WhatsApp Business automated messages are the replies the app sends on its own when a customer writes. The free app has two automatic sends, the Greeting message and the Away message, plus one shortcut tool, Quick replies. Together they organize WhatsApp customer service for small businesses.
WhatsApp Business is free, was built for small businesses, and runs on Android and iPhone. Among its features, the Help Center lists messaging tools to quickly respond to customers, which live in the app’s Tools tab.
This guide shows how to set up each feature, offers 26 ready-to-use templates by situation and industry, and explains the app’s limits compared with the official API, with its 24-hour window and templates. At the end, it shows when an AI agent makes sense.
Key Takeaways
- The WhatsApp Business app has three built-in features in the Tools tab: the Greeting message and Away message, which send on their own, and Quick replies, which the agent picks and sends.
- The app’s automatic reply is fixed text: it informs, welcomes, and organizes, but it doesn’t understand the customer’s question or check prices, stock, or the calendar.
- On the official API, the business can reply freely for 24 hours after the customer’s message; outside that window, it can only send Meta-approved templates.
What Are WhatsApp Business Automated Messages?
Before setting anything up, it helps to separate what the app does on its own from what needs a tap from the agent. That difference defines what each feature solves and where it stops.
The App’s Three Built-In Features
The app features page describes the Greeting message as a welcome message sent to new customers, the Away message as a reply to messages received outside business hours, and Quick replies as shortcuts for messages you send often.
The Greeting message and Away message go out on their own, according to the rules you set. Quick replies are different: the agent picks the shortcut and sends it, so they save typing but don’t answer anyone without a person in the chat.
Other guides cover the business profile, the Catalog, and Labels. Here, the focus is only on automated messages and text templates for each one.
Automated Message, Chatbot, and AI Agent
The app’s automated message always replies with the same text, whatever the question. A menu chatbot follows a script of numbered options, and an AI agent reads the question and answers from the business’s knowledge base.
These are three levels of automation. The first is free and manages the customer’s expectations; the other two solve the question itself, but they require their own tool and, usually, a connection through the official WhatsApp API.
How to Set Up the Greeting Message
The Greeting message is the business’s first impression on WhatsApp. According to the WhatsApp Help Center, it is sent to customers when they first message you and again after 14 days of inactivity in the chat.
Step by Step in the App
The path in the current app is short and takes a few minutes. This is the sequence the Help Center describes:
- From the Tools tab, tap Greeting message.
- Turn on Send greeting message.
- Tap Greeting message to edit the text, then tap OK.
- Tap Recipients, choose who receives it, and tap Save.
There are four recipient options: Everyone, Everyone not in address book, Everyone except…, and Only send to…. For businesses that serve many new customers, “Everyone not in address book” avoids greeting suppliers and friends.
The 14-Day Rule and Common Issues
Anyone who wrote in the last 14 days won’t get the greeting again. That’s why it may not appear when you test with your own number, and the Help Center recommends checking recipients, updating the app, and restarting the device.
There’s another lesser-known point: greeting messages are automatically disabled when Meta Business Agent is connected. The phone also needs an active internet connection for the greeting to be sent.
Already using the WhatsApp Business app?
With coexistence, the same number stays on your phone and also runs on the official API, with the ConverZAP WhatsApp AI agent and a team inbox.
See how coexistence worksHow to Set Up the Away Message
The Away message tells customers the business isn’t available right now. According to the Help Center, it reassures customers that they aren’t being neglected and helps make business hours clear.
Step by Step and Schedule Options
Setup follows the same logic as the greeting, with one extra step for the schedule. From the Tools tab, tap Away message, turn on Send away message, edit the text, and tap Schedule to choose when it goes out:
- Always send: the reply goes out at any time, useful for vacations or temporary closures.
- Custom schedule: the reply goes out only during the period you set, such as a long holiday weekend.
- Outside of business hours: the reply goes out when the business is closed.
Next, set the Recipients, with the same four options as the greeting, and tap Save. To turn it off, go back to the same screen and turn off Send away message.
