WhatsApp Business Auto Reply: Greeting and Away Messages, Examples and Limits (2026)
How to set up greeting messages, away messages and quick replies in the WhatsApp Business app, ready-to-use examples, and what to do when a fixed auto reply is no longer enough.
A customer who writes on WhatsApp expects an answer in minutes. The free WhatsApp Business app has three tools for that: greeting messages, away messages and quick replies. This guide shows how to set each one up, gives example texts you can adapt, and explains where fixed auto replies stop working.
The three built-in tools
| Tool | When it sends | Automatic? |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting message | The first time a customer writes, and again after 14 days without messages | Yes |
| Away message | While you are away: always, on a custom schedule or outside business hours | Yes |
| Quick replies | When someone on your team types a shortcut such as "/prices" | No, a person sends it |
How to set up a greeting message
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and go to Business tools (under Settings, or the Tools tab in newer versions).
- Tap Greeting message and switch on Send greeting message.
- Write the text and choose the recipients: everyone, everyone not in your address book, or a selected list.
- Save.
How to set up an away message
- In Business tools, tap Away message and switch it on.
- Write the text.
- Choose the schedule: Always send, Custom schedule or Outside of business hours. The last option uses the business hours in your profile, so keep them up to date.
- Choose the recipients and save.
How to create quick replies
In Business tools → Quick replies, add a message and a shortcut, for example "/location" for your address and directions. In a chat, type "/" and pick the reply. Quick replies save typing, but a person still has to read the question and send them.
Example auto reply texts
Greeting, clinic > Hello, thank you for contacting [Clinic name]. Tell us which treatment you are interested in and we will get back to you with details and available appointment times.
Greeting, real estate project > Hello, welcome to [Project name]. You can find flat types, the price list and payment plans at [link]. Which flat type are you interested in?
Away message, outside business hours > Thank you for your message. Our office is open on weekdays from 09:00 to 18:00. We will reply as soon as we are back. Our prices and frequently asked questions are at [link].
Quick reply, /location > We are at [address]. Directions: [maps link]. Free parking is available at the entrance.
Where fixed auto replies stop working
- Everyone gets the same text. "Do you have a 2-bedroom flat with a sea view?" and "Where are you?" receive the same greeting.
- The actual question waits. A message at 23:00 gets the away message; the answer comes the next morning, by which time the buyer may have asked a competitor.
- No branching. The app's built-in tools cannot reply based on keywords or what the person said.
- Nothing is qualified. You cannot tell from the inbox who is ready to buy and who is just browsing.
The next step: an AI assistant
An AI assistant reads the question and answers it from your own information: prices, opening hours, availability, policies. It asks the next useful question and hands ready buyers to your team.
There are two routes:
- Meta's own business AI. In 2026 Meta started rolling out an AI agent inside the WhatsApp Business app that can answer customers and hand over to a person. Availability and pricing depend on your country and plan, so check Meta's pages before you plan around it.
- A dedicated assistant on the WhatsApp Business Platform. Useful when you also sell on your website and Instagram and want one assistant and one conversation across all three.
Before you choose, check:
- Where answers come from: only your own content, with the source shown.
- Channels: website, WhatsApp and Instagram as one conversation, so the same person does not start again on each channel.
- Hand-over: how a ready buyer reaches your team.
- Pricing model: per seat, per conversation or per qualified lead.
- Disclosure: customers should know when they are talking to AI.
Where Sonic Prospect fits
Sonic Prospect is an AI sales assistant for your website, WhatsApp and Instagram. It answers from your own website, in the visitor's language, and moves serious buyers to the next step, such as a visit, a trial lesson or a booking request. Setup from your website is free and our team helps connect WhatsApp and Instagram. You pay per qualified prospect: the first 5 are free, then $5.99 each through the first 1,000, then $9.99. Standard conversations (up to 20 answers per visitor a day) are free.
See live examples by industry · Sonic Prospect
Related: Instagram auto reply: DMs and comments · AI sales agent for WhatsApp and Instagram
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up an auto reply in WhatsApp Business?
In the WhatsApp Business app, open Business tools (under Settings or the Tools tab, depending on your version), choose Greeting message or Away message, switch it on, write the text, choose who receives it and save. Away messages can run always, on a custom schedule or outside business hours.
Can WhatsApp Business reply differently depending on what the customer asks?
Not with the built-in greeting and away messages: they send the same fixed text to everyone. Replies that depend on the question need an AI assistant or a chatbot connected through the WhatsApp Business Platform.
When does the WhatsApp greeting message send?
When a customer messages you for the first time, and again after 14 days without messages between you.
See root causes on your own feedback
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