Can I send automated messages with the WhatsApp Business app?

Only the basic ones: a greeting message, an away message and quick replies that you send by hand. The app is built for one person answering from one phone. To automate properly, with several people on the same number and answers based on what the customer asked, you need the official WhatsApp Business API.

What happens if I want to message a customer after 24 hours?

You can only start with a template approved by Meta. The 24 hour window opens with every message the customer sends and, while it is open, you reply with free text. Once it closes, free text is no longer delivered and a template is the only way in.

How much do templates cost?

Meta charges for the templates you send and the price depends on the message category and the recipient's country. Rates change over time, so check Meta's official documentation before budgeting a campaign.

Why was my template rejected?

The usual reasons are asking for sensitive information, promising results, including content Meta does not allow, or registering as utility something that is really promotional. If the content is marketing and you declare it as utility, Meta can recategorize or reject it.

Do I need consent for every automated message?

For marketing templates, yes: Meta requires the person to have agreed to receive them and to know which business they come from. Replies inside the 24 hour window do not need separate opt-in, because the customer triggers them by writing to you.

Does an AI reply count as an automated message?

Yes, and the same rules apply. If the AI answers inside the 24 hour window it can use free text; if the conversation is closed, the only way to reopen it is still an approved template.

WhatsApp automated messages: real examples

“Automated message” does not mean the same thing to everyone searching for the term. For some it is the “we are closed” notice. For others, an appointment reminder that goes out on its own. For others, an AI answering price questions at three in the morning. All three exist, but they are not all allowed at the same moment, and that is where most people crash.

This guide separates what you can send, when, and with concrete examples.

First: which WhatsApp are you on?

Everything else depends on this.

The WhatsApp Business app (the free one, on the phone) gives you three automations: a greeting message, an away message and quick replies you trigger yourself by typing a shortcut. It works if one person answers from one phone and volume is low.

The official WhatsApp Business API, also called the WhatsApp Business Platform, is what lets you automate properly: reply based on what the customer asked, have several people work on the same number, connect your catalog or your systems. Everything that follows assumes you are here.

If you are still deciding, the practical difference is on our page about multi-number and the shared inbox.

The rule that governs everything: the 24 hour window

WhatsApp does not let you message anyone whenever you want. The logic is simple:

The customer writes to you. A 24 hour window opens.
While it is open, you reply with whatever you need: free text, images, AI answers, anything.
Once it closes, free text is no longer delivered. To start a conversation again you can only use a template approved by Meta.

Every new message from the customer resets the clock. The rule exists so WhatsApp does not turn into a spam channel, and respecting it is what keeps your number healthy.

Inside the window: four examples

Here you have freedom, and this is where most of your support actually happens.

1. Greeting on the first message

Hi! Thanks for writing to Southern Furniture. Tell me what you are looking for and I will help you with prices, stock and delivery times.

What makes it good: it says who you are and what you can solve. A “hello, we will get back to you shortly” adds nothing and burns the first message, which is the one people actually read.

2. Outside business hours

Thanks for writing. We are open Monday to Friday, 9 to 6. Your message is in the queue and we will reply as soon as we open. If your question is about prices or availability, send the details and I can answer right now.

What makes it good: it does not close the conversation. It leaves the door open for the customer to write the details while they still have them in mind.

3. Answering a frequent question

Nationwide shipping takes 3 to 5 business days and is free over $50. Tell me your city and I will confirm the exact date.

This is the one that pays off most, and a well trained AI resolves it on its own. The key is not the automation but the material you gave it, which we cover in the guide on how to train an AI to reply like your business.

4. Handing off to a person

I am passing you to Carolina from the sales team, who can review the volume discount. She will reply in a few minutes.

What makes it good: it names who and sets a time expectation. A bare “we are transferring you to an agent” leaves the customer waiting without knowing how long.

Outside the window: templates and their three categories

When the conversation is closed, a template is the only way in. Meta sorts them into three categories, and the one you pick decides whether it gets approved and what you pay.

Utility. Tied to something the customer already started: a purchase, a booking, an appointment.

Hi {{1}}, your order {{2}} has left our warehouse and arrives on {{3}}. You can track it here: {{4}}

Authentication. Verification and login codes, in a tightly defined format.

Your verification code is {{1}}. Do not share it with anyone.

Marketing. Promotions, news, cart recovery. Requires the person to have agreed to receive them.

Hi {{1}}, the winter collection is live and you have 15% off until Sunday. Reply STOP if you would rather not get these messages.

The {{1}}, {{2}} variables are filled in at send time with each customer’s data. The template is approved once and reused.

Examples by industry

Online store. Order confirmation and shipping notice as utility; cart recovery as marketing, only with opt-in. More cases in WAG for online stores.

Restaurant. Booking confirmation and a reminder a few hours before. The reminder cuts down on tables that go empty without notice. See WAG for restaurants.

Real estate. Showing confirmation with address and time, and a notice when a property changes status.

Clinic or practice. Appointment reminder with the option to confirm or reschedule by replying to the same message. That is utility, not marketing, because the patient already had the appointment.

The four mistakes that get your number blocked

Sending marketing without consent. It is the fast lane to being reported. Reports hurt your number’s quality rating and, with enough of them, Meta limits how many messages you can send.
Dressing marketing up as utility. Meta reviews the content, not the label. If the template sells, it is marketing even when you register it as an order confirmation.
Messaging cold lists. A purchased number or an old database generates reports from the very first send.
Offering no way out. If people cannot easily stop hearing from you, the only button left for them is “block” or “report”, and both cost you dearly.

The difference between automating well and risking your number is not the tool, it is respecting these rules from the first send.

How WAG handles it

With WAG you do not have to track which conversation is open and which is not. Automated replies run on the official API and respect the 24 hour window for you: while the conversation is active, the AI agent answers with your business information; once it is closed, approved templates are used instead. You automate without being exposed to a block over a rule you did not know existed.

Want to see how these messages would look with your own catalog and hours? Request a demo and we will show you.

Automated messages on WhatsApp Business: examples and the rules you have to respect