WhatsApp Business automated messages: when greeting, away and quick replies are enough

Most small businesses looking for a WhatsApp auto reply do not use the app they already have to its full extent. The WhatsApp Business app has three tools on its Tools tab: the greeting message, the away message and quick replies. Set up well, they handle part of the evening messages on their own.

We took the steps below from WhatsApp's official Help Center pages as they stood on 7 November 2026. Menu names can differ slightly between app versions. At the end we say honestly where these tools stop and when it makes sense to look at something else.

Three tools, three different jobs

Both automatic messages need an active internet connection on the phone. The Help Center says so on both pages.

How to set up a greeting message

According to the greeting message help page:

1. On the Tools tab, tap Greeting message.
2. Turn on Send greeting message.
3. Tap the message to edit it, then tap Save.
4. Under Recipients, choose Everyone, Exclude my contacts, Everyone except… or Only send to….

The message goes out when a customer writes for the first time, or after 14 days without activity in the chat. Regular customers will often not see it, which is fine. The greeting is there to guide newcomers.

A good greeting is short and tells people what to write:

Hello, welcome to [Business name]. To book, send your name and the day you would like. On weekdays we reply quickly between 9:00 and 19:00. Our address and opening hours are in our profile.

How to set up an away message

The steps on the away message help page:

1. On the Tools tab, tap Away message and turn on Send away message.
2. Tap the message, edit it and confirm.
3. Tap Schedule. There are three options: Always send, a schedule you set yourself, or Outside of business hours.
4. Tap Recipients. The options are similar to the greeting: everyone, people not in your address book, everyone except the ones you pick, or only the ones you pick.
5. Tap Save.

The outside-hours option only works once you have entered your business hours in your business profile. A schedule you set yourself is handy for holidays.

The most common mistake is writing "we will get back to you as soon as possible". People want to know when:

We are closed right now and have your message. We will reply first thing after 9:00 tomorrow. If you want to book, just send your name and a day that suits you.

Quick replies: not automatic, but the biggest time saver

Quick replies do not send themselves. You link a text you write often to a shortcut, and you still send the message. Per the help page:

1. On the Tools tab, tap Quick replies.
2. Tap the plus icon.
3. Write the message.
4. Tap Shortcut and enter a word.
5. Tap Save.

In a chat, type "/" in the message field to see all your quick replies. Pick one, edit it if needed and send. You can also pick one from the attach icon. You can store up to 50. They can include images and videos, but media in quick replies is not supported on Web or Desktop. The app also suggests default replies built from your business profile, such as your hours and address.

These eight shortcuts cover most businesses to start with:

• address: full address and a map link
• hours: opening hours and days off
• prices: current price list or catalogue link
• booking: what details you need to book
• payment: payment methods you accept
• delivery: delivery time and cost
• returns: return and exchange terms
• thanks: a short thank-you after a visit or order

Where these tools stop

All three are fixed text. They do not understand the question. To someone asking at night whether 3 pm tomorrow is free, the away message can only say "we will reply in the morning". They do not see your booking calendar, they do not answer Instagram or website chat, and they depend on the phone being online.

On top of this, Meta is adding an AI agent called Meta Business Agent to the app. According to its help page, you turn it on from the Tools tab, and it answers questions using your profile, website and catalogue. The same page lists what is worth knowing:

• For now it is available only in limited countries to select businesses, and not all languages are supported.
• While it is connected, greeting messages are disabled automatically. The page says it may restrict some other features too.
• Meta notes that AI-generated messages may not be accurate or appropriate.
• Even when muted, chats are still collected by Meta to improve its AI. Businesses that handle personal data should reflect this in their privacy notice.

This table shows where you stand:

If the right column sounds more like you, we compare Meta's 2026 rules and the options in WhatsApp AI assistant. The Bulsu Labs AI Receptionist is built for that case: it answers on five channels only from your information and writes bookings into your panel.

Checklist before you switch it on

1. Enter your business hours in your profile. The outside-hours away message depends on it.
2. Put a concrete time in every message instead of "as soon as possible".
3. Test by writing to yourself from another number. If that number wrote to you in the last 14 days, the greeting will not arrive.
4. If the greeting does not arrive, follow the Help Center advice: switch the feature off and on, update the app and restart the phone.
5. For your QR code you can also set a default message of up to 140 characters. Customers can edit it before sending.
6. When you use automation, leave a prompt and clear escalation path: a staff member in the chat, a phone number or an email. The WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy asks businesses that automate for this.
7. Update the away message before holidays, and check the prices in your quick replies once a month.

To see how well this works, count the evening messages for one week. That number usually tells you whether to stay with the free tools or move to an assistant. For the window and template rules, see WhatsApp 24-hour window.