The WhatsApp Business app offers three free auto-reply tools: the greeting message for first contact, the away message for outside business hours, and quick replies for answers you repeat. You’ll find all of them under Business tools, and setting them up takes minutes. But they send fixed text, and they don’t answer the customer’s actual question.
This guide walks through setting up each auto-reply step by step, then explains honestly where its job ends. If you’re looking for a system that actually answers customers’ questions, read What is an AI employee?
What auto-reply tools does WhatsApp Business offer?
| Tool | When it’s sent | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting message | On the customer’s first message, or after 14 days with no contact | Welcoming the customer and telling them what to send |
| Away message | Always, on a custom schedule, or outside business hours | Telling the customer when you’ll reply |
| Quick replies | Manually, by typing “/” in the message box | Speeding up the team’s answers to repeated questions |
How do you set up the greeting message?
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and go to Business tools.
- Choose Greeting message and turn it on.
- Write the message, then choose the recipients.
- Save.
Suggested template: Welcome to [business name]. To help you faster, send us the service you need, your city, and a good time to reach you. One of our team will reply as soon as possible during working hours.
Practical tip: use the greeting to ask for the information your team needs first, so the human conversation starts further along.
How do you set up the away message for outside business hours?
- In Business tools, choose Away message and turn it on.
- Edit the message text.
- Pick the schedule from three options: Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours. The last one requires your business hours to be set on your business profile first.
- Choose the recipients: everyone, only people not in your address book, everyone except selected contacts, or selected contacts only.
- Save.
Important: the phone needs an active internet connection to send away messages. If the phone goes offline, the message won’t be sent.
Suggested template: Thanks for contacting [business name]. We’re outside working hours right now; we’re open from [—] to [—]. Leave your question here and we’ll reply first thing.
How do you create quick replies?
- In Business tools, choose Quick replies.
- Add a new reply, then write its text and shortcut, such as
/locationor/prices. - In a chat, type “/” to bring up the list of replies.
Limits to know: the maximum is 50 quick replies, and media (images and files) in quick replies isn’t supported on WhatsApp Web and Desktop.
The five quick replies to start with: location and directions, business hours, how to book, required documents, and your cancellation or refund policy.
When isn’t the WhatsApp Business auto-reply enough?
This is the part most guides leave out. An auto-reply is a tool for informing, not for selling. The away message tells the customer you’ll get back to them, but it doesn’t answer their question, doesn’t book them an appointment, and doesn’t stop them messaging your competitor in the same minute.
The numbers show why that matters. In a study of 2,241 US companies, those that contacted the customer within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify them as those that waited one more hour, and more than 60 times as likely as those that waited 24 hours or longer. The average reply time was 42 hours, and 23% of companies never replied at all.
The auto-reply isn’t enough when:
- The question is what’s blocking the purchase: the customer asks about availability, requirements or timing, and “we’ll get back to you” doesn’t answer them.
- Inquiries outgrow the team: 50 quick replies don’t help if nobody is there to tap them.
- You need follow-up, not a single reply: the app doesn’t remember that this customer asked a week ago and was never followed up.
- Several people work on the same number: without a CRM, you lose track of who replied to whom, and what the customer was promised.
What’s the next step after the auto-reply?
| Stage | Tool | What it solves |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auto-reply in the WhatsApp Business app | Informing the customer and setting expectations |
| 2 | WhatsApp Business Platform (API) | Connecting your systems, several team members, approved messages |
| 3 | An AI employee connected to a CRM | Real answers, qualification, booking and recording |
On stage two: the WhatsApp Business Platform works with a 24-hour customer service window that opens when the customer messages you and resets with every new message from them. Inside the window you can send any service message freely; once it closes, you’re limited to pre-approved message templates. That’s one more reason to reply within the first hours: a late reply can mean the door has already closed.
The away message informs the customer. The AI employee serves them.
If inquiries reach you faster than your team can answer them, we build you an AI employee that replies to your customers on WhatsApp, qualifies them and records them in your CRM.
Book a live demo → or first work out how many customers late replies cost you →
Frequently asked questions
Is the WhatsApp Business auto-reply free?
Yes. The greeting message, away message and quick replies are built into the WhatsApp Business app with no extra subscription.
Why doesn’t the away message reach customers sometimes?
The most common reasons are the phone losing its internet connection, choosing “Outside of business hours” without setting business hours on the business profile, or picking a recipient group that doesn’t include the customer.
What’s the difference between auto-replies in the app and replies through the WhatsApp Business API?
The app sends fixed text from one phone. The API lets you connect your systems, have a whole team work on the same number and build intelligent replies, and it works with a 24-hour service window and approved message templates outside it.
