How do I set up auto reply on WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp Business App (free, Android and iPhone) has three built-in auto-reply tools: (1) Away Message — auto-replies when you are not available. Go to WhatsApp Business Settings → Business Tools → Away Message → toggle On, write your message, set schedule (Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside business hours). (2) Greeting Message — sends automatically when someone messages you for the first time or after 14 days of inactivity. Same settings path, toggle Greeting Message on, write your welcome text. (3) Quick Replies — keyboard shortcuts for common responses. Type "/" in a chat, or set up shortcuts in Settings → Business Tools → Quick Replies. Tap a quick reply to paste it. Additionally, the WhatsApp Business API (paid) supports webhook-based automated responses with chatbots. For businesses wanting more than the built-in tools — like keyword-triggered replies, multi-step flows, or sending to multiple numbers — third-party tools like WhatSender offer advanced auto-reply on the free WhatsApp platform, no API approval needed.

What is the difference between WhatsApp Business away message and greeting message?

Away messages trigger when you are not available — outside business hours or on a custom schedule. They are time-based. Example: "Namaste! We are closed. We will reply tomorrow at 10 AM. For urgent orders, call 9876543210." Greeting messages trigger when someone contacts you for the first time, or re-contacts you after 14+ days of no conversation. They are contact-state-based. Example: "Welcome to Sharma Electronics! Browse our catalogue at link. How can we help you today?" The key difference is that away messages are schedule-gated (only send during your "away" window), while greeting messages send any time a new or lapsed contact messages you. You can use both simultaneously — a new customer messaging at 11 PM gets the greeting message AND the away message. WhatsApp Business sends both in sequence: greeting first, away message second. To avoid double-messaging customers, many businesses disable greeting messages during away hours and only use the away message after-hours, or invert — use greeting during business hours, away after hours.

Can I set auto replies for specific keywords on WhatsApp?

The free WhatsApp Business App does not support keyword-based auto replies — it only has schedule-based (away) and contact-state-based (greeting) triggers. To auto-reply based on keywords like "price," "address," "timing," or "order status," you need one of two options: (1) WhatsApp Business API with a chatbot — this requires Meta Business verification, a BSP (Business Solution Provider), and costs start at ₹1,500-₹5,000/month. The API supports webhook-triggered responses based on incoming message content. (2) Third-party tools that use WhatsApp Web automation — tools like WhatSender can monitor incoming messages on your WhatsApp Web session and auto-reply when specific keywords are detected. This approach does not need API approval or Meta verification, works on any WhatsApp Business number, and costs significantly less (free plan: 50 messages/day, paid plans from ₹499/month). Option 2 is the practical choice for most Indian SMBs — a medical clinic auto-replying "Our clinic hours are 9 AM to 8 PM" when someone texts "timing," or a restaurant sending their menu PDF when someone texts "menu."

What are the best WhatsApp auto reply messages for Indian businesses?

Here are tested auto-reply templates for common Indian business scenarios. Away message (after hours): "Namaste! We are currently closed. Our business hours are 10 AM to 8 PM, Monday to Saturday. We will reply first thing in the morning. For urgent queries, call us at +91-XXXXXXXXXX. Thank you!" Greeting message (new customer): "Welcome to [Business Name]! Thanks for reaching out. We specialise in [one-line description]. How can we assist you today? Reply with: 1 for Pricing, 2 for Catalogue, 3 to Speak to a Person." Order confirmation auto-reply: "Thanks for your order, {name}! Your order #{id} is confirmed. Expected delivery: [date]. Track your order here: [link]. For any changes, reply HELP." FAQ auto-reply (keyword: timing): "We are open 10 AM to 8 PM, Monday to Saturday. Sunday closed. Visit us at: [Google Maps link]." Lead capture greeting: "Hi! Thanks for your interest. To help you faster, please share: 1. Your name, 2. City, 3. What are you looking for? We will get back within 2 hours." Note: Auto-replies should feel like a real person wrote them. Avoid corporate jargon like "Your query has been registered" — Indian customers respond better to conversational Hindi/English mix like "Ji, message mil gaya. Team abhi reply karegi."

