Automatic message
A message the system sends with no human action, fired by an event like a first contact, off-hours, or a keyword.
Also known as: automatic message · whatsapp automatic message · auto-reply · auto response · away message
Try CRPRO free for 7 daysAn automatic message is one the system sends on its own, fired by an event — someone started a conversation, arrived outside business hours, typed a certain word. It is not the same as a chatbot: a chatbot runs a dialogue; an automatic message is a single send, fired by a trigger.
The types that exist
- Greeting — sent on the first contact. Confirms the message arrived.
- Away message — outside business hours. The classic mistake is promising "we'll get back to you soon" without saying when.
- Quick reply — a shortcut for the agent to send ready-made text. It is semi-automatic: a person triggers it.
- By keyword — the customer types "invoice" and gets the link.
- Flow-based — part of a larger automation, with chained steps.
What changes between the app and the official channel
On WhatsApp Business, there are greetings, away messages and quick replies — configured on the device, with no conditions or segmentation. On Meta's official channel, automation gains conditions, customer data, integration with other systems, and a record of what was sent.
What makes automation go wrong
- A vague deadline. "We'll be right back" that never delivers generates more messages, not fewer.
- A message with no way out. Automation with no path to a human turns into a wall.
- Text that is too generic. "Hi, how are you?" says nothing and wastes the first impression.
- Automatic replies out of context. A greeting firing at someone who has already been chatting for ten minutes.
⚠️ Automation does not get around the 24-hour window: once that deadline passes, even an automatic message requires an approved template.
Frequently asked questions
What is an automatic message?
It is a message the system sends on its own, triggered by an event — a first contact, off-hours, or a keyword — with no one needing to type it.
What is the difference between an automatic message and a chatbot?
An automatic message is a single send fired by an event. A chatbot runs a conversation, interpreting what the person replies and branching down different paths.
Does an automatic message work outside the 24-hour window?
Only as a Meta-approved template. Once 24 hours have passed since the customer's last message, no free-form text gets delivered — automatic or not.
Does an automatic message drive customers away?
One that gives no information does. One that states a real deadline and offers a path to a human improves the experience, because it replaces silence — which is the alternative outside business hours.
Related pages
Related glossary terms
Chatbot
A program that talks to people by text, following fixed rules or using AI, to answer repetitive questions and route what needs a human.
24-hour window
The 24-hour window is the period after the customer's last message in which a business can reply on WhatsApp with free-form text, without an approved template.
Meta template (HSM)
A Meta template (HSM) is the Meta-approved message a business sends on WhatsApp outside the 24-hour window, in the marketing, utility or authentication category.
Remote support
A model in which support happens through digital channels, with no physical presence and often with the team spread across different locations.
Scheduling a message on WhatsApp
Programming a message to go out at a future date and time, something the WhatsApp app does not do natively and always depends on an external layer.