Thirty auto reply message samples for WhatsApp Business, grouped by the moment they are sent: welcoming a first-time customer, covering closed hours, being mid-appointment, holidays, price questions, bookings, job status and missed calls. Replace the bracketed parts and they are ready.
Send your website. See Elily answer as your business.
The short version
Square brackets mark what to replace. Everything else works as written.
The best auto reply answers the most common question instead of promising to answer it later.
Keep it short. A long automatic message reads as a wall, and people stop at the second line.
Always name a real time a human will reply, then meet it.
What makes an auto reply message work
Four things, in order of how much difference they make. Say who you are, so the customer knows the message landed at the right business. Answer the most common question up front, because roughly half of first messages are the same question. Name a real time a person will reply, not soon. And ask for what you need to help, so their next message is useful instead of a hello.
What does not work: apologising at length, promising within 24 hours when everyone knows that means tomorrow, or a message so warm that it reads as automated from the first word.
Greeting message samples
Sent to someone messaging your business for the first time. Copy and paste one, then replace the bracketed parts.
Welcome and set expectations
The safe default for any business.
Hi, thanks for messaging [business name]. We usually reply within [time] during opening hours ([hours]). If you already know what you need, send it in one message and we will come straight back with times and prices.
Hello and welcome to [business name]. So we can help quickly, tell us what you are looking for and which day suits you. Prices and opening hours are here: [link].
Thanks for getting in touch with [business name]. We are open [hours]. Send your question here and we will reply as soon as we are free. If it is urgent, call [phone].
Welcome for a booking business
When most first messages are appointment requests.
Welcome to [business name]. To book you in we need three things: the service, the day that suits you and your name. Send those and we will confirm a time.
Hi, thanks for messaging [business name]. Our most-booked services are [service], [service] and [service]. Tell us which one and we will send you the next available times.
Hello from [business name]. We are open [hours] and take bookings right here in this chat. What are you after, and when?
Away message samples
Sent automatically on the schedule you set in Business tools.
Outside opening hours
The most-used away message of all.
Thanks for your message. We are closed right now and open again at [time] on [day]. Leave your question here and we will answer first thing. Nothing gets lost in this chat.
You have reached [business name] outside our opening hours ([hours]). We have your message and will reply when we open. For anything urgent: [phone or emergency instruction].
We are closed for the day. Send us the service you want, the day and roughly what time, and we will come back with options in the morning.
Busy with a customer
For the hours you are open but nobody can look at a phone.
Thanks for messaging. We are with customers right now and will reply as soon as we are free, usually within [time]. If you are booking, send the service and the day that suits you so we can get straight to it.
Hi, we have seen your message. We are on a job at the moment and will reply by [time].
We are mid-appointment. Leave your details here and we will come back to you on this number after [time].
Closed day or weekend
Set as a custom schedule for the days you never open.
Thanks for your message. We are closed [day] and back [day] at [time]. Anything you send now will be waiting for us.
It is our day off. We will read everything on [day] morning and reply in order.
We are closed for the weekend. If you want an appointment next week, send the service and two days that suit you and we will confirm on [day].
Holiday or annual closure
Switch the schedule to always send while you are away.
Thanks for getting in touch. We are closed for [holiday] from [date] to [date] and will reply when we are back on [date]. Requests sent now will be confirmed on our return.
We are away until [date]. For urgent matters please contact [alternative contact]. Everything else we will answer in order when we reopen.
Season's greetings from all of us at [business name]. We reopen on [date] at [time]. Send your booking request now and it will be near the top of the list.
Quick reply samples
Saved text you insert yourself with a forward slash. These are the three that save the most typing.
When they ask the price
Shortcut: prices
Our prices start at [price] for [service] and depend on [what it depends on]. Tell us what you are after and we will give you an exact figure. Full list: [link].
[Service] is [price] and takes about [duration]. Would you like the next available times?
The honest answer needs one detail from you: [question]. Send that and we will confirm the cost before you commit to anything.
When they want to book
Shortcut: book
Happy to book you in. Which service, and which day suits you? We are open [hours].
We have [time] and [time] free on [day]. Reply with the one you want and we will confirm it.
