Running a business means juggling multiple tasks—managing orders, handling inquiries, and keeping customers happy. But when messages flood in at all hours, it’s impossible to respond instantly to everyone.

Delayed replies can lead to lost sales, frustrated customers, and missed opportunities. That’s where WhatsApp Auto Reply comes in. It ensures that customers receive instant responses, even when your team is unavailable.

WhatsApp gives businesses an extended reach 2.9 billion users globally, making it one of the most effective one-on-one marketing channels today. By using real-time notifications, personalization, and AI-powered conversations, businesses can maximize engagement and deliver seamless customer experiences.

This guide will walk you through the concept, challenges, step-by-step implementation, and key metrics to measure success. Let’s get started!

What is WhatsApp auto reply?

WhatsApp auto reply is a prompt response function that is sent immediately to any customer who initiates a conversation with your brand on this channel.

For example, say you have incorporated click-to-WhatsApp buttons on your website to help customers access more product details.

When potential customers click this button, they are redirected to your WhatsApp chat window. Here, your pre-designed, customized WhatsApp auto message promptly sends them all the relevant product details they were searching for.

Why does your business need it?

WhatsApp auto reply is an effective marketing method that attempts to answer customers’ questions or address their needs without human intervention.

Your business needs auto replies for the following scenarios and many others:

Send "Away" messages to customers.
Keep customers engaged until an agent can join the chat
Handle high volume of incoming chats with automated and predesigned chat flows
Send onboarding messages to welcome customers into your brand
Request post-purchase feedback a week after you sell a product
Share holiday greetings, birthday wishes, and other milestone-based messages with customers

Automated messages on WhatsApp enhance customer experience and make them feel valued and heard.

What makes WhatsApp auto messages a key marketing strategy is that customers don’t have to repeat themselves or their queries over and over across different service channels. You can use auto replies to assure your customers that their previous conversations have been accounted for when they start a chat on WhatsApp.

For example, if a customer raises a ticket on your customer portal but wishes to get updates on WhatsApp, you can enable an auto reply that pings them on WhatsApp chat with “Hello ABC, we’re happy to update you about your ticket status on WhatsApp. You can ask us any further questions here.”

How to set up WhatsApp auto reply?

WhatsApp has now become a go-to tool for business communications, necessitating robust APIs and marketing tools that amplify your efforts.

To help you design your WhatsApp auto replies according to specific strategies, Gallabox offers extensive customizability and flexibility in setting them up. On this platform, you can set welcome messages, re-engagement messages

Sign up for a free trial today and follow the steps detailed below to test Gallabox’s efficacy in sending a WhatsApp auto reply:

In your Gallabox dashboard, navigate to “Settings” and then select “Canned responses.”

In the top right corner of the window, click “Add New Canned Response.”
In the interface that opens, create your message for WhatsApp auto reply. Make sure to use a friendly tone that is suitable for your target audience. Create a message that checks all the best-practices boxes. Let’s call this “auto_reply” for demonstration purposes.
Back in your Gallabox dashboard, navigate to “Settings” and then select “WhatsApp Channel.”

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Select “Configuration.”
In the “Auto Reply” section, click on “Set” and navigate to the dropdown menu under “Canned Response”. Search for the “auto_reply” canned response you created earlier and select it.

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Define the timeframe that would trigger your WhatsApp auto reply.
If you wish to preview your message, click on the “Preview” button next to the “Minutes” dialog box.
Once done, save your settings.

This will successfully configure your auto reply settings in Gallabox— it's that simple!

You have now enabled auto reply for all new conversations on WhatsApp. When a customer starts a conversation with your brand on WhatsApp, Gallabox assigns the chat into the "unassigned" inbox, triggering this automated response to be sent to them.

Gallabox lets you apply this capability to all open conversations as well, to help you enhance customer engagement and smoothen your WhatsApp conversations. However, it is important to note that the auto reply message can only be triggered once in a day.

If you wish to set more detailed and interactive auto replies on WhatsApp, you can use WhatsApp's command features.

Commands are specific keywords that instruct your bot on the next steps after sending the auto reply. Commands can look like this:

[/start]: This command welcomes your customers and gives them details about your brand.
[/hours]: This command tells the customer about your business hours.

Follow the steps below to configure commands in your WhatsApp Business API easily:

In your Facebook Business Manager, navigate to “Account Tools” in the left sidebar and select “Phone numbers.”

