If you run a small business, your WhatsApp probably never stops buzzing. Most of those messages ask the same handful of things — “Are you open?”, “Where are you?”, “Do you deliver?”, “What’s the price?” Answering them by hand, one at a time, eats hours you don’t have.
Auto-replies fix that. Set them up once and the common questions answer themselves, day or night, so your team only steps in for conversations that genuinely need a person. Businesses that automate WhatsApp support typically report a 30–60% drop in support costs and resolve most repeat queries without anyone typing a reply (industry figures, not a guarantee — your numbers depend on how routine your messages are).
Below are 11 auto-reply examples you can adapt and use today. Steal the wording, swap in your details, done.
What is a WhatsApp auto-reply?
A WhatsApp auto-reply is a message that sends automatically in response to a customer — either to every first message (a greeting), when you’re closed (an away message), or when a message contains a specific word (a keyword reply). On the WhatsApp Business API with a tool like ChatMitra, you can set all three up without writing any code. Here’s how auto-reply works on ChatMitra.
There are three types worth knowing:
- Greeting / welcome message — fires on a customer’s first message.
- Away message — fires outside your working hours.
- Keyword reply — fires when a message contains a word like “price”, “menu” or “hours”.
Greeting message examples
A greeting sets the tone and tells the customer what to do next. Keep it short and give them options.
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name] 👋 We usually reply within a few minutes during business hours (10am–8pm). Meanwhile, reply with: 1 for prices 2 to place an order 3 to talk to our team
Or a simpler one for a service business:
Hello and welcome to [Business Name]! Tell us what you’re looking for and we’ll get you sorted. For bookings, just send your preferred date and time.
Away message examples
Away messages stop customers feeling ignored when you’re closed. Be honest about when you’ll reply.
Thanks for your message! We’re closed right now and will be back at 10am tomorrow. Drop your question here and we’ll reply first thing. For urgent orders, [link / instructions].
For a weekend:
We’re away for the weekend 🌿 We’ll be back Monday at 10am and will reply to your message then. Thanks for your patience!
Keyword auto-reply examples
These are the workhorses. A keyword reply answers a specific question the instant it’s asked.
“Price” / “rate”
Here’s our current pricing: [link or short list]. Prices include GST. Want a custom quote? Reply with what you need and we’ll send one over.
“Hours” / “open” / “timing”
We’re open Monday–Saturday, 10am–8pm, and closed on Sundays. You can message us any time and we’ll reply during business hours.
“Location” / “address”
You’ll find us here 📍 [Google Maps link]. There’s parking right outside. See you soon!
“Delivery”
Yes, we deliver! We cover [areas] with delivery in [time]. Share your pin location and we’ll confirm the charge.
Order and booking auto-replies
For shops and service businesses, automate the moments around a purchase.
Order received
Got it — your order is confirmed ✅
Order #[number]. We'll message you the moment it's out for delivery. Thanks for shopping with [Business Name]!
Appointment reminder
Reminder: your appointment at [Business Name] is tomorrow at [time].
See you then! 🙂
Payment follow-up
Dear [Name],
A payment of [₹number] for order #[number] is still pending.
Kindly pay before [date] to avoid any delay. Ignore if already paid.
How to keep auto-replies from feeling robotic
A few rules of thumb so your automation still sounds like a human:
- Write like you talk. Read it aloud. If you wouldn’t say it, don’t send it.
- Always offer a way to reach a person. Automation handles the routine; people handle the rest.
- Don’t over-send. One helpful reply beats three automated nudges that get you muted.
- Get opt-in before marketing. Auto-replies to people who message you are fine. Promotional broadcasts need consent — keep them relevant and infrequent.
What it costs
Auto-replies on the WhatsApp Business API are part of ChatMitra’s automation. On the Starter plan you pay ₹0.20 per conversation with no subscription, and a customer-started chat keeps a free 24-hour window open in which your replies don’t add extra WhatsApp charges — which covers most back-and-forth. When you want the full automation suite (auto-replies, keyword rules, chatbots), Pro is ₹999/month. You can estimate your own bill on the pricing page.
Start with three
Don’t try to automate everything on day one. Set up a greeting, an away message, and keyword replies for your three most-asked questions. That alone takes real load off your phone within a day.
If you run a specific kind of business, our industry guides show exactly which auto-replies matter most — for example, WhatsApp for restaurants walks through bookings, order tracking and FAQ replies for a food business. And when you’re ready to build them, here’s how auto-reply works on ChatMitra.