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WhatsApp greeting message: what it is and why it matters
A WhatsApp greeting message is the first automatic reply a customer sees after they write to your business number. It answers one question in under a second: "Did anyone get my message?" A good greeting sets the tone, names the next step and keeps the customer in the chat instead of sending them back to Google.
This guide shows you how the greeting message works in the WhatsApp Business app, which text to put in it, and 12 copy-paste examples for typical businesses. It also shows where a fixed greeting stops and how an AI agent on the WhatsApp Business Platform takes over from there.
Greeting message, away message, quick reply: the difference
The WhatsApp Business app has three built-in message tools. People mix them up, so here is the short version. The greeting message welcomes new contacts. The away message covers the hours when nobody is at the desk. A quick reply is a saved text you send yourself with a short shortcut.
| Tool | Trigger | Best for | Reads the question? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greeting message | First message, or a customer who comes back after a long pause | Welcome and next step | No |
| Away message | Your schedule, for example evenings and weekends | Opening hours and expected reply time | No |
| Quick reply | You type a shortcut in the chat | Repeated answers such as address, price list, directions | No, you pick it |
| AI agent (WhatsApp Business Platform) | Every incoming message | Answers, bookings, qualification, handover | Yes |
Per the usual setup in the app, the greeting is sent when a customer writes for the first time or after a longer period without contact (WhatsApp uses 14 days of inactivity). The away message follows the schedule you set. Check the current behavior in your own app under Business Tools, because Meta changes details from time to time.
How to set up a greeting message in the WhatsApp Business app
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and go to Settings, then Business Tools.
- Tap Greeting message and switch it on.
- Write your text. Keep it short, because it shows up in a small chat bubble on a phone.
- Choose the recipients: everyone, everyone except selected contacts, or only selected contacts.
- Save, then test it with a second phone number. Check line breaks and emojis on a real device.
The anatomy of a good WhatsApp greeting message
Most greetings fail for the same reason: they say a lot about the company and nothing about the next step. Use this structure instead.
- Line 1: Who you are. Business name and a friendly hello. Use a person's first name only if a person really answers.
- Line 2: What happens next. "We reply within two hours on weekdays" beats "We will get back to you soon".
- Line 3: One clear option. A question, a link or a keyword. Not five choices.
Keep it under 300 characters. Add one emoji at most. Do not paste your whole price list into the greeting. A link to the right page is enough. If your customers write in more than one language, say so in the first line, for example "Hallo / Hello".
12 WhatsApp greeting message examples to copy
Replace the brackets with your own details. Every example follows the three-line structure above.
1. General business greeting
Hi, thanks for writing to [Company]! We reply on weekdays within [2 hours]. What can we help you with?
2. Online shop
Welcome to [Shop]! Please send your order number if your question is about an order. For product advice, tell us what you are looking for.
3. Dental practice or medical office
Hello and welcome to [Practice]. To book an appointment, send us your preferred day and time. In an emergency, please call [number] instead.
4. Restaurant
Hi from [Restaurant]! Want to reserve a table? Send us the date, time and number of guests and we confirm shortly.
5. Hair salon or beauty studio
Welcome to [Studio]! Tell us the service you want and two possible days. We send you a slot suggestion today.
6. Craftsman or field service
Hello, this is [Company]. Please send a short description of the job, your postcode and, if you can, a photo. We call you back within one working day.
7. Real estate agency
Welcome to [Agency]! Which property are you interested in? Send us the listing ID or link and we share the next viewing dates.
8. Hotel or guest house
Welcome to [Hotel]! For availability, send us your travel dates and the number of guests. Check-in is from [3 pm], breakfast from [7 am].
9. Online course or coaching
Hi, I'm glad you are here! Are you interested in the [course name] or a free intro call? Reply with 1 or 2 and we take it from there.
10. B2B sales contact
Hello, this is the sales team at [Company]. Tell us your company size and what you want to automate. We send you a short proposal and a booking link.
11. Support line
You reached [Company] support. Please describe the issue in one or two sentences and add your customer number. Support hours: [Mon to Fri, 8 to 18].
12. Away message for evenings and weekends
Thanks for your message! Our team is offline until [Monday, 8 am]. Your request is saved and we answer first thing in the morning.
Need ready-made welcome texts for more industries? Our earlier guide with 15 professional WhatsApp welcome message templates covers more cases.
Tone and language: formal or casual, emoji or not
The right tone depends on your audience. A medical office, a law firm or a bank advisor sounds more trustworthy with a polite, formal register. A hair salon, a cafe or an online shop for younger customers can stay casual. Decide once and keep it the same in the greeting, the away message and every later reply. Nothing looks less professional than a switch in the middle of a chat.
Write short sentences and use words you would also say on the phone. Skip filler such as "Your request is important to us". Say what actually happens instead: "We get back to you today before 5 pm." If you name prices, opening hours or addresses, check them whenever something changes in your business. An outdated greeting is worse than none.
