Your first login to MoltFlow shows an onboarding wizard that gets you from signup to your first automated message in under 5 minutes. Instead of hunting through settings and documentation to figure out which features you need, the wizard offers 6 curated use-case presets that auto-configure labels, monitoring keywords, AI settings, and scheduling templates based on how you plan to use WhatsApp automation.
Manual configuration typically takes 20-30 minutes of navigating menus, creating labels, and toggling settings. The wizard compresses that into a 4-step guided flow where you pick a preset, scan a QR code, review what was configured, and land on a dashboard checklist that tracks your remaining setup tasks. This guide walks through each step in detail, explains what every preset configures, and covers how to re-run the wizard later if your needs change.
What You'll Need
Before starting, make sure you have:
- A MoltFlow account -- Any plan works, including Free. Sign up here if you haven't already.
- WhatsApp on your phone -- For QR code scanning during setup. You can skip this step and connect later if you prefer.
- 5 minutes -- That's all it takes to complete the wizard and reach your dashboard.
Step 1: Launch the Onboarding Wizard on First Login
After signing up and logging in for the first time, the onboarding wizard appears automatically as a full-screen modal. You will see a progress indicator at the top showing 4 steps:
- Choose your use case
- Connect WhatsApp (optional)
- Review settings
- Complete setup
The wizard uses MoltFlow's retro CRT terminal design with a dark background and phosphor green accents. Each step slides in smoothly as you progress through the flow.
Can I Skip the Wizard?
Yes. Click "I'll set up later" at any time to dismiss the wizard. Your progress is saved automatically, so you can resume exactly where you left off by clicking the "Continue Setup" prompt on your dashboard.
You can also completely restart the wizard later from Settings > Account > Re-run Onboarding Wizard. This is useful if you originally chose one preset but your business needs have changed and you want to reconfigure from scratch.
What If I Already Have an Account?
Existing users who created their account before the wizard was introduced will not see it on login. If you want to try the wizard, navigate to Settings > Account > Re-run Onboarding Wizard to launch it manually.
Step 2: Choose Your Use-Case Preset
The first step displays 6 preset cards arranged in a grid. Each card shows the preset name, a description of who it is for, and a list of features it will auto-configure. Select a preset by clicking its card -- a green border glow confirms your selection.
Every preset is available to select regardless of your plan tier. Features that require a higher plan show a lock icon next to them with a tooltip explaining which plan is needed. You can still choose the preset -- locked features will simply be skipped during configuration, and you can unlock them later by upgrading.
Here is what each preset configures:
Lead Generation
Who it's for: Real estate agents, B2B sales teams, recruiters, and anyone prospecting in WhatsApp groups for business opportunities.
What it configures:
- Group monitoring -- Monitor WhatsApp groups for buying-signal keywords like "price", "interested", "budget", "quote", "looking for", and "need" (Starter+)
- Auto-labeling -- Automatically label contacts based on keyword detection rules (Starter+)
- Lead detection -- Detect first-time messages from new contacts in monitored groups (Starter+)
- Lead export -- Export detected leads to CSV for CRM import (Pro+)
Plan restrictions: Free plan users will see all four features locked. Starter plan unlocks group monitoring, auto-labeling, and lead detection. Pro plan adds lead export. Business plan includes everything with higher group monitoring limits (up to 100 groups).
Best for: If you are mining WhatsApp groups for potential customers and want automatic lead capture without manually reviewing every group message.
Customer Support
Who it's for: E-commerce stores, service providers, and small businesses that handle customer questions over WhatsApp.
What it configures:
- AI reply suggestions -- AI-generated reply suggestions that you review before sending (all plans)
- AI auto-responses -- Fully automated AI replies to common questions like business hours, pricing, and FAQs (Pro+)
- Knowledge base -- Upload FAQ documents and product information so AI responses draw from your actual content (Pro+)
- Business hours -- Configure when AI auto-replies are active so customers get human support during working hours (Starter+)
Plan restrictions: Free plan gets AI reply suggestions only. Starter adds business hours configuration. Pro unlocks AI auto-responses and knowledge base. Business plan includes all features with higher AI message limits (5,000/month).
Best for: If you want to reduce response time for repetitive customer questions while keeping human oversight for complex issues.
Marketing and Outreach
Who it's for: Marketers, agencies, and newsletter creators who run WhatsApp campaigns and need engagement tracking.
What it configures:
- Custom groups -- Create contact segmentation lists for targeted messaging (all plans, with varying member limits)
- Bulk send -- Send messages to entire custom groups with built-in anti-spam throttling (Starter+)
- Scheduled messages -- Schedule campaigns in advance with one-time or recurring sends using cron expressions (Pro+)
- Analytics -- Track message delivery rates, read rates, and reply rates across campaigns (Pro+)
Plan restrictions: Free plan gets custom groups (up to 5 members per group). Starter adds bulk send (1 campaign per day). Pro unlocks scheduled messages and analytics. Business plan includes everything with higher limits (10 campaigns per day, up to 999 members per group).
