How it works
An auto-reply is the first thing a customer reads when you are busy, closed or asleep. Done well, it sets expectations, points people to the right channel and keeps the conversation alive until your team picks it up. Done badly — a long essay, an impossible promise, or a "we reply instantly" line — it quietly costs you customers.
What a good set of auto-reply messages covers
The generator above builds five messages: a greeting that acknowledges the message and says when to expect a reply; a working-hours note so nobody waits in the dark; an after-hours message for messages that arrive while you are closed; a booking message with a place for your booking link; and a closing line. Paste them into WhatsApp Business or your API provider and adjust the wording until it sounds like your team.
Where these messages live
In the WhatsApp Business app, they go into the away message settings — set the hours and the message switches itself. For the WhatsApp Business API, away messages are usually handled by a BSP or a tool like Wutt, which can also draft replies with AI and swap in an approved template after hours. Either way, the text itself is the same work: clear, short and on-brand.
What an auto-reply cannot do
An auto-reply does not capture a booking, send a reminder or follow up with a silent customer. The booking message in this set points to a link because that is where the real work happens — a booking page or a wa.me link with a prefilled request. If customers routinely book after hours, pair the auto-reply with a booking link or a chatbot so the conversation can progress without you.
Keep the promises you make
The fastest way to break trust is an auto-reply that promises a reply time your team misses. Only state a time you can hold, and review the set whenever your hours change. Honest, short and useful beats clever.