WhatsApp Auto Reply for Business India 2026: Complete Setup Guide

A customer messages your business at 10:30 PM asking about store timings. You are asleep. By the time you reply at 9 AM, they have already gone to a competitor and bought what they needed. This is why auto reply matters — and in India, where 65% of WhatsApp business messages come in outside typical 10 AM-7 PM business hours, it is not optional. Here is exactly how to set up WhatsApp auto replies, from the free built-in tools to advanced keyword-based chatbots, with templates you can copy.

Level 1: WhatsApp Business App Built-in Auto Replies (Free)

The WhatsApp Business App (free, available on Android and iPhone) has three auto-reply tools. Every Indian business should set up all three. They take 15 minutes to configure and work 24/7 without any external tools.

1. Away Message

Automatically replies when you are closed. Set a schedule (e.g. 8 PM to 9 AM) and write your message.

How to set up: WhatsApp Business → Settings (⋮) → Business Tools → Away Message → Toggle ON → Write your message → Set schedule (Always, Custom, or Outside Business Hours).

Template: "Namaste! We are currently closed. Our hours: 10 AM-8 PM, Mon-Sat. We will reply in the morning. Urgent: call +91-9876543210."

2. Greeting Message

Sends automatically to first-time contacts or contacts who have not messaged in 14+ days.

How to set up: WhatsApp Business → Settings → Business Tools → Greeting Message → Toggle ON → Write your message → Select recipients (Everyone / Everyone not in address book / Everyone except / Only).

Template: "Welcome to ABC Store! We sell [products]. Browse here: [catalogue link]. Reply: 1-Pricing, 2-Catalogue, 3-Talk to us. We reply within 2 hours."

3. Quick Replies

Not auto, but shortcuts. Type "/" in chat or tap the Quick Reply button to paste saved responses. Set up common replies once, use forever.

How to set up: WhatsApp Business → Settings → Business Tools → Quick Replies → Tap + → Write shortcut (e.g. "price") → Write full message → Save. In any chat, type "/price" and it auto-fills.

Best for: frequently sent messages — price lists, address, payment QR, catalogue links, delivery timelines.

Pro Tip: Set Your Business Hours First

Before configuring Away Message, set your Business Hours in WhatsApp Business → Settings → Business Tools → Business Hours. This tells WhatsApp when you are open. The Away Message can then use "Outside business hours" as the trigger — so you do not have to manually set a schedule. Update your hours for festivals and holidays.

Level 2: Keyword-Based Auto Replies (Third-Party Tools)

The built-in tools handle "customer messages, auto-reply with one generic message." But what if you want auto-replies based on what the customer actually asks? For example:

Customer texts "price" → auto-reply with your price list PDF.
Customer texts "timing" or "hours" → auto-reply with store hours and Google Maps link.
Customer texts "order status" → auto-reply asking for order ID, then look it up.
Customer texts "location" → auto-reply with your address and directions.

This is where third-party tools come in. Here is how they work with WhatSender (used as the example because it is built for the Indian market):

Connect your WhatsApp Web

Scan the QR code once. Your WhatsApp stays connected. The tool monitors incoming messages through WhatsApp Web.

Set up keyword rules

Define triggers: if message contains "price" or "cost" or "kitna" → reply with your pricing info. If message contains "time" or "open" → reply with your hours.

Auto-replies run 24/7

When a message matches a keyword, the auto-reply sends instantly. No delay, no manual intervention. You can also set business-hour-only rules and quiet hours.

Keyword-based auto-replies are the most impactful WhatsApp automation for Indian SMBs. A Mumbai-based clinic using this setup reduced their response time from 4 hours to under 30 seconds for common queries, and their staff now only handles 40% of messages that actually need a human — the rest are auto-resolved.

