How to set up WhatsApp auto-replies: three ways
WhatsApp auto-replies come in three levels: preset messages, rule-based flows and an AI assistant. Here is when each one is enough.
Three levels
People mean three different things by WhatsApp auto-reply. The first is the preset messages built into the WhatsApp Business app. The second is rule-based flows where the customer moves forward by tapping buttons. The third is an AI assistant that reads the question and actually answers it.
The number and kind of messages you receive decide which one you need. For a business that gets a few messages a day, the first level is enough.
Setting it up in the WhatsApp Business app
In the free WhatsApp Business app, open Business tools under Settings. There are three features:
- Greeting message: sent automatically to someone writing to you for the first time.
- Away message: sent automatically to messages that arrive during the hours you set.
- Quick replies: lets you send answers you type often with a shortcut.
Setup takes a few minutes. In the away message, say clearly when you will get back to them.
Where preset messages stop
A preset message confirms that the message arrived, but it does not answer the question. Someone asking for a price gets "we will get back to you shortly" and often writes to another business in the meantime.
If most messages are the same few questions, if many arrive outside working hours, or if replying takes up much of your day, it is time to move up a level.
Setting up an AI assistant
An assistant connects to WhatsApp through the WhatsApp Business Platform (API), not through the app. The number has to be moved to that platform. For the assistant to answer correctly it is given your real business information: the price list, the area you serve, opening hours and the answers to common questions.
Two rules should be written down from the start. The assistant does not guess when it does not know; it hands the conversation to a person. And which requests go to a booking and which to a quote is defined clearly. We do this setup in our AI assistant service.
What to measure
Two numbers are enough. The first is first response time: the time between a message arriving and the first useful reply going out. The second is the conversion rate: conversations that turn into a booking or a quote ÷ total conversations.
WhatsApp on its own is not a system. The request also has to be written to the customer record and followed up. We cover the whole picture in how to set up marketing automation.