Best for: If you run regular WhatsApp outreach campaigns and need to segment audiences, schedule sends, and measure performance.
Payment Reminders
Who it's for: Freelancers, subscription services, and small businesses that chase late payments over WhatsApp.
What it configures:
- Scheduled messages -- Schedule payment reminder sequences that fire automatically on due dates (Pro+)
- Template variables -- Personalize messages with placeholders like name, amount, and date that auto-fill per recipient (Starter+)
- Auto-confirm -- Automatically respond when a customer replies with "PAID" or similar confirmation keywords (Pro+)
Plan restrictions: Free plan users will see all features locked. Starter unlocks template variables for personalized messages. Pro unlocks scheduled reminders and auto-confirmation replies.
Best for: If late payments are a regular problem and you want automated reminder sequences that reduce manual follow-up.
Product Launch
Who it's for: Founders, product managers, and community builders who announce new products and gather customer feedback via WhatsApp.
What it configures:
- Custom groups -- Create announcement lists for product launch contacts (all plans)
- Bulk send -- Send launch announcements to your announcement lists with anti-spam protection (Starter+)
- Feedback webhooks -- Forward customer replies to Slack, Discord, or any webhook endpoint for team review (Pro+)
Plan restrictions: Free plan gets custom groups for organizing contacts. Starter adds bulk send for announcements. Pro unlocks webhook forwarding for collecting feedback in your team's existing tools.
Best for: If you are launching a product and need to broadcast announcements, then collect and route customer feedback to your team.
Freelancer / Solopreneur
Who it's for: Consultants, designers, developers, and coaches who manage client communication and scheduling over WhatsApp.
What it configures:
- AI auto-responses -- AI handles common availability questions and FAQs when you are busy with client work (Pro+)
- Business hours -- Set working hours so auto-replies only fire outside your availability window (Starter+)
- Meeting scheduler -- Automatically share your Calendly or booking link when clients ask about scheduling (Pro+)
- Payment reminders -- Schedule invoice reminder messages for overdue clients (Pro+)
Plan restrictions: Free plan users will see all features locked except basic AI suggestions. Starter unlocks business hours. Pro unlocks AI auto-responses, meeting scheduler, and payment reminders.
Best for: If you are a solo professional who needs to stay responsive to clients without being glued to your phone all day.
Which Preset Should I Choose?
If you are unsure, consider what your primary goal is:
- Finding new customers -- Choose Lead Generation
- Reducing support response time -- Choose Customer Support
- Running campaigns -- Choose Marketing and Outreach
- Chasing invoices -- Choose Payment Reminders
- Announcing a product -- Choose Product Launch
- Managing client communication -- Choose Freelancer / Solopreneur
Remember, the preset is a starting point, not a permanent commitment. You can always change individual settings after the wizard completes. You can also re-run the wizard with a different preset from Settings if your focus shifts.
Preset Feature Availability by Plan
Here is a quick reference for which plan unlocks the key features across all presets:
- Free plan -- AI reply suggestions, custom groups (5 members), basic contact management
- Starter plan -- Group monitoring, auto-labeling, lead detection, bulk send, business hours, template variables
- Pro plan -- AI auto-responses, knowledge base, scheduled messages, analytics, lead export, webhook forwarding, meeting scheduler
- Business plan -- All features with higher limits (100 monitored groups, 999 group members, 5,000 AI messages/month, 10 bulk campaigns/day)
If a feature is locked on your current plan, the wizard still lets you select the preset. Locked features are simply skipped during configuration, and you will see them in the review step with a clear indication of which plan upgrade is needed.
Step 3: Connect Your WhatsApp Account via QR Scan
After selecting a preset, the wizard moves to the WhatsApp connection step. You will see a QR code on screen with instructions to scan it using WhatsApp on your phone.
To connect:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone
- Tap the three-dot menu (Android) or Settings (iPhone)
- Select "Linked Devices"
- Tap "Link a Device"
- Point your phone's camera at the QR code on screen
The connection establishes within seconds. You will see the status transition from "STARTING" to "SCAN_QR_CODE" to "WORKING" as the session comes online.
Can I Skip This Step?
Yes. Click "Skip for now" to continue without connecting WhatsApp. You can connect later from the Sessions page in the dashboard. The dashboard checklist will remind you to complete this step.
If you have already connected a WhatsApp session before starting the wizard, this step will show your existing session as already connected.
For detailed connection troubleshooting (QR code expired, "Already Linked" errors, session disconnects), see the Connect WhatsApp Account guide.
Step 4: Review and Customize Your Settings
The review step shows a summary of everything your selected preset will configure. Each setting appears as a toggle that you can switch on or off before applying.
