An automatic message for WhatsApp Business should explain who is handling the conversation, what can happen at that moment, and what the next step is for the customer. A friendly text loses value when it promises a response the team cannot deliver or asks for information the person has already sent.
The 12 templates below help organize the intake and continuity of business conversations. Each example includes a usage condition: some are suitable for a simple auto-reply; others depend on human confirmation or a reliable system event. Replace the fields in brackets before using.
12 message templates to adapt to your support
1. Greeting on first contact
Hello! You are chatting with [company]. How can we help today? Please tell us in a few words what you need.
Use at the start of the conversation when there is no clear request yet. If the customer has already explained the issue, proceed from that information instead of repeating the question.
2. Welcome with AI assistant
Hi! I'm [company]'s AI assistant. I can help with [available topics]. If you need the team, say you want to speak with a person.
List only topics the assistant can handle with the configured sources and resources. The option for human support must lead to a real path, with availability communicated.
3. Absence outside business hours
Hello! [Company]'s support operates on [days], from [start time] to [end time], in the [city] time zone. We are currently outside that period. You can leave your question for the team to review when support reopens.
Use when no team is available. The reopening time is not a promise of an immediate reply: avoid saying everyone will be attended to as soon as business hours resume.
4. Holiday or scheduled pause
Hello! [Company]'s team will be unavailable on [date or period]. We will resume operations on [date and time]. Your message will be available for review when we return.
Define when this message should stop being sent. An outdated holiday notice creates uncertainty about the company's operations.
5. Automated support with team outside business hours
[Company]'s team is currently off-duty, but I can help now with [available topics]. For human review, support will resume on [day and time]. What is your question?
This template assumes the assistant is active and can respond about the listed topics. Do not use if there is only a fixed absence message.
6. Identifying the topic
To route your request at [company], do you need help with a purchase, an existing order, or support? If you prefer, describe the situation.
Ask this when the reason for contact is still undefined. The alternatives should match the areas the company actually handles.
7. Minimum information for a quote
To guide your quote, which [product or service] are you looking for and what is the [quantity or main need]?
Adapt the question to the business and reuse data already present in the conversation. The text collects context; it does not confirm price, lead time, or availability.
8. Order identification
To locate the inquiry about your purchase at [company], can you provide the order number? Do not send passwords or full card details.
Use only if this identifier helps the team or integration locate the order. Before disclosing purchase information, apply the identity verification defined by the company. The message does not mean the inquiry has already been completed.
9. Transfer confirmed to the team
I've forwarded your request to [company]'s team along with the context of this conversation. The topic is [summary]. Is there anything you'd like to correct or add?
Send only after confirming the handover and the context availability with the responsible person. If the transfer requires opening another channel, inform the actual path instead of stating it has already occurred.
10. Update on an ongoing review
Hello, [name]. Regarding [subject], the team is still checking [confirmed pending item]. The next update is scheduled for [date and time]. If there’s any change in your case, you can let us know here.
Use only with a verified status and a commitment to provide updates accepted by the responsible person. Do not schedule repetitions of this text without checking whether the pending item is still open.
11. Automatic query failure
I couldn’t retrieve [information] right now. To avoid providing incorrect data, I need to forward this check to the team. Human support is available at [hours or channel].
Associate the template with an identified failure and offer a working fallback. Do not replace the query with an assumed deadline or status.
12. Confirmation before closing
About [subject], did the guidance we sent resolve your question or is anything still missing? If needed, we can continue here.
Use after a relevant response, without mistaking silence for resolution. To request a rating about the experience, the guide service evaluation message gathers specific feedback templates.
How to choose between an automatic message, quick reply and AI
The text can be the same, but the sending mechanism changes the operation. A quick reply in the WhatsApp Business app works as a shortcut for a frequent message: the agent selects, reviews and sends it. It does not interpret the request or decide when to reply on its own.
The app’s away message can respond automatically based on schedule and configured recipients. An integrated automation may depend on events, such as a confirmed transfer or a query failure. Each event needs to be available and tested in the tool used.
An AI assistant interprets questions and crafts replies from the instructions, sources and resources available. This requires limits for missing information and human handover. The automation for WhatsApp Business helps connect these steps, depending on the operation’s configuration.
How to set up an away message in the app
- In the WhatsApp Business app tools, open the away message option and enable sending.
- Edit the text with the company’s actual hours and guidance for the next contact.
- Choose the schedule: continuous sending, custom period or outside business hours. For the last option, set your business hours in the company profile.
- Define the recipients and check that the device is connected to the internet.
- Test with a contact included in the rule, both inside and outside the chosen period.
These controls belong to the app. If support uses a platform integrated via the API, the configuration depends on that platform’s features; copying the text does not create the sending trigger.
When a text needs to become an approved template
On the WhatsApp Business Platform, non‑template replies are allowed within 24 hours after the user’s last message. Outside that window, sending requires an approved template. The examples in this article are drafting suggestions, not templates approved by Meta.
For contacts initiated by the company, observe the recipient’s permission and the communication’s purpose. Respect stop requests. A support text should not be used as a pretext to send unexpected offers. In automation, keep a clear escalation path to human support.
How to avoid repeated replies and incorrect promises
Before automating a model, document four points: the event that authorizes sending, the required data, who is responsible for the next step, and what stops the message. If any of these are undefined, keep human review until the process is adjusted.
For example, a transfer message should only be sent after a confirmed forwarding. If the customer corrects the subject, the context must follow the change. When a person takes over, the automation must respect the configured pause condition. The guide on hybrid AI and human support deepens this division of responsibilities.
Test at least these situations: a customer who already provided the order, contact outside business hours, a request for a specific person, unavailable information, and a conversation already taken by an agent. Check whether the response matches the real state and whether the customer can continue without repeating the whole story.
What to monitor after putting messages into use
Review conversations to identify repeated questions, forwardings without an owner, and incorrect timestamps. Also count cases where the automated reply stated the next step, but that step did not happen. Responding quickly does not mean that the request was resolved.
A support operation on WhatsApp Business needs to link the message to the history and to case continuity. On Whatsplaid, the availability of AI, human intervention and other features depends on the plan and configuration. The models in this guide do not assume triggers or integrations already installed.
Sources consulted
Official documentation consulted on September 13, 2026:
Start configuring Whatsplaid for your company's support on WhatsApp Business and test the replies and human continuity with the features available in your account.