WhatsApp Greeting and Away Messages: 48 Examples and How to Set Them Up

What are greeting and away messages in WhatsApp Business?

A greeting message is the automatic reply the WhatsApp Business app sends to anyone who writes for the first time or comes back after 14 days of inactivity. An away message is the automatic reply it sends when you can't respond, on the schedule you pick. Both sit in the app's Tools tab and go out without anyone touching the phone.

The difference is the trigger. The greeting looks at the chat history and doesn't know what time it is. The away message looks at the clock and doesn't know who is writing. So one doesn't cover for the other. A 3 a.m. greeting may say someone will reply shortly, and it falls to the away message to say when you open.

This article is one to save. It has 48 examples by situation and industry, plus the setup as shown in the WhatsApp Help Center on November 2, 2026. For the wider picture, with quick replies, short links and the move to the API, see our guide to WhatsApp Business automatic messages.

Both can be on at once, and here there's a gap. The Help Center doesn't say what happens when someone writes for the first time outside your hours, and third-party guides contradict each other: some say both go out, others only the away message. Test from another number after hours, and write the two texts so they don't repeat each other if both arrive.

How to set up a WhatsApp Business greeting message in 2026

The current path starts in the Tools tab, on Android and iPhone. Tap Greeting message and turn on Send greeting message. Tap the text to edit it, then tap OK on Android or Save on iPhone. Next tap Recipients, pick the audience and save. That's what the WhatsApp Help Center showed on November 2, 2026.

Some guides updated in 2026 still send you to Settings and then Business tools. The Help Center no longer describes that path. If your app still shows the old menu, update it before going on, since screen names can change from one version to the next.

There are four audiences. Everyone sends to anyone who writes. Everyone not in address book, shown as Exclude my contacts on iPhone, skips people saved in your contacts. Everyone except… leaves out the people you select. Only send to… reaches only the people you select. Excluding contacts is usually a good start, as long as the phone's contact list really holds your customers.

The 14-day rule decides who gets it. The greeting goes out on the first message and after 14 days of inactivity in the chat. Anyone who wrote in the last 14 days won't get it, even if you just changed the text. That explains the test that seems to fail. If you test from a number that chatted with the business last week, nothing arrives. Test from a number that has never written.

If the greeting isn't sending, the Help Center says to check Meta Business Agent first, since greetings turn off when it's connected, then your recipients and the 14-day rule. After that, switch the option off and on, update the app and restart the device. The phone also needs an active internet connection for the message to go out.

How to set up a WhatsApp away message and choose when it sends

In the Tools tab, tap Away message and turn on Send away message. Tap the text to edit it, then tap OK on Android or Save on iPhone. Next tap Schedule and choose when it applies. Under Recipients, pick the audience, with the same four options as the greeting, and save.

Schedule has three options. Always send goes out at any time. Custom schedule goes out only during the period you set. Outside of business hours goes out when you're closed, but it only appears if your hours are filled in on the business profile. That's under Tools, Profile, Business hours, with the options Open for selected hours, Always open and Appointments only.

Here's how to use them. Day to day, Outside of business hours. For a holiday, a shutdown or a short break, Custom schedule with the right period. For vacation or a number nobody is answering, Always send, with a calendar reminder to turn it off. It's the easiest option to forget, and your March customer doesn't need to hear about your January vacation.

The trap is the holiday. The business hours screen asks for days and times of the week, with no field for holidays. To the app, Thanksgiving, November 26, 2026, is an ordinary Thursday. Someone who writes at 10 a.m. gets no notice and sits looking at a silent chat. Before every weekday holiday, switch to Custom schedule and switch back afterward.

The Help Center leaves out two things. It doesn't say whether the away message repeats for each message from the same person, and it doesn't publish a character limit, while third-party guides quote different numbers. Don't trust any of them without testing. Send three messages in a row from another number after hours and see what arrives.

What are the limits of greeting and away messages in the app?

The app stores one text of each. You can't have one greeting for people from an ad and another for people from your website, or a different away message by topic. The only variation is the audience, through the four recipient options. Nothing is decided after the send either. If the text says “type 1 for sales,” the customer types 1 and nothing happens.

Meta Business Agent, Meta's AI agent inside the app, interferes with these tools. According to the Help Center, on November 2, 2026 it was available only to selected businesses in some countries. When it's connected, greeting messages turn off, and away messages are on the list of affected features. To get them back, you have to delete the agent.

These tools only exist on the phone. In its coexistence feature table, Meta writes “No change” for the app and “Not supported” for the API on greeting messages, away messages, quick replies and labels. If you use one number on both sides, known as coexistence between the app and the API, the greeting keeps working in the app.

