40 copy-paste examples

WhatsApp Away Message Examples: 40 Auto-Reply Samples for Business

Ready-to-use away messages and auto-reply samples for WhatsApp Business: after-hours, greetings, holidays, and support. Copy one, set a response-time expectation, and answer every first message the moment it lands.

Start Free Jump to the examples →

Replace anything in [brackets] with your own details.

Your Business

Auto-reply active

Hi there, thanks for messaging [Business]. We are away right now but we have your message. Our team replies Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM ET, and you will hear back first thing.

Perfect, thank you!

A clear away message sets expectations and keeps the lead warm.

The short version

A WhatsApp away message is an automatic reply that goes out when someone contacts your business outside working hours or before an agent picks up. A good one does three things: it confirms you got the message, it states exactly when you will reply, and it points to a self-serve option in the meantime. Copy any of the 40 samples below, swap in your hours, and you will never leave a first message unanswered again.

The free WhatsApp Business app sends one static away message on a business-hours schedule. Once you are handling real volume, or you want keyword-triggered replies, routing, and away messages tied to campaigns, you send them through the WhatsApp Cloud API. Both use the same wording, so start with the examples here.

After-hours

After-hours away message examples

These go out when a customer messages you outside business hours. The rule that matters: name a real day and time you will reply. "We will get back to you soon" is the message people ignore. A specific window is the one they trust.

Standard after-hours

Thanks for reaching out to [Business]. We are closed right now but we have your message. Our team replies Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM ET, and we will get back to you first thing.

With next-day promise

Hi [Name], thanks for your message. Our office is closed for the evening. We will reply by 10 AM ET tomorrow. If it is urgent, email [email] and mark it urgent.

Weekend

Hey there, thanks for messaging [Business]. We are out for the weekend and back Monday at 9 AM ET. Drop your question here and it will be first in the queue.

Self-serve pointer

Thanks for getting in touch. We are away until 9 AM ET. Most questions are answered on our help page at [link], so you may not need to wait for us at all.

Short and warm

Got your message, thank you. We are offline until the morning and will reply as soon as we are back. Talk soon.

Lunch or short break

Thanks for your message. The team is away from the desk until 2 PM ET. We will reply the moment we are back, in order of arrival.

High-volume day

Thanks for reaching out. We are getting a lot of messages today and replies are taking a little longer than usual. Expect to hear from us within a few hours, and sooner if we can.

After-hours sales lead

Thanks for your interest in [Business]. Our team is offline until 9 AM ET. Leave your name and what you are looking for, and a specialist will call or message you first thing tomorrow.

Greeting

Greeting and welcome message examples

A greeting message is the auto-reply someone sees the first time they message you, or after 14 days of silence. Keep it short, set the tone, and tell them what to do next.

Simple welcome

Welcome to [Business]. Thanks for messaging us. Tell us how we can help and someone from the team will be right with you.

Menu-style

Hi, thanks for contacting [Business]. Reply with a number so we can route you: 1 for sales, 2 for support, 3 for billing.

New customer

Hey [Name], great to meet you. You are in the right place for anything about [product or service]. What brought you to us today?

Expectation-setting

Thanks for reaching out to [Business]. A team member usually replies within 15 minutes during business hours, 9 AM to 6 PM ET. What can we help you with?

Store or storefront

Welcome to [Business]. Ask us about sizes, stock, delivery, or returns and we will get you an answer fast. Browse the latest at [link].

Service business

Hi, thanks for messaging [Business]. To book or get a quote, send us the service you need and your zip code, and we will take it from there.

Hours and holidays

Business hours and holiday message examples

Use these to cover public holidays, seasonal closures, and vacations. Always give the exact date you reopen so nobody is left guessing.

Public holiday

Thanks for your message. [Business] is closed for [holiday] and reopens [date] at 9 AM ET. We will reply to everything in order once we are back.

Thanksgiving or long weekend

Happy [holiday] from [Business]. We are closed [dates] to be with family and reopen [date]. Leave your question and it will be waiting at the top of our list.

End-of-year

Season's greetings from [Business]. Our team is out from [date] and back on [date]. For anything urgent before then, email [email].

Vacation or out of office

Thanks for reaching out. I am out of the office until [date] with limited access to messages. For faster help, contact [colleague] at [email or number].

Seasonal peak

Thanks for your patience. We are in our busiest season, so replies may take up to [X] hours. Your message is in the queue and we answer every one.

Support and routing

Support and routing auto-reply examples

These acknowledge a request instantly and tell the customer what happens next. The moment a message is confirmed and given a timeframe, most people relax and wait.

Ticket acknowledgement

Thanks [Name], we have logged your request as ticket [number]. A support agent will follow up within [X] business hours. You can reply here any time to add details.

Order or delivery question

Got it, thanks. To check on an order, reply with your order number and we will pull it up. Most order questions are answered within an hour during business hours.

Billing question

Thanks for reaching out about billing. So we can help quickly, reply with your account email and the invoice number. Our billing team is on Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM ET.

Escalation

Thanks for flagging this. We have marked it as a priority and a senior team member is looking into it now. You will hear back within [X] hours with an update.

Refund or return

Thanks [Name]. To start a return, reply with your order number and the item, and we will send the steps. Returns are usually processed within [X] business days.

Deflect to FAQ

Thanks for your message. Many answers, including hours, pricing, and delivery, are on our FAQ at [link]. If you still need us, reply here and we will jump in.

By industry

Industry away message examples

The same rules, tuned to a few common businesses. Adapt the details, keep the response-time promise.

