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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhatsApp Business away messages automatically reply to customers when your team is closed, occupied, or otherwise unavailable. A reliable message does three things: acknowledges the customer, explains when a response is likely, and gives one useful next step such as a booking link, order instruction, menu, or price list.
You can configure the feature from the WhatsApp Business app’s Tools tab: open Away message, enable Send away message, write the response, choose a schedule and recipients, then save. Labels can differ slightly by app version or platform.
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What a WhatsApp Business away message does
When the feature is enabled, WhatsApp Business sends a customizable response to customers who message your business while the away rule applies. It is an automated acknowledgement, not a human reply and not a guarantee that somebody is monitoring the chat.
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The message is sent only when the device has an active internet connection. Schedule and recipient settings determine whether a particular customer receives it. A message can look correctly configured yet fail to reach a regular customer if that person is outside the selected audience.
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Before writing copy, decide the operational truth you need to communicate:
- Are you closed for a predictable period, such as every night?
- Are you handling an unusual queue and expecting a delayed reply?
- Do customers need a self-service action while they wait?
- Can your team actually meet the response time stated in the text?
Only promise a return time, emergency route, or service level that your staff can honor. If no precise turnaround is reliable, give the next scheduled working period instead.
How to set an away message in WhatsApp Business
The documented Android path is below. WhatsApp can move labels or controls between app versions and platforms, so use the closest matching labels if your screen differs.
- Open WhatsApp Business and go to Tools. This is the business-management area, separate from your individual chats.
- Choose Away message. The settings page contains the enable switch, message editor, schedule, and recipient controls.
- Turn on Send away message. The rule is inactive until this switch is enabled.
- Edit the message. Write a short acknowledgement, an accurate availability statement, and one useful next step. Keep any link, order instruction, or booking direction current.
- Select a schedule. Choose Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours. The last option appears only after business hours have been saved in the business profile.
- Select recipients. Choose the audience deliberately rather than accepting a default without checking it.
- Save the setting. Send a test message from a number that matches the selected audience, then confirm the text, link, hours, and time-zone wording.
If a test does not arrive, first check that the away switch is on, the test number is included by the recipient rule, the schedule is currently active, and the phone has internet access.
Choose the right schedule
There is no universally best mode. Match the setting to how your business actually operates.
| Schedule mode | When it sends | Best fit | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always send | Whenever the away-message feature is enabled | A business that is temporarily unavailable for an indefinite or continuously defined period | It remains active until you change or disable it, so review it when staffing resumes |
| Custom schedule | During a period you specify | A planned closure, event, holiday, or recurring time window that does not match normal hours | Enter the exact start and end period shown by the app |
| Outside of business hours | When the business is closed | Businesses with dependable opening hours that want an automatic after-hours response | Business hours must be set in the business profile first |
Always send
Use this when every incoming message should receive the away response, such as during a multi-day shutdown or when the inbox is not being staffed at all. Turn it off or change the schedule as soon as normal service returns; otherwise customers may keep receiving a closure notice during open hours.
Custom schedule
A custom period is useful for a dated holiday closure or a temporary staff shortage. State the actual return date in the message and make sure the schedule ends at the same time. If the dates change, update both the schedule and the text.
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Outside of business hours
This mode follows the hours saved for the business profile. Keep those hours current, including different weekday hours or planned closures that your profile supports. A customer-facing promise such as “we reply first thing tomorrow” should be used only when the next staffed period really begins then.
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Choose who receives the response
WhatsApp Business provides four recipient scopes. The choice affects coverage more than wording does.
| Recipient option | Who receives the away message | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone | All customers who message while the schedule is active | You want consistent acknowledgement for every inbound conversation |
| Everyone not in address book | People who are not saved as contacts | Known customers are handled separately and you mainly need to set expectations for new inquiries |
| Everyone except selected contacts | Everyone apart from contacts you exclude | Specific customers, partners, or active cases should not receive an automated closure note |
| Only send to selected contacts | Only the contacts you choose | You are running a controlled pilot or serving a defined customer group |
Check the audience whenever a customer reports not receiving the message. A saved contact may be excluded by a non-contact rule, and a person outside a selected list will not receive an away reply even if the schedule is active.
A practical structure for customer-service copy
Build the message in this order:
- Thank or acknowledge. “Thanks for messaging [Business]” confirms that the inquiry reached the right account.
- State availability. Say that the team is closed, away, or handling a high volume of requests.
- Give a truthful expectation. Use the next staffed period or a realistic response window, with a time zone when customers may be elsewhere.
- Offer one useful action. Link to a catalog, price list, booking page, order-tracking page, or instructions that customers can use now.
One focused next step is usually clearer than a list of every channel and policy. Remove anything your team cannot maintain. A broken booking link or an unstaffed “urgent” phone number creates more frustration than a simple acknowledgement.
Ready-to-adapt away message templates
Closed for the day
Thanks for messaging [Business]. We’re closed now and will reply during our business hours, [days and hours]. For [booking/order details], visit [link].
This version works for a predictable daily closing time. Replace the bracketed fields and keep the hours synchronized with the profile.
After-hours support
Thanks for contacting [Business] Support. Our team is away until [time and time zone]. If this is about an existing order, send your order number and we’ll review it when we’re back.
Ask for an order number only if staff will use it to find the case when they return.