Level 3: WhatsApp Business API Chatbots (Enterprise)

For businesses handling 500+ customer messages per day, the WhatsApp Business API with a chatbot is the enterprise solution. This involves:

Meta Business Verification — requires business registration documents, website, and physical address verification. Takes 2-4 weeks in India.
BSP (Business Solution Provider) — companies like WATI, AiSensy, Interakt, or Gupshup that provide the technical infrastructure. Costs ₹1,500-₹10,000/month depending on volume.
Conversation charges — Meta charges per 24-hour conversation window. In India, marketing conversations cost ~₹0.50-₹1.50, service conversations ~₹0.30-₹0.50. These add up fast at scale.
Chatbot development — you need to build conversation flows (or use a no-code builder from your BSP). This ranges from simple decision trees to AI-powered natural language bots.

The API chatbot is the right choice for: banks (balance enquiry), e-commerce (order tracking at scale), airlines (PNR status), and large D2C brands (10,000+ daily queries). For most Indian SMBs, the cost and complexity are overkill — Level 1 (built-in auto replies) or Level 2 (keyword-based tool) will handle 95% of use cases at 10% of the cost.

Auto Reply Templates That Work for Indian Businesses

RESTAURANT / CAFE

Away message: "We are closed now. Our hours: 11 AM-11 PM. Order online: [Swiggy/Zomato link]. For table booking, WhatsApp us tomorrow after 11 AM. Thank you!"

Keyword trigger ("menu"): "Here is our menu: [PDF/Google Drive link]. To place an order, reply with your items and delivery address. Delivery free within 3 km."

MEDICAL CLINIC

Greeting message: "Welcome to Dr. Sharma's Clinic. We are open 9 AM-1 PM and 5 PM-8 PM, Mon-Sat. Sunday closed. For appointment: reply APPOINTMENT. For reports: reply REPORT. For directions: reply LOCATION."

Keyword trigger ("appointment"): "To book an appointment: 1. Share patient name, 2. Preferred date & time, 3. Reason for visit. We will confirm within 1 hour. Consultation fee: ₹500."

RETAIL SHOP

Away message: "Thanks for messaging! Store hours: 10:30 AM-9 PM. Browse our latest collection: [link]. We will reply during store hours."

Keyword trigger ("price"): "Our price range: ₹500-₹5,000. For specific product prices, share the product name or screenshot. We also have EMI options via Bajaj Finserv."

Common Auto Reply Mistakes

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Auto-replying to every single message within the same conversation.

If a customer says "price," you auto-reply with the price, they say "thanks" — and you auto-reply AGAIN with the same price message. Set your tool to only reply once per conversation, or once per keyword trigger per 24 hours.

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Using English-only auto replies in tier-3 and tier-4 cities.

If your customers predominantly speak Hindi, Tamil, or Telugu, write your auto replies in that language — or in Hinglish (Hindi written in Roman script). "Namaste! Hum abhi band hain. Kal subah 10 baje reply karenge." works better than "Greetings! We are currently unavailable."

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Not providing an escalation path.

Every auto-reply should include a way to reach a human. "Reply TALK to speak to a person" or "Call us at +91-XXXXXXXXXX for urgent queries." Auto-replies that trap customers in loops create frustration and lost sales.

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Auto-replying to WhatsApp group messages.

Your auto-reply fires in a group with 200 people because someone said "price." Now 200 people see your price list and the group is flooded. Always set auto-replies to only trigger on individual chats, never groups.

How Much Time Does Auto Reply Actually Save?

Here is a real example from a Delhi-based electronics retailer using WhatSender's keyword auto-replies:

Metric	Before Auto Reply	After Auto Reply
Daily WhatsApp messages	120-150	120-150
Messages needing human reply	120-150 (100%)	45-55 (35%)
Avg response time	3 hours	Under 30 seconds
Staff hours on WhatsApp	4-5 hours/day	1.5-2 hours/day
Leads lost to slow reply	~15/day	~3/day
Monthly staff cost saved	-	₹8,000-₹10,000

Set Up WhatsApp Auto Replies Today

WhatSender's auto-reply engine includes keyword triggers, business hour scheduling, and multi-language support. Free plan: 50 messages/day. No API approval needed.

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