Restaurant

Thanks for messaging [Restaurant]. For a table tonight, call [number] since we book up fast. For everything else we reply here between 10 AM and 10 PM. See the menu at [link].

Ecommerce store

Thanks for shopping with [Store]. We reply to messages 9 AM to 6 PM ET. For order status, reply with your order number. Track any order any time at [link].

Medical or dental clinic

Thank you for contacting [Clinic]. This channel is not monitored for emergencies. If this is an emergency, call 911. For appointments, reply with your name and we will confirm during office hours, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Real estate

Thanks for your interest in [Property or Agency]. Our agents reply 9 AM to 7 PM ET. Send the address or listing you are asking about and your timeframe, and we will line up a showing.

Agency or B2B

Thanks for reaching out to [Agency]. Our team reviews new inquiries Monday to Friday. Send a line on what you need and your timeline, and the right person will reply within one business day.

Salon or appointments

Hi, thanks for messaging [Business]. To book, reply with the service and a day that works, and we will confirm a time. We answer messages between 9 AM and 6 PM, Tuesday to Saturday.

Free app away message vs. auto-replies at scale

The built-in away message in the free WhatsApp Business app is fine for a single number and light volume. When you are running campaigns, multiple agents, or thousands of contacts, you need more than one static line. Here is the honest split.

Capability	Free Business app	Cloud API platform
Away message on a schedule	Yes, one static message	Yes, plus custom triggers
Different reply per keyword	No	Yes
Multiple agents, one number	No, one device	Yes, shared team inbox
Auto-reply tied to a campaign	No	Yes
Route by sales, support, billing	No	Yes
Send to a full contact list	No	Yes, bulk campaigns
Delivery and read tracking	Basic	Per-message analytics
Best for	Solo or very small volume	Teams and real message volume

If you have outgrown one static line, the next step is a proper WhatsApp auto-reply setup with keyword triggers, or a shared team inbox so several people can answer from the same number without stepping on each other.

How to set up an away message on WhatsApp Business

Open Settings

In the WhatsApp Business app, tap Settings, then Business tools, then Away message.

Turn it on and write it

Toggle Send away message on, then paste one of the samples above and swap in your hours and details.

Set the schedule

Choose Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours so it only fires when you are actually away.

Pick who gets it

Send to everyone, or only to contacts who have not messaged you before, so repeat customers are not reminded you are out.

Scale it when you outgrow one message

When you need keyword replies, routing, or a team answering one number, move to the Cloud API and keep the same wording.

What makes an away message actually work

Name a real time

Replace "we will reply soon" with "we reply by 10 AM ET tomorrow." A specific window is the difference between a customer who waits and one who messages a competitor.

Confirm you got it

The first job of the message is to say the message was received. That alone stops most follow-up "hello? anyone there?" chasers.

Give a self-serve exit

Point to a help page, FAQ, or tracking link. Many people will solve it themselves and never need a human, which shrinks your queue.

Sound like a person

Skip the corporate wall of text. Short, warm, and plain reads better on a phone and matches how people use WhatsApp.

Only send when away

Use the schedule so it fires outside hours, not on top of a live agent. A customer mid-conversation should never get an away message.

Do not overuse it

Send greetings to new contacts, not every message. Getting the same auto-reply five times in a row feels like a bot wall, not service.

Away message questions

How do I set an away message on WhatsApp Business? +

Open the WhatsApp Business app, tap Settings, then Business tools, then Away message. Turn on Send away message, type or paste your text, and choose a schedule such as Outside of business hours. The app then sends that message automatically whenever someone contacts you during the times you are away.

What is a good away message for WhatsApp Business? +

A good away message confirms you received the message, states exactly when you will reply, and points to a self-serve option. For example: "Thanks for reaching out. We are closed now and reply Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM ET. Most answers are on our help page at the link." Specific hours beat "we will reply soon" every time.

What is the difference between an away message and a greeting message? +

A greeting message is sent the first time someone contacts you, or after 14 days of no contact, to welcome them. An away message is sent when you are unavailable, such as outside business hours. Greetings set the tone; away messages set a response-time expectation. Many businesses use both.

Can I send different auto-replies to different customers? +

Not in the free WhatsApp Business app, which sends one static away message on a schedule. To send different replies based on a keyword, route messages by topic, or trigger auto-replies from a campaign, you use the WhatsApp Cloud API through a platform like WaBulkSend, which keeps the same wording but adds the logic.

Is there a character limit on WhatsApp away messages? +

The WhatsApp Business app allows a generous message length, well beyond what a good away message needs. The practical limit is attention: keep it to two or three short sentences. A long away message gets skimmed, and the one detail that matters, when you will reply, gets lost.

Do away messages cost anything? +

Away and greeting messages in the free WhatsApp Business app cost nothing. On the Cloud API, replies you send inside the 24-hour customer service window, which is where auto-replies to an incoming message land, are free. You only pay for template messages you start outside that window, priced by category and country.

One away message is a start. Automate the rest.

Send keyword-based auto-replies, greet new contacts, route by topic, and follow up with a whole list, all from one WhatsApp number. Built on Meta's official Cloud API. Free for your first 500 messages a month, no card required.

Start Free

Keep reading

WhatsApp Auto Reply

Set up keyword replies and autoresponders.

WhatsApp Shared Inbox

Let a team answer one number together.

Message Template Examples

40 approved-style templates to copy.

WhatsApp Automation

Triggers, flows, and hands-off replies.

Appointment Reminders

Cut no-shows with automated reminders.

WhatsApp Cloud API

The official way to scale past the app.