Auto-reply message examples: greeting, away and holiday messages for business

An auto-reply is a fixed message your chat app sends for you: a greeting when someone writes for the first time, an away message when you're closed, a note when you're busier than usual. Below are 44 to copy, grouped by situation, with [brackets] to fill in. Most follow one rule: say when a person will answer, and give the customer one thing to do right now.

First, where each platform keeps these settings. We checked the labels on each platform's help pages on October 15, 2026; apps rename menus often, so expect small differences.

Where to set auto-replies on each platform

If you switch on Meta Business Agent, Business Suite pauses instant replies and away messages, and WhatsApp turns the greeting off. Step-by-step setup is in our guides to WhatsApp auto-replies and Instagram auto-reply.

Greeting message examples for business

On WhatsApp and Telegram the greeting goes out again when a quiet customer comes back, so keep it short enough that a regular doesn't mind seeing it twice.

Hi, thanks for messaging [business name]! We reply [Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.]. Tell us what you need and we'll take it from here.

Hi! Thanks for reaching out to [store name]. If it's about an order, send your order number and we'll check it. For anything else, just ask.

Hi, thanks for messaging [salon name]! To book, send the service you want and a day that suits you. Prices are here: [link].

Hello, you've reached [clinic name]. We answer messages on weekdays from [8 a.m. to 5 p.m.]. If it's urgent, please call [phone number].

Hi, thanks for messaging [restaurant name]. Menu and hours: [link]. For a table today, calling [phone number] is fastest; for another day, send the date, time and number of people.

Hi, this is [agent name] at [agency]. Send me the address or listing link you're asking about, and I'll reply today, or tomorrow morning if it's after [7 p.m.].

Thanks for getting in touch with [company]. So we can help faster, tell us your name, your company and what you're looking for.

Hi, [business name] here. What can we help you with today?

The last one is the shortest. It reads fine the first time and doesn't repeat your hours to a regular who sees it again.

Away messages for after hours

Thanks for your message! We're closed right now. Our hours are [Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET], and we'll reply as soon as we're back.

We're offline until [9 a.m.] tomorrow. Many answers are already on our FAQ page: [link]. If yours isn't there, leave it here and we'll reply first thing.

Thanks for writing to [store name]. We're away until [9 a.m. ET]. To track an order, use the link in your shipping email. For anything else, we'll reply in the morning.

The studio is closed now, but you can book any time online: [booking link]. Questions about a service? Leave them here and we'll answer when we open at [10 a.m.].

We're on a short break and back at [2 p.m.]. Leave your message and we'll reply then.

Thanks for your message. We're off for the weekend and back on Monday at [9 a.m.]. If your order hasn't arrived, include your order number so we can check it first.

Hi, it's [name]. I'm with a client and can't check messages right now. I'll reply by [5 p.m.]. If it's urgent, call [phone number].

Thanks for reaching out! Our team is in [city], and it's outside our working hours there ([9 a.m. to 5 p.m.] local time). We'll reply on our next working day.

On Telegram, pair the "with a client" message with the option that skips it if you were online in the last 10 minutes.

Holiday and vacation messages

Happy [holiday]! We're closed today and back on [date] at [9 a.m.]. Orders placed today ship on [date].

We're closed for Thanksgiving on [Thursday, November 26] and open again on [Friday at 9 a.m.]. Our Black Friday sale starts at [time]: [link].

Happy holidays from [business name]! We're closed from [December 24] to [January 1] and back on [January 2]. Orders placed after [December 18] ship when we're back.

I'm on vacation until [date] and not checking messages. You can book appointments from [date] here: [link]. For anything urgent, contact [name] at [email].

Ordering a gift? The last day to order for delivery before [December 25] is [December 18] with standard shipping, or [December 21] with express. Until then, replies may take up to [a day].

Holiday hours: we're open [10 a.m. to 3 p.m.] on [December 24 and 31] and closed on [December 25 and January 1]. We'll answer messages during those hours.

We're closed on [date] for [a stock count]. Messages sent today get a reply on [date].

Write the dates, not "this week", and switch the message off the morning you're back. On WhatsApp, a Custom schedule does that for you.

Busy-period messages

Thanks for your message! We're getting more messages than usual and answering them in order, usually within [4 hours]. No need to send it twice.

Our [Black Friday] sale is on until [date]. Prices are already lowered on the site, no code needed: [link]. Order questions may take up to [24 hours] to answer this week.

[Product] goes live on [date] at [time]. We can't hold items or take orders by message, so the site is the only place to buy it: [link].

We're a small team and slower than usual this week. We'll reply within [two business days]. To track an order, use [link].

Heads up: orders are taking [2 to 3] extra days to ship this week. If yours hasn't shipped by [date], send us your order number and we'll check.

Thanks for asking! We're fully booked until [date]. To join the waitlist for cancellations, send your name and the days that work for you.

Instant replies and FAQ answers for Instagram and Messenger

An instant reply goes to someone's first message. On Instagram, the four FAQ questions appear when someone starts a chat, and tapping one sends your answer.

