Slimbot
A customer who messages outside office hours and hears nothing often calls the competitor. With an automatic reply, you let them know within a second that you've received the message and when you'll respond. These are the steps, three texts to copy and the next step if a fixed text isn't enough.
What you need
Automatic messages exist in the WhatsApp Business app, not in regular WhatsApp. On WhatsApp's features page there are three tools: a greeting message (for those who start the conversation), an away message (for messages outside your hours) and quick replies (saved texts you call up yourself).
Source: WhatsApp Business app, feature page (checked on 21-10-2026).
Steps in the Business app
- Open WhatsApp Business. On Android you'll find the settings via the three dots at the top right, on iPhone via Settings.
- Go to Business tools (the name may vary slightly by version).
- Choose Away message, turn the switch on and type your text.
- Choose when the message goes out: always, outside office hours or at specific times. 'Outside office hours' only works if you've filled in your opening hours in the business profile.
- Repeat this for the Welcome message and fill in your standard texts under Quick replies.
- Test it: send a message from another number and check whether the text comes back.
Three texts to copy
EXAMPLE · Out-of-office message
EXAMPLE · Welcome message
EXAMPLE · Quick reply for a frequently asked question
What fixed texts don't do
- They don't answer a question. The customer receives the same text, whether they ask about price, planning or opening hours.
- They don't schedule appointments and don't ask anything through.
- They know nothing of what was agreed in an earlier conversation.
If you want more: a chatbot based on your own knowledge
A WhatsApp chatbot answers the question itself, with information you have entered: prices, opening hours, service area. What it doesn't know, it doesn't make up; then it hands the conversation over to you. At Slimbot, the assistant prepares a draft for you to approve when in doubt. How to set it up is explained in setting up a chatbot and training the bot.
Also remember that WhatsApp has a 24-hour window: within 24 hours of the customer's last message you may reply freely; after that, only with an approved template.
| Plan | Per month (excl. VAT) | One-off |
|---|---|---|
| Try-out | € 14,95 | None |
| Starter | € 29,95 | € 300,00 |
| Pro | € 89,95 | € 300,00 |
| Business | On request | On request |
Prices from the live Slimbot price list, excl. VAT, cancel monthly. Current overview: slimbot.nl/prijzen.
Frequently asked questions
Does an automatic reply work in the regular WhatsApp app?
No. Automatic messages are in the WhatsApp Business app. The regular app does not have that function.
Can I send the away message only outside office hours?
Yes, provided you have filled in your opening hours in the business profile. Otherwise you choose your own schedule.
What's the difference with a chatbot?
An automatic reply is a fixed text. A chatbot answers the question itself based on your information.
Is an automatic reply allowed?
A reply to a message that the customer sends themselves is simply customer contact. Different rules apply to messages you send proactively; see GDPR and opt-out.
Read more
From fixed text to real answers
Create a free account and let the assistant prepare drafts.
Start for free → Schedule a demoPrefer to call? 085 060 4471