In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
In the WhatsApp Business app, go to Tools > Away message and schedule it for Outside of business hours. For Instagram and Messenger, create an Away message under Inbox > Automations in Meta Business Suite. Keep it short: your hours, when you will reply, and a booking or price link.
What a good after-hours reply contains
The away message is often the first thing a new customer reads from you, so it should do a job, not just apologise. A good one has four parts:
- Confirmation: they reached the right business and the message arrived.
- A real reply time: "We reply from 9am on weekdays", not "as soon as possible".
- One useful link: online booking, price list, order tracking or FAQ page.
- An urgent route, if one exists: a hotline for emergencies (for example a locksmith or aircon repair after-hours number).
| Business type | Example away message |
|---|---|
| Clinic or salon | Thanks for your message. We're closed now and reply from 9am, Monday to Saturday. You can book a slot any time here: [booking link]. |
| Online shop | Thanks for reaching out. Our team replies from 10am on weekdays. Track an order here: [tracking link]. Prices and delivery info: [link]. |
| Home services | Thanks, we've got your message and reply from 8am. For a burst pipe or no-power emergency, call [after-hours number]. |
How to set an away message in WhatsApp Business
Away messages are built into the free WhatsApp Business app, not the ordinary WhatsApp app. WhatsApp's help article How to use away messages gives these steps:
Set your business hours first
In your business profile, add your opening hours. The "Outside of business hours" schedule only appears once hours are set.
Open Tools, then Away message
Turn on Send away message, then tap the message text to edit it.
Choose a schedule
Always send, Custom schedule (for public holidays or leave), or Outside of business hours for the everyday reply.
Choose recipients
Everyone, Everyone not in address book, Everyone except selected contacts, or Only send to selected contacts.
Save and test
Message the business number from another phone outside your hours and check what arrives.
Sending only to "Everyone not in address book" is a good default for shops with regular customers: new enquiries get the reply, and regulars you chat with daily do not get it every evening.
How to set an away message for Instagram and Messenger
Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger use the automations in Meta Business Suite. Meta's help page Set up Inbox automations in Meta Business Suite on desktop covers Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts and WhatsApp Business accounts connected to the suite:
- Go to Inbox in Meta Business Suite and click Automations.
- Click Create automation and choose Away message (reply when you are not available).
- Select the channels it applies to, set the hours, write the message and save.
- Turn it on or off with the toggle under Status.
The same menu offers instant replies for first messages, FAQ suggestions, and replies to questions about location, contact details and hours. Instagram business and creator accounts can also show up to four frequently asked questions with optional automated answers when someone opens a chat.
When to use the WhatsApp API instead of the app
The app's away message is one fixed text. Businesses move to the WhatsApp Business Platform (API) through a provider when they need more, for example:
The app's away message is enough if
- One phone or a couple of linked devices handle all chats
- One message covers every evening and weekend
- Volume is a few dozen chats a day
Consider the API if
- Several staff need one shared inbox with assignment
- You want different replies by topic or language
- Replies should come from your booking or order system
- You need delivery reports and opt-in records for PDPA
On the API, replies within a customer service window are part of Meta's pricing: Meta's WhatsApp pricing docs give each business number 1,000 free service messages a month from 1 October 2026. Our guide to a unified inbox for WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger compares shared-inbox tools.
When not to auto-reply
An automatic message can make things worse. Skip it, or narrow it, in these cases:
Check before you switch it on
Also watch timing on Instagram. Meta's Instagram messaging API documentation says an app can only message someone after they message the account, within a standard messaging window that lasts 24 hours for most actions, with a separate 7-day Human Agent window for manual replies. A Friday-night DM answered on Monday by a tool may be outside the window.
Do it yourself or get help?
Setting an away message in the WhatsApp Business app or Meta Business Suite is a ten-minute do-it-yourself job, and it is free. If you want replies to come from your systems, for example a booking confirmation or order update sent automatically on WhatsApp, that needs the API. Our guide to WhatsApp chatbot options in Singapore explains the step up.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Our WhatsApp Notifications package (S$590) sets up a WhatsApp Business API number through an official provider, submits up to 3 message templates for approval, triggers them from your store, form or booking system, and handles opt-in for the PDPA. Meta and provider message fees are billed to you separately.
Frequently asked questions
In the WhatsApp Business app, open the Tools tab, tap Away message and turn on Send away message. Edit the text, then choose a schedule: Always send, Custom schedule or Outside of business hours, which needs business hours in your profile. Choose recipients and tap Save. The phone needs an internet connection to send it.
Yes, for business and creator accounts. In Meta Business Suite, go to Inbox, Automations, Create automation and choose Away message or Instant reply, then select Instagram as the channel. In the Instagram app you can also set up to four frequently asked questions with optional automated answers.
Common reasons are that the business phone was offline, since WhatsApp needs an active internet connection to send away messages, that the schedule or business hours changed, or that Meta Business Agent was turned on, which pauses existing automations such as away messages and instant replies. Check each after any app update.
In the WhatsApp Business app you have one away message with one schedule, so you edit the text and switch to a custom schedule for holidays. Meta Business Suite automations and WhatsApp API tools through a provider allow more rules, such as different replies by channel, keyword or time.
Not directly. An away message tells customers when to expect a reply, but it does not replace a real answer. Treat it as a holding message and reply properly at the time you promised, within the platform's messaging window if you use a third-party tool.