limits that matter here
| Limit | Spaces limit per WhatsApp account |
|---|---|
| Messages | Up to 400 a day |
| Gap between messages | At least 10 seconds |
| New conversations you start | 5 an hour, 10 a day |
A reply to someone who wrote in is never held back by the daily limits, so customers get answers from the first day. Only messages that are not replies to someone who wrote in count toward the messages a day, which rise each week of the warm-up.
Set it up in an afternoon
- Write a brokerage note: the types of cover you arrange, what you need for each quote, call slots, the claims wording, renewal rules and the long list of topics that always go to a broker. Ask your compliance lead to read it. There is an example below.
- Connect the brokerage's WhatsApp number in Spaces. You scan a QR code with the phone that has the number, the same way you would link WhatsApp on a computer. The phone keeps working as normal afterwards.
- Connect your AI agent using the steps on our agents page. Chat apps such as Claude or ChatGPT reply when you ask them in a chat, so for replies around the clock use an always-on agent such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw or Hermes. Give it the brokerage note. Spaces does not connect to broking or quote systems, so your brokers run quotes themselves.
- Ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts for the first weeks, and nothing goes out until you approve it. In a regulated business, that early check is worth the time.
- Agree who picks up handed-over chats and how fast. Claims and accidents should reach a broker within the hour while you are open.
- Set up renewal reminders only for clients who asked for them, scheduled for working hours. Scheduled messages can carry working hours of their own.
- Review the handed-over chats every week, and keep the note in line with your compliance rules.
A sample brokerage note
Here is the shape of one, with example details. Your compliance lead should approve the real one.
BROKER: Hillside Insurance Brokers. Mon to Fri 9am to 5:30pm.
WE ARRANGE: van, car, home, shop and trades liability insurance.
YOU HANDLE ADMIN ONLY. You never recommend cover, never say whether
something is covered, never discuss price changes and never handle
claims. Say "a broker will answer that" and hand over.
TO START A QUOTE, ASK FOR: renewal letter or current schedule,
what the cover is for, who uses it, the renewal date.
CALLS: Thu 10am, Fri 2pm with Emma; Tue 11am with Tom.
DOCUMENTS: send only documents the team has marked ready.
CLAIMS: "If anyone is hurt, call 999. For your claim, call the
claims line on your policy documents, or our office on 01234 567890.
A broker will message you shortly." Then hand over at once.
VULNERABLE OR DISTRESSED CLIENTS: be kind, hand over at once.Renewals without pressure
Renewals are where brokers win and lose clients. A short reminder a few weeks before a renewal, to a client who has asked for one, gives them time to talk to you instead of letting the policy roll over or shopping around in a hurry. The agent can send that reminder, offer a call and collect the renewal letter.
Keep reminders to clients who agreed to them, and write each one for the person, with their renewal date and type of cover. On WhatsApp, Spaces limits how many people get the same text, so copy-and-paste reminders to your whole book will not go out, and personal ones are read far more often anyway.
A second example: "am I covered?"
This is the question the agent must never answer. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Nadia | Quick one, am I covered if my friend drives my car to the airport? |
| AI agent | Hi Nadia, that depends on the details of your policy, so a broker needs to check it for you. I have passed your question to Tom, who will reply today. Until he does, please don't assume your friend is covered. |
| Tom | Hi Nadia, Tom here. I've checked your policy. Your friend would need to be added as a named driver. Would you like me to arrange that for the dates? |
The agent stayed helpful and quick, but the answer about cover came from a broker who had checked the policy.
Common mistakes brokers make
- Letting the agent answer "am I covered?" even for simple cases. Always a broker's call.
- Explaining premium increases in the agent's own words. Leave that to a broker who knows the reasons.
- Going live without your compliance lead reading the note.
- Sending renewal reminders to clients who did not ask for them.
- Collecting more personal data in a chat than a broker needs to quote.
Who you message
In short
For an insurance broker, an AI agent on WhatsApp handles the admin around every quote and renewal: details, documents, calls and reminders. Advice, cover questions, price changes and claims always go to a qualified broker.
Write the note with your compliance lead, hold replies as drafts at first and keep the agent to clients who message you and clients who asked for reminders. Spaces paces every message and keeps the number inside safe limits, but no tool can promise WhatsApp will never restrict an account.
Pricing
FAQ
Can the agent recommend a policy?
No. Recommending cover can count as advice, and that belongs with your qualified brokers. The agent collects the details and books a call, and a broker makes any recommendation.
Can it tell a client whether they are covered?
No. Whether something is covered depends on the policy wording and the client's circumstances. The agent passes the question to a broker and asks the client not to assume cover in the meantime.
What happens when a client reports an accident?
The agent sends your claims wording first, including the emergency number and the claims line, then hands the chat to a broker straight away. It never comments on whether a claim will be paid.
Can it send renewal reminders?
Yes, to clients who asked for them, written for each person and sent at sensible times. Spaces does not send broadcasts, and it limits how many people get the same text.
Does this fit our compliance rules?
That is for your firm to decide. Ask your compliance lead to read the note, hold replies as drafts at first and check your record keeping and data protection rules for WhatsApp.
Can it connect to our broking system?
Spaces does not connect to broking or quote systems. Your brokers run quotes as usual, and the agent handles the messages around them.
Can our brokers still reply from the office phone?
Yes. The number stays yours. When a broker takes over a chat, the agent stays out of it until the chat is handed back.
Should the agent say it is an AI?
Yes. A first line such as "I am the brokerage's AI agent, and a broker answers any question about cover" is honest and sets the right expectations.