Sales6 min readSeptember 16, 2026

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.

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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.

"Away, leave a message": what it means and better away messages

"Away, leave a message" is a short way of saying: no one can reply right now, but write anyway and we will see it later. It works, but it leaves the customer guessing when they will hear back and what to do in the meantime. A good away message answers three things: when you will reply, where to find the most common answers now, and what to do if it is urgent.

Twelve away messages you can copy and adapt:

After business hours > Thanks for your message. We are open Monday to Friday, 09:00–18:00, and will reply first thing tomorrow morning. Prices and opening hours: [link].

Weekend > Hi, we are away for the weekend and back on Monday at 09:00. Leave your question here and we will answer it first.

Public holiday > We are closed today for the holiday and will reply on [date]. Orders placed online are still processed as usual.

Holiday or annual leave > Our team is on a short break until [date]. Your message is saved and we will get back to you as soon as we return.

Lunch break > We are on a lunch break until 14:00. Leave your message and we will reply right after.

Busy with customers > We are with customers at the moment and will reply within the hour. Thank you for waiting.

Online store: order questions > Thanks for writing. For order status, use your tracking link: [link]. For anything else, leave a message with your order number and we will reply on the next working day.

Clinic > Thank you for contacting [Clinic name]. We are closed now and reply to all messages from 09:00. For an urgent medical problem, please call your local emergency number.

Real estate > Thanks for your interest in [Project name]. Our sales team replies from 10:00. Floor plans and the price list are here: [link].

Restaurant or café > We are closed right now. Today's menu and opening hours: [link]. For table bookings, leave the date, time and number of people and we will confirm in the morning.

Service or repair shop > We are out on jobs at the moment. Send the address and a short description or a photo of the problem, and we will reply with a time slot today.

Short and friendly > Away right now. Leave a message and we will reply as soon as we are back, usually within a few hours.

Keep the text short, give a clear return time and update it when your hours change. The away message always sends the same text, whatever the customer asked. The next section is about that limit.

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, per qualified lead or per new customer who books.
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 $4.99 per new customer who books an appointment through it, and the first 5 are free. Conversations (up to 20 answers per visitor session in 24 hours) and booking itself are free.

See live examples by industry · Sonic Prospect

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.

What does "Away, leave a message" mean?

It means nobody can reply right now but you can still send your message, which will be read later. As an away message it works better with a return time, a link to common answers and what to do if the matter is urgent.

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