Select “Settings” for the phone number you wish to configure.
Click “Automations” in the left sidebar menu, and click on “Edit” next to the “Commands” option.

This action will open a pop-up command editor. It lets you specify up to 30 commands for your business. You can specify commands using “/” and then typing a keyword.

When you are done, click “Save.”

Using these commands, you can easily streamline complex communications and responses to augment your WhatsApp strategy.

Best practices for WhatsApp auto reply

To maximize customer engagement, follow these best practices for setting up auto replies:

1. Personalize every reply

A ‘state of marketing’ report revealed that 72% customers only engage with the brands that send personalized messages. This sets the bar pretty high for designing and sharing auto replies.

One of the best practices, therefore, is to achieve personalization at scale by integrating your CRM and WhatsApp Business API for seamless data flow.

You can also consider creating templatized WhatsApp auto messages that allow last-minute personalization before a message is sent to a customer.

2. Send a clear message

Auto replies are already perceived as robotic by customers. Sending a clear message in a friendly tone helps humanize the communication and keeps the reader engaged. For example, an onboarding message can sound ambiguous or clear, robotic or friendly, by the way it is composed:

Example 1: "Hello. Thank you for joining. We are here to assist. Tap the button to start."

Example 2: "Hi [Customer name], we're thrilled to have you as part of our community. To help you get started, we're sharing a quick start guide here. Tap on "Let's begin" below to explore all the services available to you with our company."

The first onboarding message is straightforward, but it lacks clarity and may not get your audience to take action. The second message clearly sets expectations and provides guidance for the next steps.

3. Promote other channels

WhatsApp has a message open rate of 98%, which means you can leverage every message as an outreach instrument to drive more traffic to other channels you run. It helps you enhance the overall ROI from each message sent on WhatsApp. For example, you can share embedded links to your website, Instagram page, help center, customer portal, etc. on WhatsApp.

Example: “Hello [Customer name]! We are pleased to announce our most awaited event of the season is taking place at [Venue] on [Date]. We have saved a preview privilege especially for you – tap on the button below to RSVP your availability on our Facebook page!”

4. Establish an escalation matrix

Customer support often uses Auto replies and messages to deflect basic queries from consuming your agents' time. However, the absence of a proper escalation matrix can frustrate customers and drive them away.

Design your auto-replies to defer queries to a human agent at the right time. For example, a customer may be redirected to your WhatsApp chat from your Orders page on the app. Your WhatsApp auto reply can then have a built-in escalation protocol:

Example: "Hello [Customer name], sorry to hear that you're facing problems with your order. Please tap on the issue you have from the menu below for help. If your issue is not listed, type "Call" to schedule a call with our agent at a time of your convenience."

Here, the customer has been provided with clear self-service options and an escalation option as well to avoid churn or negative reviews.

Common mistakes to avoid when using WhatsApp auto reply

WhatsApp auto reply is a powerful tool that can help you generate engagement. But without proper direction and execution, it can create more confusion and ambiguity for your customers, giving adverse results.

Here are some common mistakes you can avoid:

Mistake 1: Not defining goals for auto reply

An automated reply without an objective is just an irrelevant message that does nothing for the customer. Instead, define the purpose of each auto-reply you create: is it an "Away" message, or you are sharing FAQs, or is it about redirecting customers to other channels, etc? For example:

Mistake: "Hello customer! Thanks for messaging us. We're here for you."

This message is too vague and does not offer any value or direction to the customer.

Improved version: Hi [Customer name]! Thanks for reaching out. We got your message and will respond to you in the next 24 hours. If it helps, you can check our FAQs in the meantime: [Link]."

This version is clear about the goal of the reply – to keep the customer engaged while your agents look into the issue.

Mistake 2: Delayed or missing follow-up

Auto replies often work as a precursor for the customers to look forward to something else or something more. In this situation, if a follow-up is missing, your brand may end up losing trust and the customer as well. For example:

Mistake: “Thanks for your message. We are working on it and will get back to you soon.”

While this message promises a follow up, there is no set expectation of when the customer will get a resolution or update.

Improved version: “Thanks for your message. Our team will get back with an answer in the next [time] hours. If it’s urgent, you can let us know by replying “Urgent” to this message.”

This message is a more reinforced follow-up that sets realistic expectations with your customer without taxing your own resources.