That leads to an integration mistake few people mention. If the greeting stays on in the app and your automation also replies through the API, the customer can get two automatic replies in the same chat. The documentation doesn't cover this, and it doesn't say whether the app's reply reaches your system. Pick one side, turn off the other, and test before rolling it out.

WhatsApp away message examples by situation

Replace what's in brackets and cut what you don't need. No example asks for an SSN, password, card or ID. After hours, the direct version: “Hi! Our hours are Monday to Friday, [time] to [time] [time zone]. We got your message and will reply starting at [time] on the next business day.” A lighter one: “Hi, this is [company]. Nobody's online right now. Send your question whenever, and we'll answer in order when we open at [time].”

For a lunch break: “Hi! We're at lunch until [time]. We'll answer in order as soon as we're back.” For the weekend: “Hi! We're closed Saturdays and Sundays. Leave your message and we'll reply Monday from [time]. If it's about an order, send the order number to save time.” If you open Saturdays: “Hi! We're open until [time] on Saturday and closed Sunday. If you're writing now, you'll hear from us Monday morning.”

Weekday holiday: “Hi! We're closed today for [holiday]. We're back on [day] at [time]. Website orders are still going through, only customer service is paused.” Long weekend: “Hi! We're closed for the Fourth of July weekend, [date] to [date]. We're back Monday at [time] and will answer in the order messages came in.” Year-end: “Happy holidays! [Company] is closed from [date] to [date]. Track orders in progress at [link]. We'll reply starting [date].”

Vacation, if you work alone: “Hi, this is [name]. I'm on vacation until [date] and will reply then. If it can't wait, contact [colleague] at [phone].” Company shutdown: “Hi! [Company] is closed for our annual shutdown until [date], and we won't be able to reply before then. Your message will be in line when we're back.”

High demand calls for Always send during the peak, and someone to turn it off later. “Hi! We're getting a lot of messages today, and a reply may take up to [time]. No need to send it again, you're already in line.” During Black Friday week: “Hi! It's Black Friday week here. To track an order, use [link], which is faster. For everything else, we'll reply within [time].”

WhatsApp greeting message examples for first contact and returning customers

A good greeting says who's talking, what the person can do now and when someone will reply. For first contact: “Hi! This is [company], we [what you do]. Tell me what you need, and someone on the team will reply within [time].” Another for businesses with few topics: “Hi, glad you're here. To help you faster, tell me if this is about [topic 1], [topic 2] or something else.”

For returning customers, remember the text only goes out after 14 days without a chat. “Hi again! It's been a while. How can I help? If this is about an older order, send the purchase date and we'll find it.” Or shorter: “Good to see you back. Tell me what you need, and the team will reply within [time].”

The catch is that the app stores only one text, for new and returning people alike. The way out is to write one that works for both: “Hi! This is [company]. If this is your first message, welcome. If you're already a customer, just tell me what you need and we'll look up your history.” To use truly different texts, you need automation on the API, as we'll show below.

About emoji: the examples come without them on purpose, so you can decide. An emoji at the start makes the text lighter for a salon, restaurant or store. At a clinic, law firm or accounting practice, plain text usually suits the subject better. Use one, two at most, and never in place of information. Keep the hours spelled out, because that's what the customer came for.

Examples for clinics, medical offices, salons, ecommerce and restaurants

At a clinic, the automatic text doesn't ask about symptoms. GDPR art. 9 treats health data as a special category, HIPAA applies to covered entities in the US, and WhatsApp's policy bars requesting health information where the law forbids it on non-compliant systems. Greeting: “Hello, this is the front desk at [clinic]. To book or change a visit, share the patient's name, the specialty and the best time of day. If this is an emergency, call 911.”

Clinic away message: “Hello, the office is closed. Our hours are Monday to Friday, [time] to [time], and we'll reply when we open. If this is an emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.” Solo practice: “Hello, this is Dr. [name]'s office. I'm with a patient and can't reply right now. I'll get back to you by [time]. Please don't send test results or health details here.”

At a salon or spa, the risk is a client assuming the slot is booked. Greeting: “Hi! This is [salon]. Tell me the service, the day and the time of day you'd like, and I'll check openings.” Away: “Hi! We're open Tuesday to Saturday, [time] to [time]. Leave the service and the day. Your appointment is set only once we confirm it.” Day off: “Hi! Monday is our day off. We'll answer in order tomorrow from [time].”

In ecommerce, the best away message takes the question out of the queue. Greeting: “Hi! This is [store]. Track your orders at [link]. For returns or product questions, write here and someone will reply within [time].” Away: “Hi! Customer service is back at [time] on [day], and the store is still open at [link]. If it's about an order, leave the order number.” At peak: “Hi! It's Cyber Week, and replies may take up to [time]. Delivery dates and order status are at [link].”

