A customer who writes to you for the first time, or at 2 a.m. your time, gets nothing back until you set this up. WhatsApp Business keeps three features for that in the Tools tab: a greeting message, an away message, and quick replies. Setting them up takes a few minutes; the steps below follow WhatsApp's official help pages.
In short
- All three live under the Tools tab of the WhatsApp Business app.
- You write each message once; none of them read what the customer types.
- Greeting and away messages send on their own; a quick reply waits for you to type "/".
- Your phone needs an active internet connection for greeting and away messages to go out.
What to have ready before you start
Two of the three features have an option that depends on your business profile, so fill it in first.
- Business hours saved in the profile.The away message's "outside of business hours" option is only available once those hours are set.
- Every section of the profile filled in.WhatsApp's help says completing each section generates default replies for your address and hours.
Away message: cover the hours you cannot answer
If you run the account from another country, decide first what a customer should read in the middle of your night.
- Open the Tools tab and tap Away message.
- Turn on Send away message.
- Tap the message to edit it, then tap OK.
- Tap Schedule and pick when it sends: always, a custom schedule, or only outside of business hours (this last option needs business hours already set in your profile).
- Tap Recipients and choose who gets it.
- Tap Save.
Steps and scheduling options: official WhatsApp Business help on away messages.
Greeting message: what a first-time customer sees
It goes out on someone's first message to you, or when they write again after 14 days with no messages in that chat.
- Open the Tools tab and tap Greeting message.
- Turn on Send greeting message.
- Tap the message to edit it, then tap OK.
- Tap Recipients and choose who gets it.
- Tap Save.
The full flow is in the official WhatsApp Business help on greeting messages.
Who receives each message, and who does not
Both messages share the same four Recipients options, which decide who never sees them.
| Recipients option | Who it sends to |
|---|---|
| Everyone | Anyone who messages you |
| Everyone not in address book | Only customers you have not saved in your address book |
| Everyone except… | Every customer apart from the ones you select |
| Only send to… | Only the contacts you select |
If a customer did not get the greeting message, WhatsApp's help lists what to check: an "Only send to…" or "Everyone except…" choice that leaves that person out; the 14-day rule, since anyone who messaged you within the last 14 days does not receive it again; and Meta Business Agent, which disables greeting messages while it is connected, so you would need to delete it. Failing that, turn the setting off and on, update WhatsApp Business, or restart the phone.
Quick replies: the lines you type every day
Quick replies are shortcuts you save once and pull up by typing "/". You can store up to 50, and they can include images or videos.
- Open the Tools tab and tap Quick replies.
- Tap the add icon.
- Tap Message and write the text you want to save.
- Tap Shortcut and set the trigger, for example /prices.
- Tap Save.
To use one, type "/" in the message box and select the reply; it appears in the text field and you can edit it before sending.
Media files are not supported in quick replies on WhatsApp Web or Desktop, per the official WhatsApp Business help on quick replies. For wording someone else drafted, the WhatsApp automatic reply examples posthas templates to copy.
When fixed text is not enough
All three repeat the words you saved: they do not read what a customer types, do not tell an order from a complaint, and do not decide anything. That takes a bot that reads the message and connects it to your operation, for example turning a voice note into an order or a phone number into that customer's file.
Still typing the same answers all day with the three on? See how much a WhatsApp bot costs for a business; if the question is what to automate first, the practical guide to WhatsApp automatic replieshas the criteria.
At Walabi we offer a 30-minute call, free and with no obligation, in Spanish and with a real person, to map out what this already solves and what you would need built to fit your business.
Frequently asked questions
Which one should I turn on first?
The away message if messages pile up while you are offline; quick replies if you keep retyping the same address. Greeting and away messages each have their own switch under the Tools tab, and quick replies are saved from the same tab, so you can add the others whenever you are ready.
Can I set all this up from WhatsApp Web or the Desktop app?
WhatsApp's help documents these steps for the Android and iPhone apps, so keep the phone at hand. About the computer it says one thing: quick replies there do not support media files. Draft the wording on your laptop and paste it into the phone.
Should I write these messages in Spanish, in English, or both?
You write the text yourself, so one option is two short lines in the same message, one per language. Look at the language your customers actually use when they write to you, and keep it short either way.
Does my phone need to stay online?
Yes for the greeting and away messages: WhatsApp's help notes that your device needs an active internet connection to send them. Before a long weekend, check that the phone holding the account stays powered and connected.
Is there anything worth saving outside the app?
Your quick replies. WhatsApp's help says a deleted quick reply cannot be recovered and recommends keeping a copy of the most important ones outside the app.
Want your customers to get an answer even when nobody is at the phone? See how WhatsApp automation for your business works: what it includes, what it costs and how long it takes.
