Blog · Automation
WhatsApp auto reply: how to set it up for your business
A customer who writes at 10 pm and hears nothing until morning often buys somewhere else. An automatic reply fixes that, first in the WhatsApp Business app and then, when you outgrow it, on the API.
Two kinds of automatic reply
There are two places to set up an auto reply, and they do very different amounts of work:
- The WhatsApp Business app on your phone has a greeting message and an away message. Free, and set up in two minutes.
- The WhatsApp Business API, through a tool like GetSetSales, can answer by keyword, reply to common questions in the customer’s own words, and acknowledge everything else, for the whole team.
Start with the app if you get a few messages a day. Move to the API when the same questions eat your evenings.
In the WhatsApp Business app
Greeting message
Sent the first time someone messages you, or when they write after 14 days of silence.
- Open WhatsApp Business and tap Tools (or Settings → Business tools).
- Tap Greeting message and switch on Send greeting message.
- Write the message and choose who gets it: everyone, or everyone except certain contacts.
Example: “Hi! Thanks for messaging Sharma Dental. For appointments, tell us the day that suits you and we’ll confirm a time.”
Away message
Sent when you are closed. In Business tools → Away message, write the message and pick a schedule: always, a custom time, or outside the business hours on your profile.
Example: “We’re closed right now. We open at 10 am and will reply first thing. For emergencies, call 98xxxxxx00.”
Where the app stops
- One greeting and one away message. It can’t answer “what are your fees?” with your fees.
- It runs on one phone. Your team can’t share the chats from their own screens.
- There is no reply to a keyword, a button tap or someone who came from your ad.
On the WhatsApp Business API
With the API you connect your number to a tool and the replies run there. In GetSetSales you can keep the same number and still use the app on your phone. These are the automatic replies you can set up, from simplest to most capable:
1. A default reply for everything else
One message, in your words, for any message nothing else answered: “Thanks, we have your message and will reply by 11 am.” You choose how often a customer gets it (once a day, every 6 hours, every hour), so someone who sends five messages in a row gets one acknowledgement, not five. It never talks over a chat your team is already handling.
2. Answers to your common questions
Write your top questions once, with your answer to each: fees, timings, location, refunds. When a customer asks in their own words, “fees kitni hai?” or “what does it cost?”, they get your answer straight away, word for word. If no question fits, nothing is sent and the chat waits for your team.
3. Replies to a keyword or a first message
Someone sends “PRICE” and gets your price list. Someone writes for the first time and gets a welcome with buttons: Book a visit, See prices, Talk to us. Each button can lead to its own reply.
4. A reply for people who tap your ad
Everyone who comes from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad can get its own welcome, whatever they type, so you can ask the right first question while they’re still interested.
All four are set up without code in the automation builder; the automation setup guide walks through each one.
What it costs
The app’s greeting and away messages are free. On the API, Meta doesn’t charge for replies inside the 24 hours after a customer writes to you. In GetSetSales, a customer conversation your automatic replies answer costs ₹0.15, once per customer per 24 hours, and your team’s own replies are free. See the pricing page for the full list.
Five rules for auto replies customers don’t mind
- Say when a person will reply. “By 11 am” beats “shortly”.
- Answer, don’t deflect. If they asked the price, the reply should contain the price.
- Keep it to a few lines. It’s WhatsApp, not email.
- Don’t repeat yourself. One acknowledgement per customer, not one per message.
- Make it easy to reach a person. A “Talk to us” button, or a line saying the team will follow up.
Related: Click-to-WhatsApp ads and how to reply to every lead and WhatsApp Business app vs API. For examples by business, see the pages for travel agencies and CA firms.
Common questions
Can I set an automatic reply on normal WhatsApp?
No. Greeting and away messages are only in the WhatsApp Business app. It’s free, and you can move your number to it from normal WhatsApp.
Will my auto reply answer other businesses’ auto replies?
It can, and two bots can end up talking to each other. In GetSetSales, set the default reply to once a day or every few hours and it goes to each customer once in that time, so a loop can’t run on.
Can I keep using the app if I move to the API?
Yes, with GetSetSales you can connect the number you already use and keep the WhatsApp Business app on your phone.