Hey, thanks for the DM! We read every message and reply within [a day]. Prices are in our highlights, and the shop is here: [link].

Hi, thanks for messaging [Page name]! Ask your question here and we'll reply during business hours, [9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday].

Thanks for your message! We're away until [9 a.m.] and will reply then. Our prices and booking link are in our bio.

Question: What are your prices?

Answer: Our full price list is here: [link]. Prices start at [$35].

Question: Do you ship to [Canada]?

Answer: Yes, we ship to [the US and Canada]. Delivery takes [3 to 7] business days, and the cost shows at checkout.

Question: How do I book?

Answer: Book online here: [link]. You'll get a confirmation by email.

Question: Where is my order?

Answer: Use the tracking link in your shipping email. If it hasn't moved in [5] days, send us your order number here.

Welcome message examples for a website chat

A website chat greets everyone who opens it, so invite a question rather than list your hours. Quick replies are the buttons under it.

Hi! Looking for something specific? Ask about sizes, delivery or returns.

Quick replies: [Track my order] [Delivery times] [Returns]

Hi, I can help with prices, availability and booking at [business name]. What are you looking for?

Quick replies: [Prices] [Book a visit] [Opening hours]

Questions about [product] or our plans? Ask here.

Quick replies: [Pricing] [Talk to sales] [Help]

Comparing plans? Tell me roughly how many [customers] you have and I'll point you to the one that fits.

Not sure about your size? Ask us here.

Hi! We're offline right now. Leave your question and your email, and we'll reply by [10 a.m.] tomorrow.

The fifth is a teaser bubble, one line above the chat button. The fourth suits a single page such as pricing; in ChatPal a developer can give one page its own greeting in the embed code.

Telegram start page and a handover line

Telegram Business shows a start page in empty chats, before anyone writes:

Title: [Business name], [city]

Description: [Cakes to order. Ask about flavors, sizes and delivery.]

And one for when a chat moves from an assistant to your team:

Thanks, I've passed this to our team. They'll reply in this chat.

For the replies you write yourself once a conversation starts (a delay, a refund, a complaint), see our customer service reply templates.

When a fixed auto-reply stops being enough

An auto-reply can't read the message: whatever the customer asked, they get the same text, and the question waits for you. That's fine when most chats need a person. It stops working when the questions are ones your website already answers.

A quick test: open your last 30 chats and mark each one your website, price list or policies could have answered. If that's most of them, your away message mostly asks people to wait for an answer you've already written. Other signs: customers reply to the away message with their real question, you rewrite it every week for a new sale, or people write in languages it isn't in.

Here is an example conversation we wrote for this page. It shows how ChatPal handles an evening Instagram DM for a fictional nail salon that gave the assistant its price list and hours, with handoff to the team turned on. With only an away message, this customer would wait until morning.

Customer: hi! are you open sunday? how much is a gel manicure

Assistant: Yes, we're open on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. A gel manicure is $45 and takes about an hour.

Customer: can I bring my own polish?

Assistant: I don't have details on bringing your own polish, so I can't confirm that. Our team can tell you if you'd like to ask them.

Customer: ok, can I talk to someone about a group booking for 6?

Assistant: Our team has your message and will reply in this chat.

The assistant answers only from the pages and files you give it, in the language the customer writes in. When something isn't covered, like the polish, it says so instead of guessing. When the customer asks for a person, it stops answering that chat and your team gets an alert by email or Telegram. We make ChatPal; one assistant runs on your website chat, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Telegram.

If you add an assistant, switch the platform's own auto-replies off

Fixed texts and an assistant clash, differently on each platform:

• WhatsApp Business app. If you connect ChatPal and keep the app, your greeting and away messages keep sending from the phone, cross with the assistant's answers and can make it pause in that chat. Turn off Send greeting message and Send away message on the Tools tab; keep quick replies for when you answer yourself.
• Instagram. ChatPal treats instant replies and FAQ answers sent from Instagram or Business Suite as your team replying, so the assistant stops answering that customer. Switch them off.
• Messenger. A Business Suite instant reply or away message goes out alongside the assistant's answer, so the customer gets both. Our Facebook Page chatbot guide covers turning them off.
• Telegram. ChatPal answers through a separate bot that customers open from its t.me link, so your Telegram Business greeting and away messages stay on your own account and don't reach the bot's chats. The bot opens each chat with your ChatPal welcome message when the customer taps Start.
• Website chat. The welcome message in the Greeting card is the greeting, and the assistant answers from the first question. Add per-language versions on the Translations tab.

Every channel is on every ChatPal plan. On October 19, 2026, Free covers 100 replies a month, then Starter is $20 for 500, Standard $50 for 1,500 and Pro $120 for 4,000, billed monthly (pricing). On WhatsApp, Meta has also charged for replies past the first 1,000 a month per number since October 1, 2026, at a rate that depends on the customer's country. To judge it on your own chats, ask the Playground your ten most common questions (test replies count toward your monthly replies) and compare its answers with your away message.