At a restaurant, the message has to say whether the order counts. Greeting: “Hi! This is [restaurant]. The menu is at [link]. To order, send the items and the delivery address.” Away: “Hi! We're closed. We're open [day] to [day], [time] to [time]. Orders sent outside those hours don't reach the kitchen, so please send yours again when we open.” Busy kitchen: “Hi! The kitchen is slammed, with delivery around [time]. Your order counts only once we confirm it.”

Examples for law firms, accountants, real estate, schools and courses

At a law firm, the automatic text should stay low-key. Check your bar's advertising rules. In Brazil, the OAB's Provimento 205/2021 bans promising results in any advertising and allows a chatbot for first questions, as long as the service stays personal. Greeting: “Hello, this is [firm]. Tell us briefly what this is about, without sending documents here. Someone on the team will reply within [time].”

Firm away message: “Hello, our hours are Monday to Friday, [time] to [time]. This automatic message isn't legal advice. If you have a deadline, tell us the date and we'll look at it first thing.” Accountant greeting: “Hello, this is [firm]. Tell us your company name and the topic. Documents go through [portal], not here.” During tax season: “Hello, it's tax season, and replies may take up to [time]. If something is due today, start your message with ‘due today’.”

At a real estate agency, ask only for what leads to the right property. Greeting: “Hi! This is [agency]. Send me the listing number or the neighborhood, and whether you want to buy or rent. An agent will reply within [time].” Away: “Hi! Our agents work until [time], and until [time] on Saturdays. Leave the listing number and the day you'd like. A showing is set only once we confirm it.” For tenants: “Hi! Maintenance requests and rent payments are at [link]. Showings and new listings, right here.”

At a school, separate families from prospects. Greeting: “Hello, this is the front office at [school]. Tell us if this is about enrollment, a student or tuition, and we'll get you to the right person.” Away: “Hello, the office is open Monday to Friday, [time] to [time]. During the break, [date] to [date], we'll reply when we're back.” Online course: “Hi! Trouble getting into [course]? The steps are at [link]. If that doesn't fix it, reply with your enrollment email. We never ask for your password.”

Examples for auto repair shops, SaaS and freelancers

At a repair shop, the customer wants to know if the car is safe to drive, and an automatic text can't answer that. Greeting: “Hi! This is [shop]. Tell me the make, model and year, and what's going on. A video of the noise really helps.” Away: “Hi! We close at [time] and open at [time]. Leave the car model and the problem, and we'll reply in the morning.” Full shop: “Hi! We're full today, and estimates may take up to [time]. If your car is here, we'll tell you when it's done.”

In SaaS, the text points to the status page before anything else. Greeting: “Hello, this is [product] support. Send your account email and what happened, with a screenshot if you can. We never ask for your password here.” Away: “Hello, support runs Monday to Friday, [time] to [time] [time zone]. If the system seems down, check [link].” For sales: “Hi! Want to see [product]? Tell me your team size and what you're trying to solve. A specialist will reply within [time].”

For a freelancer, the greeting filters the request and the away message protects the job in progress. Greeting: “Hi, this is [name], [trade]. Tell me the job and the neighborhood, and send a photo if you can. I'll get back to you by end of day.” Away: “Hi, this is [name]. I'm on a job and can't check my phone right now. I'll reply by [time]. If it's urgent, call [phone].” Booked up: “Hi! I'm booked until [date]. I can note your request for after that.”

An away message is not a deadline: how to promise a reply you can keep

An away message says nobody's there. A reply time is a commitment someone on the team has to keep. The text goes out on its own, and the answer doesn't. If at 7 p.m. the app promises a reply by 10 a.m. and nobody opens the queue until 11, the automatic message created a delay that wasn't there before.

Work out the time from your own history. Take your last 30 after-hours chats and note how long it took, after opening, for a person to reply. Sort them from fastest to slowest and take the 27th. That's the time you met in nine out of ten cases, and it's what goes in the [time] of the examples, rounded up.

Then give the queue an owner. Someone needs the first hour of the day on their calendar to answer what came in overnight. Mondays and the day after a holiday pile up more chats, so measure those days separately. If their number is different, swap the promise for “starting at [time]” and leave the commitment to the operation.

If you have no safe time, just say when you open. “Soon” and “shortly” tell people nothing. “We open at 9 and answer in order” tells them something, and doesn't promise what you don't control. An opening time gives the customer something concrete to wait for.

Some sectors have their own rules. In Brazil, Decree 13.135/2026, taking effect in early November for federally regulated sectors and Central Bank-supervised financial platforms, requires at least one electronic channel running 24 hours, with a person from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and replies within seven calendar days on non-urgent requests. If WhatsApp is that channel, “back on Monday” won't do. Our WhatsApp customer service guide has the details.

