The 3 kinds of WhatsApp auto reply (know which you need)
1. Away message (free WhatsApp Business App)
A fixed message that fires when someone messages you outside business hours. "Thanks for your message. We're closed until 9 AM tomorrow. We'll reply first thing." Zero cost. Zero customization per contact. Zero intelligence.
2. Greeting message (free WhatsApp Business App)
A fixed message that fires the first time a new contact messages you. "Welcome to [brand] — how can we help?" Zero cost. Same fixed text for every contact.
3. AI auto reply (WhatsApp Business API + platform)
Contextual, AI-drafted reply based on what the customer actually asked. "Do you deliver to Dubai?" → auto-reply "Yes, we ship to Dubai — delivery is 2-3 days, free above $50. Tap here to see your cart: [link]." $39/month platform + per-conversation Meta fee. Full personalisation, understands intent, escalates to agent when needed.
How to set up auto reply on the free Business App
- Open WhatsApp Business App on your phone.
- Go to Settings → Business Tools → Away Message.
- Toggle "Send away message" on.
- Type your away message.
- Choose schedule: always sent / custom schedule / outside business hours.
- Choose recipients: everyone / only contacts / everyone except / only recipients not in address book.
- Tap Save.
Repeat for Greeting Message under the same menu. That's the entire feature. It cannot do anything else.
How to set up AI auto reply on the WhatsApp Business API (via Go4whatsup)
- Sign up for Go4whatsup at $39/month Standard tier — AI auto reply is included.
- Feed the AI your product catalogue, FAQ, and policy documents. Under 10 minutes if you have them in a Google Doc or PDF.
- Set the auto-reply logic: reply to every incoming message under 24 hours old; escalate to a human agent if the customer asks for one or the AI confidence drops below 80%.
- Test with 10 fake questions. Tune the AI's tone if needed.
- Go live.
20 WhatsApp auto reply templates that work
Away messages (6)
"Thanks for messaging [brand]. We're closed until [time]. We'll reply first thing — usually within 30 minutes of opening. Urgent? Call [phone]."
"Hi! You reached us outside working hours (Mon-Fri 9 AM to 6 PM IST). We'll respond first thing Monday. Meanwhile, browse our FAQ: [link]."
"Weekend team is off. Back Monday 10 AM. For order tracking or emergencies, tap here: [link]."
"Thanks for reaching out! Our next reply will be within 3 business hours. If it's urgent, use [emergency phone]."
"Currently on Diwali holiday — 3-8 Nov. Regular support resumes Nov 9. Order tracking: [link]. Wishing you a happy Diwali!"
"Hi! I'm out of office until [date]. My teammate [name] will reply within 2 hours: [name]. Thanks for your patience."
Greeting messages (5)
"Hi! Welcome to [brand]. Reply with what you're looking for and I'll get you to the right person + info within 2 minutes."
"Hello 👋 Welcome to [brand]. Tap to see our menu: [link]. Or type your question here and someone will reply within 5 minutes."
"Welcome! Are you here about (1) new order, (2) existing order, (3) other? Reply with the number."
"Hi from [brand]. Free shipping on orders above $50 today. Browse: [link]. Or ask me anything about our products."
"Namaste! Type your query in Hindi or English — we reply in both."
AI-powered contextual replies (9)
Customer: "Do you deliver to Riyadh?" → AI: "Yes, we deliver to Riyadh. Delivery is 3-4 business days. Free above SAR 200. Tap here to browse: [link]."
Customer: "What's your return policy?" → AI: "We accept returns within 14 days of delivery for unopened items. Refund processed in 3-5 days after we receive the return. Damaged item? We arrange free pickup — reply YES if this is a return you'd like to start."
Customer: "Is the red kurti size M in stock?" → AI: "Yes — red kurti size M is in stock. Price: ₹1,999. Delivery to your PIN in 3 days. Tap here to add to cart: [link]."
Customer: "My order #4821 hasn't arrived" → AI: "Order #4821: shipped 3 Nov via BlueDart, tracking BD839221. Currently at Bengaluru sorting hub. Expected delivery today or tomorrow. Live tracking: [link]. Want us to escalate?"
Customer: "Do you have a physical store in Delhi?" → AI: "Yes — our Delhi flagship is at Connaught Place, Block D-24. Open 11 AM to 9 PM Mon-Sat. Map: [link]. Want me to book an appointment?"
Customer: "I want to cancel" → AI: "Sorry to hear that. Cancellation for orders not shipped is instant + full refund. Order # please? I'll process now."
Customer: "What are your bulk order rates?" → AI: "For orders above 50 units we offer 15% off + free delivery. Above 200 units, 25% off + dedicated account manager. Reply BULK and I'll get [name] to call you within 1 hour."
Customer: "Can I pay COD?" → AI: "Yes — COD is available for orders under ₹2,000 in most PINs. Above that, or in Tier-2 PINs, we require prepaid. Reply your PIN and I'll confirm."
Customer: "human" → AI: "Connecting you to [agent name] now — average wait 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, is there anything specific I should tell them?"
When to move from away messages to AI auto reply
The signal is your daily chat volume. Under 30 chats/day, the free Business App with fixed away messages is enough. Between 30 and 100 chats/day, AI auto reply pays for itself because you save 2-3 hours of agent time daily. Above 100 chats/day, AI auto reply is essential — customers won't wait an hour for a fixed "we'll get back to you" reply.
See our WhatsApp Business Web guide for the full comparison of when to upgrade.
Cost comparison — fixed away message vs AI auto reply
| Line item | Free Business App | Go4whatsup AI Auto Reply |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | Free | $39/month |
| Per-message cost | Free | Meta service tier — first 1,000/mo free, then $0.001/msg |
| Answer quality | Fixed text only | Context-aware, understands intent |
| Agent hours saved (100 chats/day) | Zero | 2-3 hours/day |