Business Hours in the Profile and a Connected Phone
The “Outside of business hours” option only appears if business hours are set in your business profile. Without them, the business has to use a custom schedule and remember to adjust it with every change.
Like the greeting, the Away message depends on the device having an active internet connection. If the phone runs out of battery overnight, customers who write during that time may get no notice at all.
Quick Replies: Shortcuts for Repeated Questions
Quick replies handle the questions that come up all day: price, address, payment method, delivery time. They don’t send on their own, but they cut response time for whoever answers on the phone or computer.
How to Create and Use Shortcuts
According to the Help Center, you can store up to 50 quick replies, with text or media such as images and videos. From the Tools tab, tap Quick replies, write the message, set a shortcut, and save. The full walkthrough is in the guide to WhatsApp Business quick replies.
In a chat, just type a slash (“/”) to see the list and pick a reply. It fills the text field and can be edited before sending. Media files aren’t supported in quick replies on WhatsApp Web or Desktop.
Default Replies From the Business Profile
The app also creates default replies from your business profile, such as your hours and address. Filling in every profile field gives you ready-made shortcuts without writing anything.
A deleted quick reply can’t be recovered. The Help Center itself suggests keeping a copy of the most important ones outside WhatsApp, which also helps standardize the text across devices and agents.
Ready-to-Use Greeting Message Templates
A good greeting has three parts: who’s answering, what the customer can ask for, and when the reply will come. The templates below are original and can be adapted with the business name in brackets.
General and Sales Greetings
These five templates work for almost any business and differ only in tone:
- Simple: “Hi! This is [Business]. Tell us how we can help and we’ll reply shortly.”
- With a reply time: “Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business]. We reply in order of arrival, within [time] during business hours.”
- With a menu: “Hi! To speed things up, tell us the topic: 1. Quote 2. Order in progress 3. Something else.”
- With the catalog: “Hi! Our catalog is on the [Business] profile. Pick a product and send us its name, and we’ll confirm price and delivery time.”
- For ads: “Hi! We see you came from our ad. Which product caught your eye?”
The numbered-menu template only organizes the queue: the app doesn’t read the number the customer types. A person still answers, sees the chosen option, and continues the conversation.
Greetings by Industry
Each industry has a typical first question, and the greeting can anticipate it. These templates cover five industries common among small businesses:
- Salon or barbershop: “Hi! This is [Salon]. To book, send the service, the day, and your preferred time.”
- Aesthetics clinic: “Hi! Welcome to [Clinic]. Tell us which treatment interests you and we’ll get back with consultation times.”
- Store: “Hi! Great to have you at [Store]. Send a photo or the name of the product and we’ll check size and stock.”
- Real estate agency: “Hi! This is [Agency]. Are you looking to buy or rent? Tell us the neighborhood and price range.”
- Gym: “Hi! Welcome to [Gym]. Would you like to see plans, class times, or book a trial class?”
The industry pages show how these same conversations look when an AI agent continues the service after the greeting, for salons and barbershops, aesthetics clinics, stores and e-commerce, real estate agencies, and gyms and studios.
Away and After-Hours Message Templates
The Away message works best when it says when the business will be back and what the customer can do in the meantime. An away message with no return time leaves customers unsure whether to wait or go elsewhere.
After Hours and Weekends
For everyday use, four templates cover nights, weekends, and appointment-based service:
- Night: “Hi! We’re open Monday to Friday, from [9 a.m.] to [6 p.m.]. Leave your message and we’ll reply as soon as we open.”
- Weekend: “Hi! We’re closed on weekends. On Monday, starting at [9 a.m.], your chat will be first in line.”
- Get a head start: “Hi! We’re outside business hours right now. To speed things up, send your name, the product, and your city, and we’ll get back with everything ready.”
- With an urgent channel: “Hi! We’re available from [8 a.m.] to [8 p.m.]. For emergencies, call [phone].”
Vacations, Holidays, and High Demand
For special periods, the Custom schedule option keeps you from forgetting the message on after the date has passed:
- Company vacation: “Hi! [Business] is on a company-wide break until [date]. Orders placed on our website will be processed as usual.”