Think about the entry point as well. Customers who arrive from an ad or a QR code in your shop window expect a different first answer than regulars who have written to you for years. The built-in greeting cannot tell them apart. An AI agent can, because it knows the history and the entry point.
Where a fixed greeting stops
A greeting message sends the same text to everyone. It cannot answer "Is Thursday at 3 pm free?", cannot check an order and cannot tell a hot lead from a spam message. That is fine for a small business with a few chats a day. It gets expensive in time once the inbox fills up.
Typical signs that you have outgrown the built-in tools:
- Staff answer the same five questions all day.
- Customers write after hours and wait until the next morning.
- Leads from ads or QR codes cool down before anyone replies.
- You want the chat to create a CRM contact or a calendar booking without manual copying.
Upgrade: a WhatsApp AI agent instead of a static greeting
With the WhatsApp Business Platform you can connect an AI agent to your number. It greets the customer, reads the actual question, answers from your knowledge base and books the appointment. If the customer needs a human, the agent hands over with the full chat history. Famulor runs this in the same platform as its AI phone agents, so a customer who texts today and calls tomorrow meets the same assistant and the same data. See our guide on WhatsApp Business with AI for the full picture.
| Step | Static greeting | AI agent with Famulor |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Fixed text | Greeting that fits the customer and the entry point |
| Question | Waits for a human | Answered from your knowledge base |
| Appointment | Back and forth by hand | Booked directly in your calendar |
| After hours | Away message | Same quality, day and night |
| Handover | Not possible | Human takes over with the full history |
| CRM | Manual | Contact and notes written automatically |
The no-code builder lets you set this up without a developer. See the no-code AI agent builder and the integrations for calendars and CRMs. If you want a human in control of tricky chats, read how WhatsApp AI with human takeover works.
What it costs
There are two cost blocks. WhatsApp charges for conversations on the Business Platform according to Meta's current price list for your country, and your AI platform charges for usage. With Famulor you pay per minute of agent time, from €0.05 per minute, or in a plan such as Plus with 100 minutes included for €35 per month. Check the pricing page for the live numbers. Meta's per-message rates are not part of the Famulor price and change by region.
The simple calculation: take the hours your team spends on repeated WhatsApp questions per week, multiply by their hourly cost, and compare it with the agent usage. The calculator below does that for you.
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A rollout plan for the first two weeks
- Day 1: Switch on greeting and away message in the Business app. This takes ten minutes and costs nothing.
- Days 2 to 5: Write down the ten questions customers ask most. These become your knowledge base.
- Week 2: Connect the number to an AI agent, start with one use case such as appointment requests, and read the first 30 chats.
- After that: Add handover rules, then more use cases such as order status or lead qualification.
Start small. A greeting that works and one automated use case beat a big bot nobody trusts.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Too long: Anything above five lines is skipped on a phone.
- No next step: "Thanks for your message" alone leaves the customer guessing.
- Wrong tone: A stiff corporate text in a chat app feels cold. Write the way you would speak at the counter.
- Missing consent info: If you collect personal data in the chat, link your privacy notice. See our GDPR guide for AI agents.
- Never tested: Send a test message from a second number after every change.
Conclusion
A WhatsApp greeting message is the cheapest upgrade for your customer service: ten minutes of work, a clear first impression. Use the three-line structure, keep it honest and pair it with an away message. When your chats grow beyond what fixed texts can handle, move to an AI agent that reads the question and finishes the job. Famulor is the first choice for teams that want WhatsApp and phone calls in one platform. Next step: book a short demo, or build your first WhatsApp agent in the no-code builder.
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FAQ
What is a greeting message for WhatsApp?
It is an automatic first reply in the WhatsApp Business app. It welcomes new contacts and tells them what happens next.
What is the best greeting message for WhatsApp Business?
The best one is short and specific: who you are, when you reply and one clear question. Keep it under 300 characters.
What is the difference between a greeting message and an away message?
The greeting welcomes new or returning contacts. The away message follows your schedule and covers the hours when nobody answers.
Can a WhatsApp greeting message answer questions?
No. It sends the same fixed text to everyone. To answer real questions you need an AI agent on the WhatsApp Business Platform.
How often is the greeting message sent?
It is sent on first contact and again when a customer returns after a longer pause. WhatsApp currently uses 14 days of inactivity, so check your app for the current rule.
Can I use emojis in a WhatsApp welcome message?
Yes. One emoji adds warmth. More than two make the text look like spam.
What are good live chat welcome message examples?
Short ones that ask one question, such as "Hi, I'm [Name] from [Company]. What are you looking for today?" The examples above work in live chat too.
Do I need the WhatsApp Business app or the API?
For a fixed greeting, the free Business app is enough. For AI answers, bookings and CRM updates you need the WhatsApp Business Platform, which Famulor connects for you.
How long can a greeting message be?
Keep it under 300 characters and four lines at most. Nobody reads long blocks on a phone, and the key sentence, the next action, should be visible without scrolling.
Should I use my own name or the company name in the greeting?
Always name the company so the customer knows they reached the right place. Use a first name only if that person really answers.
Writer at Famulor
