Auto-Reply on WhatsApp Business: How to Set Up (2026)

Setting up auto-replies on WhatsApp Business is one of the first things every company should do. Done well, it prevents losing customers after hours and gives a professional first impression. This guide shows how to enable automatic messages both in the free app and via official API, with ready-to-copy examples.

Types of auto-replies on WhatsApp Business

Three main types:

Greeting — sent when someone messages for the first time or after 14 days of silence

Away message — sent outside business hours

Quick replies — manual shortcuts that speed up support

How to set up auto-reply in the WhatsApp Business app

Works on Android and iOS with small menu differences.

Greeting message

Open WhatsApp Business

Tap the three dots in the top right

Go to Business tools

Tap Greeting message

Toggle on

Write the message (e.g., "Hi! 👋 Thanks for reaching out. We'll respond within 30 minutes.")

In Recipients, choose who gets it (everyone, new, not in contacts)

Save

Away message

Same path: Business tools → Away message

Toggle on

Write the message (e.g., "We're closed right now. Back tomorrow at 9am. 🌙")

In Schedule, choose:

- Send always - Custom schedule (set days and hours) - Outside business hours

Save

Quick replies

Business tools → Quick replies

Tap + to create

Write full message and shortcut (e.g., /pricing → pricing list)

While chatting, type / and the shortcut appears

Ready-to-copy auto-reply examples

Greetings

> "Hi! 👋 We received your message. An agent will respond within 15 minutes. For urgent matters, call (555) 123-4567."

> "Thanks for contacting [Company]! To help you better, tell us: do you want (1) To buy, (2) Customer support, (3) Post-sales?"

Away messages

> "We're outside business hours right now. We're open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm. Your message is logged, we'll respond next business day. 🤝"

> "Good evening! 🌙 Our team is done for the day. Come back tomorrow or leave your question and we'll answer in the morning."

Useful quick replies

/pricing — Full pricing table
/hours — Business hours and address
/returns — Returns and refund policy
/tracking — How to track delivery
/payment — Accepted payment methods

Free app limitations

The app is great to start but has limits:

Only one active greeting at a time
Only one active away message at a time
Can't segment by customer category
Can't personalize with name or other variables
Works on one phone

When volume grows, these limits hurt.

Auto-reply via WhatsApp Business API

The API changes the game. You program automatic flows with logic, segmentation and personalization. Here's how it works with Zavu:

Example: auto-reply when customer messages you

typescript
import Zavu from "@zavudev/sdk"
const zavu = new Zavu({ apiKey: process.env.ZAVU_API_KEY })

// Webhook receives customer message
export async function POST(req: Request) {
  const event = await req.json()

  if (event.type === "message.inbound") {
    const text = event.message.text?.toLowerCase() ""

    // Auto-reply by keyword
    if (text.includes("price")
 text.includes("cost")) {
      await zavu.messages.send({
        to: event.message.from,
        channel: "whatsapp",
        text: "Our plans start at $25/mo. See all at zavu.dev/en/pricing"
      })
    } else {
      // Default greeting
      await zavu.messages.send({
        to: event.message.from,
        channel: "whatsapp",
        text: Hi! 👋 We got your message. An agent will respond shortly.
      })
    }
  }

  return new Response("ok")
}

Example: away message with time logic

typescript
const hour = new Date().getHours()
const dayOfWeek = new Date().getDay() // 0 = Sunday, 6 = Saturday
const isBusinessHours = dayOfWeek >= 1 && dayOfWeek <= 5 && hour >= 9 && hour < 18

if (!isBusinessHours) {
  await zavu.messages.send({
    to: event.message.from,
    channel: "whatsapp",
    text: "We're outside business hours. Back tomorrow at 9am. 🌙"
  })
}

Example: using templates to initiate conversations

To message before the customer (cart reminder, order confirmation), you need a template approved by Meta:

typescript
await zavu.messages.send({
  to: "+14155551234",
  channel: "whatsapp",
  messageType: "template",
  content: {
    templateId: "tpl_payment_reminder",
    templateVariables: {
      "1": "John",
      "2": "$89.90",
      "3": "tomorrow"
    }
  }
})

When to use free app vs API

Scenario	Recommended

Less than 50 conversations/day	Free app
Need to personalize with customer name	API
Multiple agents	API
Want to integrate CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce)	API
Support 24/7 with AI	API + AI Agent
Send automatic order confirmation	API
Send OTP / verification code	API

Common mistakes

1. Message too generic. "Hi, we'll respond shortly" says nothing. Add time expectation, menu options or at least an alt phone.2. Not testing before activating. Send from another number and see how it arrives.3. Forgetting to disable when the team is on duty. Customer gets "we're away" during business hours and is confused.4. In the app, activating greeting for everyone. Each time a recurring customer messages, they get the same greeting. Configure for new or non-contacts only.5. Marketing content in auto-replies. Greeting isn't the time to push promotions. Keep clean, focus on support.

Conclusion

WhatsApp Business auto-reply is essential, not optional. In the free app you activate in 2 minutes via the Business tools menu. If you have volume or need personalization, the API gives you total control: responses by keyword, time logic, customer segmentation, approved templates and even AI agents answering 24h. Start simple, evolve when volume demands.