In short: The WhatsApp Business app has two built-in auto replies: a greeting message for people who write to you for the first time, and an away message for the hours you are not available. You set both from the Tools tab. Quick replies save typing but still need a tap. For replies that depend on what the customer wrote, such as “price” or “order status”, you need a team inbox with automation rules or the Business API. Ten sample messages are below. Facts as of October 2026.
Customers on WhatsApp expect a fast answer. An auto reply buys you time without leaving them in silence. This guide covers what the WhatsApp Business app can do on its own, what needs a tool, and how to write replies that do not sound like a machine.
The three kinds of auto reply
| Kind | What triggers it | Where you set it | Can it vary by message? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeting message | Someone starts a conversation with you | WhatsApp Business app, Tools | No, one message for everyone |
| Away message | Any message during a schedule you set | WhatsApp Business app, Tools | No, but you can choose who receives it |
| Rule-based reply | A message that matches a keyword, time, mention or other condition | A team inbox with automation rules, or your own software on the Business API | Yes |
The normal WhatsApp app has none of these. If you run a business on a personal WhatsApp number, switching to the WhatsApp Business app is the first step. Third-party “auto reply” apps that read your chats are a different matter: WhatsApp says using an unofficial or modified version of WhatsApp can get an account banned (account bans).
How to set an away message in WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp’s help page lists the steps (how to use away messages):
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and go to the Tools tab.
- Tap Away message and turn on Send away message.
- Tap the message to edit it, then tap OK.
- Tap Schedule and pick one of three options: Always send, Custom schedule (only during the times you set) or Outside of business hours (only shown once your business hours are set in your business profile).
- Tap Recipients and choose who gets it: Everyone, Everyone not in address book, Everyone except… or Only send to….
- Tap Save.
One rule to remember: your phone must have an active internet connection for away messages to go out. If the phone is off or offline overnight, nobody gets the away message.
The greeting message
The Business app also lets you greet people the moment they start a conversation, as Meta describes it on the WhatsApp Business app page. You find the greeting message in the same Tools tab. Keep it to two or three lines: who you are, what you can help with, and when a person will reply. Do not ask for personal details in a greeting; the customer has not told you anything yet.
Quick replies: the half-automatic option
Quick replies are saved messages you insert with a shortcut. They are not automatic, but they turn a two-minute answer into a two-second one. From WhatsApp’s help page (how to use quick replies):
- Go to Tools, tap Quick replies, add a message and a keyboard shortcut, and save. You can store up to 50.
- In a chat, type / to see all your quick replies, pick one, edit it if needed, and send.
- The app also creates default replies from your business profile, such as your address and hours.
- Media in quick replies is not supported on Web or Desktop.
Good uses: your price list link, directions, return policy, a “we have received your order” confirmation, and the answers to the five questions you get every day.
Auto replies that depend on the message
Greeting and away messages send the same text to everyone. The moment you want “price” to get your price list and “order” to get a tracking link, the app cannot do it. Two options can.
A team inbox with automation rules. Risponse connects your WhatsApp number with a QR code, the way WhatsApp Web does, and runs automation rules on the messages that arrive. A rule has a trigger (a new message), conditions (it contains “refund”, or it arrived outside working hours) and actions (send a reply, assign the chat, create a ticket). The automated replies guide covers greetings, keyword replies, after-hours messages and group mentions. Rules can wait before they act, so you can reply only if nobody on the team has answered within, say, ten minutes. Test each rule with a chat you control before you publish it, because a mistake repeats itself.
For questions that need a real answer rather than a canned one, the AI agent answers from your own FAQs and documents, waits so a teammate can reply first, and pauses once a person steps in. Harder cases go to your team as a private note or a ticket (escalate to humans). AI features use AI credits.