What mistakes should you avoid in greeting and away messages?

After the promise nobody keeps comes the long text. The message shows up on a phone screen, often in a notification, and the person wants to know one thing: when they'll get an answer. Three sentences do it. If you have more to say, add a link. Address, website and hours already live on the business profile.

Asking for personal data is the most serious mistake. WhatsApp's policy, updated September 23, 2026, says not to ask for full payment card numbers, financial account numbers, ID numbers or other sensitive identifiers, in the app or on the API. GDPR art. 5 limits collection to what's necessary, and so does Brazil's LGPD. Social Security numbers, passwords and one-time codes stay out of every automatic message.

There's a second reason: scams. An automatic message that asks for data teaches customers to hand data to anyone writing in your company's name. That's why some of the examples above say the opposite, that you never ask for a password. If your text came from an old template that mentions an ID or a card, rewrite it today.

Another mistake is forgetting the message is on. The vacation notice keeps going out in March, and the customer decides you've closed. Set a calendar reminder the day you turn it on. The same goes for the return from a holiday: on the first business day, send a test message from another number and see what arrives.

Finally, don't use the away message to sell. An offer in an automatic reply gets in the way of someone who came with a problem, and Brazil's Decree 13.135/2026 bans advertising at any stage of service on the customer service channels it covers. And don't write a menu where there isn't one. The app doesn't read the customer's reply, so “type 2 for billing” just adds a second frustration.

Why the WhatsApp API has no greeting button, and how to do it with an automation flow

The official API delivers and receives messages. There's no greeting or away screen to turn on, and the software connected to it decides what to reply. The closest thing to a native greeting is ice breakers, up to 4 tappable prompts of up to 80 characters, no emoji, shown in the first chat. When the customer taps one, you get a regular message and reply yourself. A wa.me link with prefilled text dismisses them.

For advertisers, Meta also has welcome message sequences for ads that click to WhatsApp, created through the API and selected in Ads Manager. They only cover people who click the ad. People who arrive from your website, packaging or a referral still depend on your flow.

The automation flow asks four questions on every incoming message. Is a person already in this chat? If so, don't reply. Is the business closed, on a calendar that includes holidays? If so, send the away message. Is this the first message, or has it been more than [n] days since the last one? If so, send the greeting. Has this person already had a notice today? If so, stay quiet. The 14 days are an app rule. On the API, you set the number.

If the goal is to solve things and not just notify, the path is a WhatsApp chatbot or AI agent. WhatsApp's policy allows automation inside the 24-hour window as long as there's a prompt, clear and direct path to a person: a handoff in the chat, phone, email, web support, a store visit or a support form. An AI agent identifies itself as AI in its first message.

On platforms, the feature goes by other names. In Blip, the official help asks for a service-hours schedule, with periods without service for holidays and shutdowns, tied to the bot through an exit condition in Builder. In RD Station Conversas, every flow starts with a default message, created under Automatização, Fluxos. In CCX Messages, the auto-reply lives in the dashboard and goes out on a customer's first message, by weekday and time, as a text, a template or a flow.

24-hour window: on the API, a greeting is a service message and needs no template

On the API, the 24-hour window opens when the customer writes. Inside it, you can send any service message without prior approval, such as text, buttons, a list or a flow. Since greeting and away messages reply to someone who just wrote, they go out as plain text. You don't need to create or approve a template for them, a common mix-up for people coming from the app and searching for a “WhatsApp template” for their greeting.

That reply counts as a service message. Since October 1, 2026, Meta charges for service messages delivered beyond a monthly free tier of 1,000 per number, as we explain in service message pricing. In practice, an automation that sends three bubbles where one would do burns through the free tier three times as fast.

The costliest trap is the long holiday. The clock only restarts when the customer writes again, and your away message doesn't count. Someone who writes on Thursday, December 24, 2026, at 6 p.m. and gets the automatic notice has a window that closes Friday at 6 p.m. On Monday the 28th, when the team is back, you can't reply with free text. Meta accepts only a template.

Prepare that return before the break. A utility template works when the text is specific to the customer's issue and has no offer. Meta's guidelines give following up on a service issue as an example, and content mixed with a promotion becomes marketing. Example: “Hello. We got your message from [date] about [topic] and we're back. Can we continue here?” The rules are in our piece on template categories.

In CCX Messages, a chat that arrives after hours lands in the shared inbox with your other channels, with no per-agent fee, and each team can have its own numbers, hours and someone on duty outside them. Once 24 hours pass since the customer's last message, the text field locks and the inbox opens the approved-template picker. Where the CCX Messages AI is switched on, it answers from the knowledge base and hands off to a person with the conversation's context.