WhatsApp Business Automatic Messages: Types, Setup & Templates [2026]

The automatic messages in WhatsApp Business allow you to respond to your customers without human intervention, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are the most direct way to prevent a customer from going unanswered when they write to you outside business hours, during demand spikes, or simply when your team is busy handling other conversations.

In 2026, with over 36 million active WhatsApp users in Spain, having automatic messages configured in WhatsApp Business is no longer a competitive advantage: it's an operational minimum. If you don't respond within the first 5 minutes, the probability of losing that lead drops by 80%. Automatic messages are your safety net against that scenario.

This guide covers all available types of automatic messages, how to configure them step by step, ready-to-copy templates, and the key differences between automatic messages and chatbots.

Types of Automatic Messages in WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business offers three types of automatic messages natively within the free app. Each covers a different scenario and is configured independently.

Welcome Message

This is the first message a customer receives when they contact you for the first time or when they haven't interacted with your account for more than 14 days. Its main function is to present the company, set response time expectations, and guide the customer on how you can help.

It's sent automatically without you having to do anything. You only need to activate it once and write the text.

Away Message

It activates when a customer writes to you outside your business hours or during periods you manually define. It communicates that you've received the message and will respond during the next available time slot. You can schedule it to work always, only during specific hours, or linked to the business hours in your company profile.

If you want to dive deeper into this specific type, we have a complete guide on WhatsApp Business away messages with examples by industry.

Quick Replies

Although technically not "automatic" (they require an agent to trigger them manually), quick replies are predefined text shortcuts invoked by typing "/" followed by a keyword. For example, "/price" could send a complete message with your service rates.

They are a semi-automation tool that complements the two previous types. If you use the WhatsApp Business API, the possibilities expand enormously with conditional flows, dynamic variables, and contextual responses.

For a broader view of all the ways to automate this channel, check our guide on how to automate WhatsApp Business.

How to Configure Automatic Messages in WhatsApp Business

The configuration is identical on Android and iOS, with minimal interface differences. The complete process takes less than 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

• Have the WhatsApp Business app installed (not the personal version).
• Version updated to the latest available in 2026.
• Company profile completed: name, address, description, and business hours.

Step 1: Configure the Welcome Message

1. Open WhatsApp Business and tap the three dots (Android) or Settings (iOS).
2. Go to Business Tools.
3. Tap Welcome message.
4. Toggle the switch on.
5. Edit the text by tapping the pencil icon.
6. Select the recipients: everyone, only those not in your contacts, or specific contacts.
7. Save the changes.

Step 2: Configure the Away Message

1. From Business Tools, tap Away message.
2. Toggle the Send away message.
3. Write or edit the message text.
4. Schedule when it's sent: always, at custom hours, or outside business hours.
5. Choose the recipients.
6. Tap Save.

Step 3: Create Quick Replies

1. In Business Tools, select Quick replies.
2. Tap the "+" button to create a new one.
3. Write the complete message you want to save.
4. Assign a shortcut (the keyword after "/").
5. Save.

From that point on, in any conversation you can type "/" and select the quick reply you need. If you need more advanced automation, like automatic replies based on the content of the customer's message, you'll need the WhatsApp Business API.

WhatsApp Business Automatic Message Templates

Here are proven templates you can copy and adapt to your business.

Welcome Message Template

Hello, welcome to [Company Name]. Thanks for writing to us. We specialize in [sector/service]. Tell us how we can help and we'll respond as soon as possible. Our business hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Away Message Template

Thanks for your message. We're currently outside our business hours (Mon-Fri, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM). We've received your inquiry and will respond as soon as we open. If it's urgent, send us an email at [email].

Welcome Template for E-commerce

Hello, thanks for contacting [Store]. We're here to help you with orders, returns, or any questions about our products. If you already have an order number, share it and we'll speed up the process.

Commercial Follow-up Template

Hello [name]. We're [Company]. We received your inquiry about [product/service]. We'll send you detailed information shortly. If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to write to us.

Always adapt the tone to your brand. A law firm shouldn't use the same register as a skate shop. And remember: the character limit for welcome and away messages in WhatsApp Business is 1,024 characters.

