WhatsApp Away Messages & Business Hours: Setup Guide

Nothing kills a WhatsApp lead faster than silence. Away messages and business hours let you respond instantly — even when you're closed — so customers know they've been heard and when to expect a reply. Here's how to set them up properly, with templates you can copy.

The three automated messages in WhatsApp Business

The free WhatsApp Business app gives you three automation tools:

1. Greeting message — fires when a new customer messages you (or after 14 days of no contact). Your first impression.
2. Away message — fires automatically when you're outside your set hours. Sets expectations when you can't reply.
3. Quick replies — saved responses you trigger manually to answer common questions fast.

You need the WhatsApp Business app (not personal WhatsApp) to use these. They're free.

Setting up the greeting message

1. Open WhatsApp Business → Settings → Business tools → Greeting message.
2. Toggle Send greeting message on.
3. Write your message.
4. Under Recipients, choose "Everyone" (default) or a subset.
5. Save.

Greeting template:

Hi! 👋 Thanks for reaching out to [Business Name]. We usually reply within [time] during business hours. In the meantime, feel free to tell us what you need and we'll get right on it.

Keep it warm, set a response-time expectation, and invite them to share details so you can help faster.

Setting up the away message

1. Settings → Business tools → Away message.
2. Toggle Send away message on.
3. Write your message.
4. Under Schedule, pick one:
   • Always send — auto-reply to every message (useful when on vacation).
   • Custom schedule — send only during specific away windows.
   • Outside of business hours — the smart default; it uses the hours in your business profile.
5. Save.

Away template (outside hours):

Thanks for your message! 🌙 We're currently closed and will reply when we reopen at [time]. Our hours are [Mon–Fri, 9 AM–6 PM]. Leave your question here and we'll get back to you first thing.

Setting your business hours

Away messages that trigger "outside of business hours" pull from the hours in your profile, so set those accurately:

1. Settings → Business tools → Business profile (or Business hours).
2. Set your open days and times.
3. Choose a status: open with set hours, "open 24 hours," or "appointment only."
4. Save.

Now the away message fires automatically the moment you close — no manual toggling.

Away message templates for different situations

Standard closing:

Thanks for messaging [Business Name]! We're closed right now but will reply when we reopen at [time]. 🙌

Weekend:

Thanks for reaching out! We're closed for the weekend and will respond Monday morning. Feel free to leave your details here.

Holiday / vacation:

Hi! We're closed for [holiday] until [date]. We'll reply to your message as soon as we're back. Wishing you a great [holiday]! 🎉

High volume:

Thanks for your patience! We're getting a lot of messages right now and will reply within [time]. If it's urgent, please [alternative].

Appointment-based:

Thanks for messaging! We're with clients right now and will reply between appointments. To book, send your preferred day and time.

Writing tips that make them work

• Always set a time expectation. "We'll reply within 2 hours" beats "we'll reply soon."
• State your hours so night-messengers know when you're back.
• Keep it short — two or three sentences. Nobody reads a paragraph.
• Invite details — asking them to share their question means you can answer faster when you return.
• Stay on-brand — a formal clinic and a trendy café should sound different.

Pair away messages with quick replies

Away messages cover when you're offline. Quick replies speed you up when you're online. Set these up under Business tools → Quick replies and trigger them by typing a shortcut like /hours or /prices. Together they cut your response time dramatically.

Common mistakes

• Using "Always send" during business hours. Customers get an away message even when you're available — confusing and off-putting. Use "outside of business hours" instead.
• Wrong business hours. If your profile hours are inaccurate, the away message fires at the wrong times.
• No time expectation. Silence about when you'll reply is almost as bad as no reply at all.
• Setting them and forgetting them. Update templates for holidays and busy seasons.
• Relying on automation to replace real replies. These buy you time; they don't close the sale. Reply personally as soon as you can.

Get customers messaging you in the first place

Away messages only help once people reach you. Make that easy: create your free WhatsApp link with a pre-filled message and add it to your website, socials, and Google Business Profile. Then let your greeting and away messages handle the rest — so no lead ever hits a wall of silence.