# 25 WhatsApp auto‑reply messages for business — and when a canned reply isn’t enough

_Greeting, away, holiday, order, booking, payment and complaint replies you can paste today, written to sound like a person and not a robot._

Published 2026-10-12 · 8 min read · by the iChatUp team · https://ichatup.my/guides/whatsapp-auto-reply-messages

## Before you paste: three rules

1. **Say what happens next and when.** “We’ll reply in the morning” beats “Thanks for your message”.
2. **Give one useful thing now.** Opening hours, a menu link, a booking link, a price list.
3. **Never pretend to be a person.** Customers forgive a bot; they don’t forgive being tricked.

## Greeting messages (first contact)

1. Hi! Thanks for messaging {Business}. How can we help today — timings, prices, or a booking?
2. Welcome to {Business} 👋 Tell us what you need and we’ll get right on it. Open {hours}.
3. Hello! You’ve reached {Business}. For our menu and prices tap {link}; for anything else, just ask.
4. Hi there — thanks for reaching out to {Business}. A team member will reply shortly. In the meantime, our most‑asked question: we’re open {hours}, at {address}.
5. Thanks for contacting {Business}! Share your name and what you’re looking for, and we’ll take it from there.

## Away and after‑hours messages

6. We’re closed right now (open {hours}). Leave your question here and we’ll answer first thing in the morning.
7. Thanks for your message! Our team is offline until {time}. If it’s urgent, call {phone}.
8. It’s after hours at {Business}, but your message is saved. We reply in order — usually within an hour of opening.
9. We’re with customers at the moment. Expect a reply within {n} minutes. Want to book in the meantime? {link}
10. Out of office until {date}. For bookings use {link}; for everything else we’ll reply when we’re back.

## Holiday messages

11. Happy {holiday} from all of us at {Business}! We’re closed until {date} and will reply as soon as we reopen.
12. We’re taking a short break for {holiday}. Orders placed now ship from {date}. Thank you for your patience!
13. {Business} is closed on {date} for {holiday}. Emergencies: {phone}. Everything else: we’ll be back {date}.

## Orders, bookings and payments

14. Thanks! Your order {ref} is confirmed. We’ll message you when it’s out for delivery.
15. Got it — your appointment on {date} at {time} is booked. Reply CHANGE to reschedule.
16. Your slot is held for 30 minutes. Pay the {amount} deposit here to confirm: {link}
17. Payment received — thank you! Booking {ref} is confirmed. See you on {date}.
18. Your order is ready for pickup at {address}, {hours}. Show this message at the counter.
19. Quick check: is {date} at {time} still good for you? Reply YES to confirm or NO to pick another time.

## Complaints and sensitive topics

20. I’m sorry about that. I’ve passed this to {Name}, who will reply personally within {n} minutes.
21. Thank you for telling us — that’s not the experience we want you to have. A manager is looking at it now.
22. I can’t advise on that over chat, but a member of our team can. They’ll message you here shortly.

## Lead capture and follow‑up

23. Happy to send details! Could you share your name and the date you have in mind?
24. Just checking in — did you get everything you needed about {topic}? Happy to help with next steps.
25. Thanks for visiting {Business} today! If you have a minute, we’d love a review: {link}

## When a canned reply isn’t enough

Auto‑replies buy time; they don’t answer the question. The customer who asked “do you have a sea‑view room on Saturday?” is still waiting. The next step is an AI that answers from your actual facts — rooms, prices, hours, policies — in the customer’s language, books the slot, and hands over to you when it should. That is what iChatUp does on the same number, and it still uses messages like the ones above for the moments that need a fixed, human‑approved wording.

## Questions

**How do I set an auto-reply on WhatsApp Business?**

In the WhatsApp Business app: Business tools → Away message / Greeting message, set the text and schedule. For replies that actually answer questions (prices, availability, bookings) you need software on the number, such as an AI employee connected via QR or the official API.

**What should a WhatsApp away message say?**

When you will reply, one useful thing the customer can do now (hours, a booking link, a menu), and how to reach you if it is urgent. Keep it to two or three short sentences.

**Can WhatsApp auto-replies answer specific questions?**

The built-in app replies are fixed text. To answer specific questions — is a slot free, what does X cost, do you deliver here — you need an AI connected to your number that reads your business facts and replies from them.