Differences Between Automatic Messages and Chatbots

This is a point where a lot of confusion arises. Native WhatsApp Business automatic messages and chatbots are fundamentally different things.

Automatic messages (native):

• They're triggered by a fixed event (first contact or outside business hours).
• They always send the same text, regardless of what the customer wrote.
• They don't read or interpret the user's message.
• They don't maintain a conversation. It's a one-way send.
• They're available for free in the WhatsApp Business app.

Chatbots (via API):

• They interpret the customer's message through rules or artificial intelligence.
• They maintain back-and-forth conversations with conditional logic.
• They can access databases, CRMs, and external systems to give personalized responses.
• They require a BSP provider and connection to the WhatsApp Business API.
• They can resolve complete queries without human intervention.

If your conversation volume is low (fewer than 50 per day), native automatic messages may be sufficient. When you exceed that number, or when you need responses to vary based on what the customer asks, a chatbot or an AI agent is the natural evolution.

Limitations of Native Automatic Messages

Before trusting all your communication to the app's automatic messages, keep these limitations in mind:

• No conditional logic: you can't send a different message based on what the customer writes. A user asking about prices receives the same message as one wanting to make a return.
• Maximum one welcome message and one away message: there's no option to create A/B variants or different messages by product or service.
• No CRM integration: automatic messages don't record data in your management system. The conversation remains isolated in WhatsApp.
• No advanced multimedia: you can include text with basic formatting, but no interactive buttons, option lists, or product carousels.
• Single device (app): native automatic messages are managed from a single phone. If you need WhatsApp multi-agent, the API is mandatory.

To overcome these limitations, you need to connect your WhatsApp number to the WhatsApp Business API through a BSP provider or directly via the WhatsApp Cloud API from Meta.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to set up automatic messages in WhatsApp Business?

Open WhatsApp Business, go to Business Tools and activate the Welcome message and the Away message. Edit the text, schedule the sending times, and select the recipients. The process takes less than 5 minutes and requires no technical knowledge.

What types of automatic messages does WhatsApp Business have?

WhatsApp Business offers two types of native automatic messages: the welcome message (sent on first contact or after 14 days of inactivity) and the away message (activates outside business hours). Quick replies complement these features as manual shortcuts.

Are WhatsApp Business automatic messages free?

Yes. Welcome messages, away messages, and quick replies are free features included in the WhatsApp Business app. They have no additional cost. You only need the WhatsApp Business API if you want advanced automation with chatbots or AI agents.

What's the difference between automatic messages and a chatbot in WhatsApp?

Automatic messages always send the same predefined text, without interpreting what the customer wrote. A chatbot, on the other hand, reads the message, interprets it, and generates different responses based on the conversation context. Chatbots require the WhatsApp Business API.

Can you personalize automatic messages with the customer's name?

With the native WhatsApp Business app, no. The message is identical for all recipients. If you need personalization with dynamic variables (name, order number, history), you need the WhatsApp Business API and a platform that manages those variables.

How GuruSup Takes Your Automatic Messages to the Next Level

Native WhatsApp Business automatic messages are a good starting point, but they have a clear ceiling: they don't interpret, don't personalize, and don't scale. When your conversation volume grows or your customers need responses that go beyond a fixed text, you need something more.

GuruSup connects your WhatsApp Business with artificial intelligence agents that understand what each customer writes, access your knowledge base, and resolve queries autonomously. It's not a predefined message: it's a real conversation managed by AI, that scales without limits and works 24/7.

What GuruSup Offers

• Conversational AI agents: respond in natural language, understand context, and resolve complex questions without human intervention.
• Native integration with WhatsApp Business API: connect your number in minutes, with no technical development.
• Real personalization: each response uses customer data (name, history, orders) to offer a tailored experience.
• Escalation to human agent: when AI detects it can't resolve the query, it transfers the conversation to your team with all prior context.

How to Get Started

1. Sign up at GuruSup with your business account.
2. Connect your WhatsApp Business number.
3. Configure your knowledge base (FAQs, catalogs, policies).
4. The AI agent starts responding from day one.

Try GuruSup for free and transform your automatic messages into intelligent conversations that resolve, sell, and retain customers.