Use Cases Wise
8 Best WhatsApp Business Away Message Templates
Customers who message your business outside working hours deserve an instant acknowledgment — not silence. WhatsApp Business away message templates let you set up automatic replies that tell customers when to expect a response, who to contact for urgent matters, and what to do while they wait.
Quick Answer: A WhatsApp Business away message should include a friendly greeting, a clear reason you are unavailable, an expected response time or return date, and an alternative contact for urgent queries. Keep it under 5 lines — long enough to be useful, short enough to read at a glance.
General WhatsApp Business Away Message Templates
Use this as your default away message during non-business hours or when your team is temporarily unavailable. Works for any business type or industry.
Template 1:
WhatsApp Business Response Commitment Message Templates
Use this when you want to acknowledge the customer immediately and set a clear expectation about when they will hear back. Reduces follow-up messages and customer frustration during busy periods.
Template 2:
WhatsApp Out of Office Message Templates
Use this when a team member or the full team is away for a set period — holidays, travel, or planned leave. Include the return date and an alternative contact for anything urgent.
Template 3:
WhatsApp Agent Unavailable Message Templates
Use this when all support agents are occupied and a customer is waiting. Setting a specific time for resolution — "by 7pm tonight" — reduces customer anxiety far more effectively than a vague "as soon as possible."
Template 4:
WhatsApp Maintenance Downtime Message Templates
Use this during planned or unplanned system maintenance. Be specific about the downtime window — customers are more patient when they know exactly how long they need to wait.
Template 5:
WhatsApp After Hours Message Templates
Use this as your standard after-hours reply outside your business operating times. Include your business hours so customers know exactly when to expect a response — it sets the right expectation without any ambiguity.
Template 6:
WhatsApp Holiday Closure Message Templates
Use this in the days leading up to a public holiday or store closure. Send it as a broadcast to your full customer list before the closure begins, so customers know in advance and aren't left waiting for a reply that won't come.
Template 7:
WhatsApp High Message Volume Away Templates
Use this during sales peaks, product launches, or any period when your team is receiving more messages than usual. Acknowledging the delay proactively keeps customers patient and reduces repeated follow-up messages.
Template 8:
Conclusion
A customer who messages outside business hours and gets no response often doesn't come back. Setting up an away message is the minimum — but the stores and businesses that retain the most customers go further, using automated WhatsApp flows that acknowledge the customer instantly, set a specific callback time, and follow up automatically when the team is back online. Chatix sets this up for Shopify stores and businesses directly from your WhatsApp Business API connection, without any technical configuration required.
Browse our WhatsApp template library for more ready-to-use templates across every use case.
Related WhatsApp Message Templates:
WhatsApp reminder message templates | WhatsApp order FAQ message templates | WhatsApp feedback message templates | WhatsApp holiday announcement templates
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I set up an away message on WhatsApp Business?
In the WhatsApp Business App, go to Settings, then Business Tools, then Away Message. Toggle it on, write your message, and set the schedule — always, outside business hours, or a custom time window. For the WhatsApp Business API, away messages are set up through your connected tool or inbox platform and can be triggered by specific conditions rather than just time of day.
What should a WhatsApp Business away message say?
A WhatsApp Business away message should include a friendly greeting, a clear reason you are unavailable (out of hours, on leave, high volume), an expected return time or date, and an alternative contact option for urgent matters. Avoid generic phrases like "we will respond as soon as possible" without a specific timeframe — customers find vague timelines more frustrating than a clear wait time, even if the wait is long.
Can WhatsApp Business send away messages automatically?
Yes. The WhatsApp Business App has a built-in away message feature that sends automatically based on a schedule you set. The WhatsApp Business API goes further — it allows away messages triggered by specific conditions like agent availability, queue depth, or time of day, and can route urgent messages to a different team or contact automatically.