For example, if you chose the Lead Generation preset, you will see:
- Labels to create: Hot Lead, Cold Lead, Follow-Up Needed, Converted -- each with a toggle
- Monitoring keywords: price, interested, budget, quote -- each editable
- AI features: Auto-labeling enabled (if your plan supports it)
Features locked by your plan tier appear grayed out with a lock icon and an "Upgrade to unlock" tooltip. They will not be configured even if you leave them toggled on.
What Happens When I Click Apply?
Clicking "Apply Settings" triggers the actual configuration:
- Labels are created on your account
- Monitoring keywords are saved to your group monitor settings
- AI configuration is updated in your tenant settings
- Scheduled message templates are created (if applicable)
This happens in the background and typically completes within a few seconds. You will see a success confirmation before advancing to the final step.
Can I Change Settings Later?
Absolutely. Every setting the wizard configures is accessible through the normal dashboard interface. Labels can be edited on the Sessions page, monitoring keywords on the Group Monitor page, AI settings on the AI Configuration page, and scheduled messages on the Scheduled Messages page.
Step 5: Complete Setup and Explore the Dashboard Checklist
After applying settings, the wizard completes and drops you onto your main dashboard. You will notice a Setup Checklist card that tracks your remaining onboarding tasks.
The checklist typically includes items like:
- Connect a WhatsApp account (if you skipped step 3)
- Send your first message
- Configure AI settings (if your preset includes AI features)
- Set up your first group monitor
- Create a custom contact group
- Review your plan limits
Each item links directly to the relevant page. As you complete tasks, they are checked off automatically. The checklist card is dismissible -- click the close button when you no longer need it, and it will not reappear.
How Does the Checklist Know What I've Done?
The checklist monitors your account state in real time. For example, if you send a message via the API or dashboard, the "Send your first message" item automatically marks as complete. You do not need to manually check anything off.
Can I Bring the Checklist Back After Dismissing It?
Once dismissed, the checklist card does not reappear on the dashboard. If you want to review your setup status, you can re-run the wizard from Settings > Account > Re-run Onboarding Wizard, which will also regenerate the checklist based on your current account state.
Troubleshooting
Wizard Progress Not Saving
Problem: You close the browser mid-wizard and your progress is lost when you return.
Solution: Wizard progress saves automatically after each step completion. If you close the browser before completing a step, you will restart from the beginning of that step (not the beginning of the entire wizard). Make sure you click "Continue" or "Skip" to save your progress before leaving.
Cannot Find the Re-Run Wizard Option
Problem: You want to restart the wizard but cannot find the option.
Solution: Navigate to Settings > Account. Scroll down to the "Onboarding" section and click "Re-run Onboarding Wizard". This resets your wizard state and launches it from step 1.
Preset Features Show Lock Icons
Problem: The preset you want to use shows lock icons on most features.
Solution: Lock icons indicate features that require a higher plan tier. You can still select the preset -- available features will be configured and locked ones will be skipped. To unlock all features, upgrade your plan from the pricing page. After upgrading, re-run the wizard to configure the previously locked features.
Wizard Not Appearing on First Login
Problem: You created a new account but the wizard did not appear.
Solution: The wizard launches automatically for accounts created after the feature was introduced. If your account predates the wizard, navigate to Settings > Account > Re-run Onboarding Wizard to launch it manually.
Settings Not Applied After Wizard Completes
Problem: You completed the wizard but do not see the labels, keywords, or settings it was supposed to create.
Solution: Check the following:
- Verify you clicked "Apply Settings" on the review step (step 3 of the wizard). If you clicked "Skip", no settings were applied.
- Check that your WhatsApp session is connected and in "WORKING" status. Some features (like group monitoring) require an active session.
- Navigate to the specific feature page (Labels, Group Monitor, AI Config) to verify the settings were created.
If settings are still missing, re-run the wizard from Settings and complete it again.
What's Next?
Now that you have completed the onboarding wizard, here are the next steps to get the most out of MoltFlow:
- Connect Your WhatsApp Account -- If you skipped the QR scan step, connect your account now. It takes 2 minutes.
- Send Your First Message -- Test your connection by sending a message via the dashboard or REST API.
- Monitor WhatsApp Groups for Leads -- If you chose the Lead Generation preset, dive deeper into group monitoring configuration.
- Build an AI Knowledge Base -- If you chose the Customer Support preset, upload your FAQ documents for smarter AI responses.
- Schedule Recurring Messages -- If you chose Marketing, Payment Reminders, or Product Launch presets, set up your first automated campaign.
- Send Bulk Messages -- Learn how to reach hundreds of contacts with built-in anti-spam throttling.
- Explore the REST API -- Automate everything programmatically via HTTP requests.
All of these features are available right now in your MoltFlow dashboard. Use the sidebar to navigate to any feature page.
Ready to unlock the full automation suite? Join 500+ businesses automating WhatsApp with MoltFlow. Start your 14-day Growth trial -- no credit card required.
Still stuck? Contact support via the dashboard chat or email us at [email protected]. We typically respond within 2-4 hours.