- Holiday: “Hi! Today is a holiday and we’re closed. We’ll be back tomorrow at [9 a.m.] with all the answers.”
- High demand: “Hi! We’re getting a lot of messages today, so replies may take longer than usual. Thanks for your patience.”
- Solo professional with a client: “Hi! I’m with a client right now. I’ll reply as soon as I’m done, later today.”
The last template is for professionals who work alone, such as independent sellers, who often serve, sell, and deliver using the same phone. In that case, an away message on a custom schedule lets customers know without interrupting the work.
Quick Reply Templates by Situation
Quick replies work best when the shortcut is easy to remember. The templates below include a suggested shortcut in parentheses and fields in brackets to fill in on the spot.
Price, Payment, and Delivery
Questions about money and timing need the most standardization, so two agents never quote different terms:
- Price (/price): “The [product] costs [amount]. Would you like me to reserve it for you?”
- Payment (/payment): “We accept [payment methods]. On credit cards, you can pay in up to [x] installments.”
- Delivery (/delivery): “We deliver to [area] within [time] after payment is confirmed. What’s your ZIP code?”
- Pix key (/pix), for businesses in Brazil: “Our Pix key is [key], registered to [legal name]. After paying, send the receipt here.”
Scheduling, Address, and Post-Sale
The second group covers what comes before and after the sale:
- Schedule (/schedule): “We have openings on [day] at [time] and [time]. Which works better?”
- Confirmation (/confirm): “Your appointment is confirmed for [day] at [time]. If you need to reschedule, just let us know here.”
- Address (/address): “We’re at [street, number, neighborhood]. Landmark: [reference].”
- Post-sale (/thanks): “Thanks for your purchase! If you have any questions about the product, message us here. From 0 to 10, how was your service?”
The post-sale score is the seed of a WhatsApp customer satisfaction survey. For more examples in the API’s format, the guide to WhatsApp message templates covers each type.
Best Practices for WhatsApp Business Automated Messages
A poorly written automatic text comes across as careless, even when the human service that follows is good. A few simple rules, applied to every text, avoid the mistakes that bother customers most.
Clarity, Realistic Timing, and a Next Step
The message should fit on the screen without scrolling and say what happens next. Promising a “reply in 5 minutes” and taking an hour tends to frustrate customers more than promising no time at all.
A few rules help keep the standard:
- One topic per message: the greeting welcomes, the away message states hours, the quick reply answers.
- A clear next step: asking for a name, product, or ZIP code speeds up service.
- Brand voice: the same language as your profile, website, and social media.
Regular Reviews and Care With Data
Hours, prices, and payment details change. A monthly review of your quick replies keeps agents from sending an old price, and it is a good moment to check the rest of your WhatsApp Business settings too.
Also avoid asking for sensitive data, such as passwords or full card numbers, in automated messages. Asking only for what the next step needs reduces risk and respects Brazil’s data protection law (LGPD); similar rules apply under GDPR in the EU.
The App’s Limits: What an Automatic Reply Can’t Do
The app’s features manage expectations, not the question itself. The post on free WhatsApp automation lists other no-cost tools; here, the focus is the point where a fixed reply is no longer enough.
Same Question, Two Answers
The table below shows the difference with three typical customer questions, one of them sent at 10 p.m. The agent’s answers assume a knowledge base set up by the business and are for illustration only:
| Customer question | App automated message | AI agent with the business’s knowledge base |
|---|---|---|
| “Are you open on Saturday?” (10 p.m.) | Fixed away text with general hours | “We’re open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Would you like to book?” |
| “Do you have the sneaker in size 38 in black?” | Generic greeting, no answer about stock | Checks the registered catalog or hands off to the team |
| “I want to reschedule for Thursday” | No action: a person has to read and reply | Offers open slots or passes to the front desk with a summary |
The automated message doesn’t understand the question. It answers the same way whether someone wants to buy, complain, or just get the address, and a person always resolves it, whenever they get back to the phone.
