WhatsApp auto reply: away and greeting messages for your business

WhatsApp describes them like this (WhatsApp Business):

The WhatsApp Business app is free to download from Google Play and the App Store (WhatsApp Business).

The away message works best when it knows when you're open. Add your opening hours to your business profile first, along with your address, a short description and your website. WhatsApp's business profile has a space for each (WhatsApp Business).

1. Open the WhatsApp Business app.
2. Go to the business tools and choose Away message.
3. Write your message (examples below).
4. Choose when it sends. Outside your business hours is the most useful for most local businesses.
5. Save.

Send yourself a test from another phone to check it works.

The menus move around between app updates, and the app has more options for when the message sends and who receives it. WhatsApp's help page on away messages has the current steps for Android and iPhone.

The greeting goes to new customers when they first message you. Set it up the same way: business tools, then Greeting message, write it, save.

Keep it short. A greeting that's longer than the customer's question feels like a brush-off.

Change the details to suit you. Every one of these tells the customer when they'll hear back and gives them something to do in the meantime. (The dental one follows the NHS advice to call 111 for urgent dental problems.)

Salon or barber (away)

Hi, thanks for your message. We're with clients or closed right now and will reply by 10am tomorrow. You can see our free times and book online here: [link]

Plumber or electrician (away)

Thanks for getting in touch. I'm on a job and will reply this evening. If you can, send a photo of the problem and your postcode so I can give you a rough idea of cost when I reply.

Dental practice (away)

Thank you for your message. The practice is closed and we'll reply when we reopen at 8.30am. If you need urgent dental care while we're closed, call 111 or use NHS 111 online.

Dog groomer (greeting)

Hi, thanks for messaging! Our prices and free slots are here: [link]. Tell us your dog's breed and when they were last groomed, and we'll get back to you today.

B&B (away)

Thanks for your message. We're away from the phone and will reply by 6pm. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 10am. You can see availability and book here: [link]

Set up a quick reply for each question you answer more than once a week:

• Prices or "from" prices
• How to find you and where to park
• Your booking link
• Aftercare or "what to expect" notes
• "Running a few minutes late, see you shortly"

An away message sends the same words to everyone, whatever they asked. That's fine for "we're closed, here's when we'll reply". It doesn't help the customer who asked "do you have anything Saturday?" at 9pm and booked with someone else by 9.15.

The next step up is a chatbot that answers the question the customer actually asked, from information you've approved, and passes anything it can't answer to you. That runs on the WhatsApp Business Platform rather than the free app. Meta charges businesses on the platform for messages, including, from 1 October 2026, replies to customer service messages that weren't charged before (Meta for Developers). For a business with only a few messages a week, the free app's tools are usually enough.

If the same questions keep coming in on WhatsApp or your website, we can set up an assistant that answers them from your approved business information and passes anything else to you. We start with the questions you answer every day. If you get very few messages, it may not be worth it, and we'll say so.

• Chatbot for your website or WhatsApp
• Online booking, so your auto reply has a booking link to send