Important note: In both cases, if your agents fail to share an update on the issue within the promised timeline, WhatsApp auto-replies will not help to recapture lost customer trust.

Mistake 3: Not speaking to your target audience

As a brand, it is necessary for you to understand your target audience, their cultural sensitivities, and the tone and vocabulary they use most frequently. This helps you draft a message they find relatable and understand well. Ignoring these nuances may put your customers off. For example, for a Gen Z target audience:

Mistake: “Thank you for your reply. It will be our earnest effort to resolve this issue within 7 business days. We appreciate your patience.”

This tone does not resonate with Gen Z; they will feel disconnected and alienated from your brand.

Improved version: “Thanks for reaching out. We’re on your case and will hustle to sort it out in 7 business days. We appreciate you hanging in there!”

Mistake 4: Not testing auto replies

Auto replies may glitch or malfunction because of configuration issues or broken links. Testing your auto-replies to prevent bad experiences from reaching your customers is critical.
Ensure you test for spelling, grammar, flow, links, redirects, and triggers. This will help you prevent basic errors like keyword mismatch during a chat flow.

Mistake 5: Overusing auto replies

Overusing auto-replies can make your customers feel distanced and trapped in a loop. Remember – auto replies are meant to generate temporary frontline engagement, not to carry full conversations or handle a query end to end.

Instead, ensure that your auto-replies are designed to go out during off-hours or first-time messages when a customer initiates a conversation. Then, delegate a human agent to drive the conversation forward.

Measuring the success of your WhatsApp auto reply system

To evaluate the effectiveness of your WhatsApp auto reply strategy, track these key metrics:

Response time: This metric shows how quickly your auto-reply was sent to a customer after they completed an action or initiated a conversation. The lower this time is, the better its performance.
Message open rate: This metric is the percentage of your auto-replies that users open. The higher the percentage, the better the engagement. However, this metric cannot tell whether or not the user reads the message.
CTR: This metric indicates how many users interact with the buttons or links you share through auto-reply messages. Ideally, the CTR should be as high as possible. Ensuring that your message is drafted clearly and has definite objectives helps boost this metric.
Conversion rate: This is the most important metric that tells you how many users actually completed the desired action after opening and interacting with your auto reply. For example, if a customer opted in when you shared a link to sign up for your newsletter in the auto reply.
Customer satisfaction: Your WhatsApp Business API provider can use AI-powered algorithms to track this metric in great detail through sentiment analysis, engagement rate, and other statistics.
Opt-out rate: This metric shows that your customers don't want to receive messages from you. If it's high, it indicates a problem with your content strategy.

Gallabox offers you a full suite of analytics and reporting features that allow you to track these metrics and more.

You can track conversation analytics and bot analytics easily from the Analytics section in the left sidebar of your dashboard.

Maximize customer engagement and efficiency with WhatsApp auto replies

WhatsApp auto reply can help you solve a long-standing problem of contact centers: delayed response. Customers admit that 75% of the time, call-based issue resolution takes longer than expected.

Automated replies provide a frontline opportunity for customers to complete an action on their own before requesting human intervention. Whether it is for support, information, or brand exploration, WhatsApp auto reply gives you the power to keep your customers engaged without keeping your agents engaged.

With a robust WhatsApp Business API and advanced feature suites like Gallabox, you can go beyond basic auto-replies. From smart automation to personalized messaging, your business can leverage WhatsApp to streamline customer communication and drive meaningful engagement.

Ready to take your WhatsApp customer interactions to the next level? Sign up today to explore the full suite of features and see how automation can transform your business!

FAQs about Whatsapp Auto Reply

How can WhatsApp Auto Reply improve customer satisfaction?

The auto-reply gives prompt responses to your customers to acknowledge their communication, set expectations, and guide them on further steps. This helps enhance their experience with your brand.

How do I set up an automatic reply message for specific business hours on WhatsApp?

To set up a WhatsApp automatic reply message for specific business hours, start by opening your WhatsApp Business Account. Navigate to Settings, then select Business Tools. From there, choose Away Message and enable it. Customize your message and set a schedule to send it automatically outside of business hours.

How often should I update my WhatsApp Business Auto Reply to keep them relevant?

It is ideal to update your auto-replies each time your business details change. For example, a change in business hours, working days, events or offers, etc., warrants an update to all your auto-replies.