High-volume period
Thanks for reaching out. We’re helping other customers and expect to reply by [realistic time]. You can find [tracking, booking, or service information] here: [link].
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Use a deadline only when the queue and staffing make it credible. Otherwise, name the next scheduled working period.
Holiday closure
Thanks for your message. We’re closed for [holiday/date range] and will resume replies on [date]. For urgent [specific issue], use [appropriate channel, if staffed].
Do not include an urgent route unless somebody is responsible for monitoring it during the closure.
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Thanks for contacting [Business]. We’re away until [time]. You can request an appointment here: [booking link]. We’ll confirm availability when the team returns.
An online booking link can let customers request an appointment while the inbox is unattended. The booking system still needs accurate availability and confirmation handling.
Order-focused shop
Thanks for your message. We’re currently unavailable and will respond during [business hours]. For delivery status, have your order number ready or check [tracking link].
Use a tracking link only if customers can access their order information there without staff intervention.
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Thanks for contacting [Business]. We’re closed until [time]. We serve [location or delivery area]. Send your address and requested service, and we’ll reply when we reopen.
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This prevents an avoidable back-and-forth when location determines whether you can accept the job.
No reliable return time
Thanks for reaching out to [Business]. Our team is currently away. We’ll review messages during our next scheduled work period, [days and hours].
This is safer than inventing a precise turnaround during unpredictable staffing or demand.
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WhatsApp for Business advises keeping profile information current, including business hours, what you offer, location or delivery area, and how customers can book or order. Those details support the away message: customers can decide whether to wait, place an order, or use a self-service link without asking the same basic question again.
Review every linked destination on a schedule. A menu, price list, catalog, booking page, or order-tracking page should load without requiring a staff member who is currently away. If a promotion, price, or holiday date changes, update the away text before the old information becomes misleading.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Away message, greeting message, and marketing broadcast are different
Away message
An away message is triggered by your availability schedule. It tells an incoming customer that the business is busy or away and sets expectations for the next response.
Greeting message
A greeting message welcomes a customer on first contact or after 14 days of inactivity in that chat. It has its own recipient controls and also requires an internet connection. Choose it when the desired trigger is a welcome, not a closure notice.
Marketing messages and broadcasts
Marketing messages and business broadcasts are separate outbound features. They require appropriate disclosures and permissions, including opt-in where applicable, and businesses must honor customer opt-outs. An away reply should not be repurposed as an unsolicited promotional campaign.
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Troubleshoot an away message that is not working
- No message is sent to anyone: Confirm that Send away message is enabled and that the device has an active internet connection.
- Only some customers receive it: Inspect the recipient scope. Non-contact, exclusion, and selected-contact settings can intentionally omit a person.
- It sends at the wrong time: Check whether the account uses Always send, a custom period, or outside-business-hours mode. Verify the business hours and the device’s displayed time zone.
- The text promises an outdated return date: Edit the message and schedule together. A holiday or staffing change can make a previously accurate template misleading.
- The link does not help customers: Open it from a separate device or account and confirm that it leads to the intended menu, booking, catalog, or tracking page.
- A regular customer should be excluded but is still receiving it: Review the exclusion list and save the change. Test from that customer’s number after the schedule becomes active.
Run a test after every material change. Use one number that should receive the reply and, when relevant, another that should be excluded.
Operational checklist for reliable automation
- Business hours match the hours customers see elsewhere.
- The schedule reflects the actual closure or queue period.
- The recipient rule includes the customer groups you intend to reach.
- The acknowledgement identifies the business clearly.
- The stated response expectation is realistic and includes a time zone when needed.
- Only one useful next step is prominent.
- Every link, phone number, and order instruction works.
- Someone owns the inbox when the away period ends.
- The away message is disabled or updated when normal service resumes.
When an appointment link is the right next step
Appointment-based businesses can use the away reply to direct customers to online booking while staff are unavailable. A booking workflow can capture the requested service and time before the team returns, but it does not replace checking availability or confirming exceptions. Keep the link optional: customers who need a question answered should still know when a person will review the chat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does WhatsApp Business need internet access to send an away message?
Yes. The device running the WhatsApp Business account needs an active internet connection for the automated reply to be sent.
Why did a customer not receive my away message even though it is enabled?
The customer may be outside the selected recipient scope, the schedule may not be active for that person’s message time, or the account device may not have had internet access.
What is the difference between an away message and a greeting message?
An away message responds according to an unavailability schedule. A greeting message welcomes someone on first contact or after 14 days without activity in that chat.
Can I use an away message to send promotions to customers?
No. Marketing messages and business broadcasts are separate outbound tools with disclosure, permission, and opt-out requirements. Keep the away reply focused on availability and service information.
What should I write if I cannot promise a reply time?
Name the next scheduled work period instead of giving a precise deadline, for example, your published business days and hours.
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Can an away message include a booking or tracking link?
Yes, when the destination is current and customers can use it while the team is away. Test the link and avoid promising a service that the linked workflow cannot deliver.
Why is the Outside of business hours option unavailable?
That schedule depends on business hours being saved in the WhatsApp Business profile first.
Should I send the away message to everyone or only selected contacts?
Choose the audience that matches your operating process: everyone for broad coverage, non-contacts for new inquiries, exclusions for protected conversations, or selected contacts for a controlled group.
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