To confirm we need three things: the service, your preferred day and your name. Send those and it is done.
Order, job or repair status
Shortcut: status
Thanks for checking. Send your order number and we will look it up and come back within [time].
Your [order or job] is at [stage]. Next is [step], expected [date]. We will message you here as soon as it moves.
We are checking with the team now and will update you in this chat within [time].
After a missed call
Shortcut: missedcall
Sorry we missed your call, we were with a customer. You can reply here instead and we will answer without you having to ring back.
We saw your missed call. What do you need? Booking, prices, or something else? Reply here and we will sort it.
Sorry we could not pick up. This number takes messages too, so tell us what you need and we will reply as soon as we are free.
Written for the same moment as the out-of-hours message above, in the languages people most often ask for. Check the wording with someone who speaks it before you go live.
Spanish
Mensaje de ausencia fuera del horario.
Gracias por escribir a [nombre del negocio]. Ahora mismo estamos cerrados y abrimos de nuevo el [día] a las [hora]. Déjanos tu consulta aquí y te respondemos en cuanto abramos.
Portuguese
Mensagem de ausência fora do horário.
Obrigado por contactar [nome do negócio]. Estamos fechados neste momento e reabrimos [dia] às [hora]. Deixe a sua mensagem aqui e respondemos assim que abrirmos.
Hindi
Auto reply message sample in Hindi.
नमस्ते! [व्यवसाय का नाम] से संपर्क करने के लिए धन्यवाद। इस समय हम बंद हैं और [दिन] को [समय] बजे फिर से खुलेंगे। अपना सवाल यहीं भेजें, खुलते ही हम जवाब देंगे।
Malay and Indonesian
Contoh ayat auto reply di luar waktu operasi.
Terima kasih kerana menghubungi [nama perniagaan]. Kami tutup buat masa ini dan akan dibuka semula pada [hari] jam [masa]. Tinggalkan pertanyaan anda di sini dan kami akan membalas sebaik sahaja kami dibuka.
German
Abwesenheitsnachricht ausserhalb der Öffnungszeiten.
Danke für Ihre Nachricht an [Firmenname]. Wir haben gerade geschlossen und sind am [Tag] ab [Uhrzeit] wieder da. Schreiben Sie uns Ihr Anliegen, wir antworten, sobald wir öffnen.
Where copy-and-paste stops working
Every template above shares one limit: it is the same sentence to everyone. It cannot tell a first-time customer asking about prices from a regular asking to move Thursday to Friday, because it never read either message.
That is fine for the hour you are closed. It is expensive when it is the only thing answering. The customer who asked how much for a colour and cut on Thursday gets told we will get back to you, and then asks the business down the road, who also does not answer, and then books whoever answers first.
The next step is not a better template. It is a reply that reads the question, checks your prices and your calendar and offers Thursday at four.
Send Elily your website link on WhatsApp and ask her a price question the way a customer would. It takes about a minute, and it is a fairer test of these templates than reading them.
What is a good auto reply message for WhatsApp Business?
One that names your business, answers the most common question up front, gives a real time when a person will reply, and asks for what you need to help. Two or three short lines outperform a paragraph, because people stop reading at the second line.
What should my WhatsApp Business away message say?
That you are closed, when you open again, and what to send now so the reply is useful when you do open. If you have an urgent route, such as a phone number for emergencies, put it in the same message rather than making people ask.
What is the difference between a greeting message and an away message?
The greeting goes to someone contacting your business for the first time, or after a long gap, at any hour. The away message goes on a schedule you set, usually when you are closed. They can both be on at once, and a first-time customer messaging out of hours can receive both.
How long should an auto reply be?
Short enough to read on a phone without scrolling. Two or three lines is normal, and anything past about four lines reads as a form letter. If you need more, the reply should link to the page that carries the detail.
Can the auto reply message be different for each customer?
Not in the WhatsApp Business app. The Recipients setting decides who receives it, but the words are identical for everyone. Replies that change with what the customer asked need the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Send Elily your website link. She answers from your own prices and hours and books into your calendar, so the out-of-hours message stops being a holding pattern.
