WhatsApp Business away message: how to set it up (+ examples)

A well-configured WhatsApp away messageis the guarantee that no customer is ever left facing silence when you're not available. The WhatsApp Business auto-replyacknowledges the message, announces a timeframe and keeps the contact warm until you're back. In this guide: the exact setup, step by step, 9 away message templates sorted by context, 2 greeting message templates — and, honestly, what this tool will never do for you.

Greeting message or away message: which one do you need?

WhatsApp Business offers two automatic messages, often confused. The WhatsApp greeting message is sent when a new contact writes to you for the first time (or after a long period without any exchange): it welcomes and orients. The away message, on the other hand, replies automatically during the slots when you're not available: at night, on weekends, during holidays.

The right answer, in most cases: both. The greeting so you never miss a first contact, the away message so you never leave a message unanswered outside your hours.

How do you set up the away message on WhatsApp Business?

The setup takes two minutes, directly in the app:

• Open WhatsApp Business, then Settings.
• Go to Business tools → Away message.
• Turn on Send away message.
• Write your text (the templates below are made for that).
• Choose the schedule: Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours(if you've filled in your hours in your business profile).
• Choose the recipients: everyone, everyone except your address book, or a specific list of contacts.

The path is the same for the greeting message: Business tools → Greeting message. One thing to know: automatic messages only go out if your phone has an active internet connection. Phone off or out of network = no send.

What a good away message always contains

• A warm acknowledgment: the person knows their message arrived safely.
• A precise reply time: "tomorrow morning" or "within 2h" reassures; "as soon as possible" reassures no one.
• A next step: describe their need in one sentence, check a link, book a slot. The conversation moves forward even while you're away.

Avoid the robotic "no-reply" tone. Write the way you speak: this is WhatsApp, not a support ticket. If you're short on inspiration, our auto-reply generator gives you 4 away or greeting messages tailored to your business.

Templates for evenings and weekends

"Thanks for your message 🙏 Our hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm. I'll reply in person first thing tomorrow morning. In the meantime, tell me in one sentence what you're looking for: you'll save time when I'm back."

Why it works:a clear timeframe, and the question moves the conversation forward while you're away — you come back with the need already stated.

"Got it! 🙌 On weekends I unplug so I can come back fresh on Monday. Your message is at the top of the pile: reply guaranteed Monday before noon. Have a great weekend!"

Why it works:it owns the disconnection with a human tone, and the precise commitment ("Monday before noon") turns the wait into a promise.

Templates for holidays

"Hello! I'm on holiday until [date] 🌴 I read everything when I'm back and I'll reply to you as a priority. If it's truly urgent, start your message with URGENT: I do a quick check-in every two days."

Why it works:the return date frames the wait, and the "URGENT" escape valve keeps you from losing the customer who can't wait.

"Thanks for your message! We're closed until [date]. While you wait, our catalog is up to date here → [link], and you can already tell me what you're interested in. I'll get back to you as of [date]."

Why it works: it gives people something to do during the wait. If you sell products, a well-stocked WhatsApp Business catalogliterally acts as your storefront while you're gone.

Templates for busy periods

"We're getting a lot of messages right now (thank you 🙏). We promise, we reply to everyone, in order of arrival — allow [timeframe] max. To speed things up, share [the useful info: your date, your size, your goal] right away."

Why it works: it turns the rush into social proof and gives the customer a concrete way to shorten their own wait.

"Got it! With the launch of [offer], reply times are a bit longer than usual: allow [timeframe]. Thanks for your patience 🙌"

Why it works: short, honest, time-boxed. Announcing a delay always beats letting people discover it.

Templates with a precise timeframe or a booking link

"Thanks for your message! I reply in person within 2h during the day (9am-6pm). If you write to me in the evening, reply guaranteed the next day before 10am."

Why it works: two cases, two time-boxed promises. The customer knows exactly what to expect, whatever the hour.

"I'm not available right now, but we can do better than a message ping-pong: book a slot directly here → [booking link]. Otherwise, I'll reply within [timeframe]."

Why it works:it turns waiting into action. The motivated prospect doesn't wait for your return: they put themselves in your calendar on their own.

"Thanks! 🙏 Two options: 1) leave me your question here, I'll reply within [timeframe]; 2) it's urgent → call [number]. Talk soon!"

Why it works: the clear alternative channels urgent cases to the right place instead of letting frustration build up in silence.

Two WhatsApp greeting message templates

"Welcome [first name] 👋 Thanks for writing to us! Tell us in one sentence what you're looking for, and we'll get back to you as fast as possible with a real answer — not a multiple-choice menu 🙂"

Why it works:it reassures people that a human is behind it, and the "in one sentence" request qualifies the need from the very first contact.

"Hello! You're in the right place for [your promise]. So we can reply fast and well: are you more of a [profile A] or a [profile B]?"

Why it works: the two-choice question segments your contacts from the start — and an easy question always gets more replies than an open one.

The away message's limit: it acknowledges, it doesn't sell

Let's be honest: the away message is an answering machine, not a salesperson. It sends the same text to everyone, once, and the conversation stops there. The hot prospect who writes to you at 11pm gets your acknowledgment… then nothing until morning. Their questions go unanswered, their interest cools down, and sometimes they write to a competitor in the meantime.

That's the structural limit of all of Meta's native tools: great at acknowledging, incapable of qualifying or closing. We detailed the full comparison in our head-to-head Settyn vs Meta Business Suite.

Is the away message sent for every message?

No. It goes out on the first message received during the away period, but WhatsApp doesn't resend it for every new message from the same contact: the app spaces out the sends so your auto-reply doesn't turn into spam. Useful reminder: your phone also needs an internet connection for the send to go out.

Can you have several away messages at the same time?

No, only one text is active at a time. You can choose who receives it (everyone, outside your address book, a custom list), but you can't vary the content by contact or context. In practice: remember to update it whenever your situation changes — holidays, launch, back to normal.

Does the away message exist on regular WhatsApp?

No. Automatic messages (away and greeting) are exclusive to the WhatsApp Business app, which is free. If you're still using regular WhatsApp for your business, migrating takes a few minutes — follow our guide to getting started with WhatsApp Business.

From acknowledgment to booked appointment

The away message makes people wait. Settynmakes things move: the AI replies in under 30 seconds, 24/7, through the official Meta APIs — but instead of a frozen text, it holds a real conversation, answers questions, qualifies the contact and books the appointment straight into your calendar. While your away message says "I'll be back tomorrow", Settyn has already closed. From €97/month, with 3 free days and no commitment to test it on your own conversations.