Service Concentrated on One Person
In the app, whoever answers after the greeting is usually the owner or an employee with the business phone. As the team grows, duplicate replies, forgotten customers, and history stuck on one device start to appear.
For this scenario, a shared inbox for multiple agents assigns conversations to an owner and keeps the history in the business account. The guide to human and AI customer service shows how to split work between people and automation.
Automated Messages on the Official API: The 24-Hour Window and Templates
The official WhatsApp Business API follows different rules. It supports AI agents, a shared inbox, and template sends, with clear limits on what the business can send and when.
The 24-Hour Customer Service Window
According to Meta’s documentation, when a user messages or calls the business, a 24-hour timer starts: the customer service window. If they write again before it ends, the timer resets to 24 hours.
While the window is open, the business can send free-form messages without prior approval. Once it closes, only approved templates can be sent, and only to people who gave WhatsApp opt-in with the business name made clear, as required by Meta’s opt-in rule.
Approved Templates Outside the Window
Templates are message formats registered in WhatsApp Manager or through the API, in the marketing, utility, or authentication categories. They are the only type of message that can be sent outside the window, and the guide to WhatsApp message templates covers each format.
Each template goes through a Meta review, which can take up to 24 hours. Meta charges per message delivered, by category and by the recipient’s country, according to the official pricing page, explained in the post on WhatsApp API pricing.
For businesses already on the app, Meta offers coexistence: connecting the WhatsApp Business account and number to the Cloud API while still using the app for one-on-one chats. The post on WhatsApp coexistence explains the rules and the features that change.
When to Replace Automated Messages With an AI Agent
WhatsApp Business automated messages are a good start and, for many small businesses, may be enough. The time to change comes when volume or complexity exceeds what one person with a phone can handle.
Signs You’ve Outgrown the App
A few practical signs show that a fixed reply can no longer keep up with demand:
- Growing queue: customers wait hours for questions with simple answers, such as price or hours.
- After-hours demand: a large share of messages arrives outside business hours and only gets the away notice.
- Manual scheduling: booking, confirming, and rescheduling appointments take up most of someone’s day.
In these cases, an AI agent for WhatsApp customer support answers with knowledge the business approved and hands off to a person when it doesn’t have the answer. For appointment-based businesses, WhatsApp appointment scheduling checks open slots and books them in the chat.
A Transition That Keeps What Works
Your greeting, away, and quick reply texts become the agent’s foundation: the tone, the hours, and the standard answers are already done. The work you did in the app isn’t lost; it feeds the automation.
With ConverZAP, a Tech Provider verified by Meta, the connection runs on the official API, with a new number or through coexistence, and includes a greeting, an away message, and an AI that answers first if the business wants. The industry pages show examples, and the AI that replies on WhatsApp can be tested with a free trial.
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions below cover common doubts about WhatsApp Business automated messages, from setup in the app to cost on the official API, with short answers based on the Help Center and Meta’s documentation.
Open the app’s Tools tab, tap Greeting message or Away message, turn on sending, edit the text, choose the schedule and recipients, and save. Quick replies are in the same menu and are sent by typing a slash in the chat.
The Greeting message goes to people who write for the first time or after 14 days without a chat. The Away message goes to people who write during the period set by the business, such as at night, on weekends, or during vacations.
The Help Center points to the 14-day rule, recipient settings that exclude the contact, and a connected Meta Business Agent, which disables the greeting. The phone also needs an internet connection, and updating the app or restarting the device may fix it.
In the WhatsApp Business app, the Greeting message, Away message, and Quick replies are free. On the official API, Meta charges per message delivered by category and country, with rates on the official pricing page, explained in the post on WhatsApp API pricing.
The WhatsApp Help Center states a limit of 50 quick replies, with text or media. Media files aren’t supported in quick replies on WhatsApp Web or Desktop, and a deleted reply can’t be recovered.
No. An automated message sends fixed text and doesn’t understand the question. An AI agent answers from the business’s knowledge base and hands off to a person when it doesn’t have the answer, usually connected through the official API.