The WhatsApp Business API. On the Business API, your software or your provider’s platform sends replies through Meta. Inside the 24-hour customer service window you can reply freely; outside it you need approved templates. Meta bills each delivered message by category and country, and automated replies count like any other message (WhatsApp Business API pricing). In Risponse, API numbers and QR-connected numbers sit side by side in the same inbox, and the same automation rules apply to both (WhatsApp Business API inbox).
Ten sample auto reply messages
Adapt the names, hours and links. Keep them short, say what happens next, and never promise a reply time you cannot keep.
1. Greeting for a new customer Hi, thanks for messaging Sunrise Bakery. We reply between 9 am and 7 pm, Monday to Saturday. Tell us what you need, and someone from the team will get back to you shortly.
2. After hours Thanks for your message. Our team is offline right now and will reply after 10 am tomorrow. If it is urgent, call 022 0000 0000.
3. Weekend or holiday We are closed for Diwali until Monday 3 November. Your message is saved, and we will answer it first thing on Monday. Happy Diwali from all of us.
4. Keyword: price Here is our current price list: [link]. Prices include GST. Reply with the item name and quantity, and we will confirm availability.
5. Keyword: order status To check your order, reply with your order number (it starts with SB-). We will send the status and the expected delivery date.
6. New lead qualification Thanks for your interest in our 2 BHK flats in Andheri. Are you looking to buy or rent, and when do you plan to move? Reply here and an agent will call you within the hour.
7. Support acknowledgement with a ticket We have logged your issue as ticket 4821. A support teammate will reply within two working hours. You can add details or photos to this chat any time.
8. Appointment confirmation Your appointment with Dr Mehta is confirmed for Tuesday 4 November at 11:30 am. Reply CHANGE to pick another time or CANCEL to cancel.
9. Payment reminder (only for customers who opted in) Hi Priya, a reminder that your invoice INV-2210 of the amount shown in your account is due on 5 November. Pay with the link in your earlier message, or reply if you have already paid.
10. Group mention Thanks for tagging the support team. We have seen your message in the Residents group and will reply to you here, one to one, so your details stay private.
Samples 4 to 10 are rule-based: they depend on a keyword, a ticket, a booking or a mention, so they run from a team inbox or the API, not from the Business app alone.
Tips that keep auto replies useful
- Say when a human replies. “We will reply by 10 am” beats “We will get back to you soon.”
- One auto reply per conversation is enough. If every message triggers a reply, customers stop reading.
- Do not auto-reply to replies. Set rules so an away message is not sent to someone you are already talking to.
- Match the language of the customer. If most of your customers write in Hindi or Marathi, write the auto reply in that language, or offer both.
- Review the wording every quarter. Hours, holidays and phone numbers change. In Risponse, the rule is one place to edit; in the app, check Tools after every change of hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does the normal WhatsApp app have auto reply? No. Greeting messages, away messages and quick replies are features of the WhatsApp Business app. The personal app has none of them.
Is auto reply free in WhatsApp Business? Away messages, greeting messages and quick replies are built into the WhatsApp Business app. On the Business API, Meta bills every message your business sends, including automated replies, by category and country; free-form replies inside the 24-hour window have a free monthly tier per number as of October 2026.
Will my away message send if my phone is off? No. WhatsApp says your device must have an active internet connection to send away messages. Rules that run in a team inbox or on the API run from the cloud, so they do not depend on your phone.
Can I set different replies for different questions? Not in the Business app: the greeting and away messages are one text each. A team inbox with automation rules, or your own software on the Business API, can reply differently to “price”, “order” or “refund”.
Can an auto reply also create a ticket or assign the chat? In Risponse, yes. One rule can reply to the customer, create a ticket and assign the chat to the right teammate (automated ticketing, automated assignment).
Want replies that depend on what the customer wrote, from a number your whole team shares? Risponse runs WhatsApp automation (rules built from a trigger, conditions and actions, no code) and an AI agent on your existing WhatsApp number, and your team keeps the conversations that need a person. See how a support team sets it up, or see plans.