Away message on WhatsApp: 30 templates per scenario

A good one away message on WhatsApp has three elements: confirms that the message was received, says when the customer will receive a response and offers a way to advance the matter or resolve emergencies. Below, 30 ready-made models organized by scenario — after hours, lunch, holidays, vacations and high demand — with variations in tone for clinic, store and services.

The 3 elements of an away message that works

Customers who call and receive nothing assume the worst: that they have been ignored. And silence is expensive — leads responded to within an hour are 7 times more likely to qualify than those who wait longer^[1]. The away message does not replace the quick response, but it keeps the customer in the queue until they arrive, as long as they have:

1. Confirmation of receipt. "We received your message" eliminates the doubt of "did it arrive?".
2. Specific deadline. "We will respond tomorrow from 9 am" is a commitment; "soon" is vague and generates charges.
3. Alternative path. Catalog link, request for details to advance service or guidance for emergencies.

And you can trust that it will be read: messages on WhatsApp have an open rate above 90%^[2] — which also applies to your automatic response.

Away message is not welcome message

WhatsApp Business configures both on the same screen, which is why they get confused. A welcome message welcomes callers for the first time, at any time, and sets the tone for the relationship. The absence response responds to any contact outside the defined hours, and its subject is one: when the customer will return. The technical step-by-step guide for both resources is in the guide automatic message on WhatsApp — here the focus is on the text. In templates, replace what's in brackets with your data and adjust the tone to your audience.

Outside business hours (models 1 to 6)

The most common scenario. Always inform the opening hours and when the response arrives:

• 1 — General: "Hello! We received your message. Our service is open from Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 6 pm — tomorrow morning you will be one of the first to respond in line. If you want, you can provide the details here."
• 2 — Clinic: "Hello! Our reception is open from Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm. Your message has been recorded and we will get back to you at the next opening time. In case of emergency, look for the nearest emergency room."
• 3 — Store: "Hi! The store is closed for the day, but your message was saved. We'll respond tomorrow at 9am. In the meantime, you can see the full catalog at [link]."
• 4 — Services: "Hello! Our office hours are Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm. Describe the service you need — so we can come back tomorrow with the quote."
• 5 — Formal: "Dear customer, thank you for contacting us. Our opening hours are Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm. Your message will be responded to on the next business day, on a first-come, first-served basis."
• 6 — Relaxed: "Oops! You arrived after hours, but relax: your message is saved. We'll be back tomorrow at 9am — send us the details and we'll get back to you with everything ready."

Lunch time (models 7 to 12)

Short break requires short notice — say the exact time of return:

• 7 — General: "Hello! We are on lunch break, from 12pm to 1:30pm. Your message is already in the queue and we will respond as soon as the team returns."
• 8 — Clinic: "Hello! Reception is on break until 1pm. If it is an appointment, inform us of the procedure and two preferred times — we will speed up your response when you return."
• 9 — Store: "Hi! Quick lunch break (12pm–1pm). If you want to go ahead, send me the product and the size or model you're looking for."
• 10 — Services: "Hi! We're on break until 1:30 pm. Send photos and details of the service — we'll get back to you with the review right after lunch."
• 11 — Formal: "Dear, our service is open from 12pm to 1pm. Your message will be responded to immediately after the team returns."
• 12 — Relaxed: "Lunch time here! From 12pm to 1pm the team recharges their batteries. Leave a message and we'll respond when we get back — promised."

Holiday (models 13 to 18)

State the date and time of reopening — "we'll be back after the holiday" does not schedule an appointment:

• 13 — General: "Hello! Today is a holiday and the team is off. We return [day] at [time] and respond to all messages on a first-come, first-served basis. Have a nice holiday!"
• 14 — Clinic: "Hello! The clinic is closed this holiday and reopens [day] at 8 am. Appointment messages will be answered upon reopening. In case of urgency, look for the nearest emergency room."
• 15 — Store: "Hi! The physical store is closed for the holiday, but the website remains open: [link]. On WhatsApp, we respond from [day], at 9am."
• 16 — Services: "Hi! We're on holiday break and back [day]. Leave details of what you need — quotes are sent in the order the messages arrived."
• 17 — Formal: "Dear customer, due to the holiday, there will be no business hours today. We will return on the next business day, [day], at normal opening hours."
• 18 — Relaxed: "Holiday here! The team went to rest, but your message was saved. [Day] in the morning we responded to everyone. Enjoy your rest too!"

Vacations and recess (models 19 to 24)

This is the scenario with the longest wait — the one that most requires a concrete alternative:

• 19 — General: "Hello! We are on break from [date] to [date]. Your message is recorded and will be answered from [date], in order of arrival. Thank you for your patience!"
• 20 — Clinic: "Hello! The office is on vacation until [date]. Reschedulings will be answered from [date]. In case of emergency, look for the nearest emergency room."
• 21 — Store: "Hi! We are on collective vacation until [date]. Requests via the website [link] are still valid and will be sent upon return. WhatsApp will respond again on [date]."
• 22 — Services: "Hi! We're on break until [date]. If your project has a deadline, send the details now — when you get back, we'll prioritize quotes on a first-come, first-served basis."
• 23 — Formal: "Dear, our office will be on recess from [date] to [date]. Requests received during this period will be responded to from [date], in order of receipt."
• 24 — Relaxed: "We need a vacation too! We'll be back on [date] with renewed energy. Leave your message, it'll be among the first things we'll read when we get back."

High demand (models 25 to 30)

When the queue grows — launch, promotion, seasonal peak —, the right message avoids resending and complaints. Say the real deadline, not the ideal one:

• 25 — General: "Hello! We are experiencing a higher volume of messages than normal and the response may take up to [X hours]. Your message is in the queue — there is no need to resend, no one misses a turn."
• 26 — Clinic: "Hello! Reception is in high demand today. If scheduling, please send full name, procedure and two preferred times to speed up your response."
• 27 — Store: "Hi! With the promotion, service is slower than normal. Send the product you want to guarantee — we respond on a first-come, first-served basis."
• 28 — Services: "Hello! The schedule is full this week and the return of quotes is taking up to [X business days]. Send photos and details of the service to advance the evaluation."
• 29 — Formal: "Dear, due to the high volume of calls, our response time is up to [X business hours]. Your message has been registered and will be responded to on a first-come, first-served basis."
• 30 — Relaxed: "The delay is annoying, we know — it's just that everyone is calling at the same time! Your message is in the queue and no one skips it. We'll respond within [X hours]."

Where to set up — and when the free app is enough

Honesty first: For the basic scenario — a fixed time, a single text — the free WhatsApp Business does the trick, with the native out-of-office message in Business Tools; the auto message guide shows the configuration in detail. The limit appears when the scenario changes frequently: the app maintains a single absence text, and switching to holidays, vacations or high demand becomes manual editing — which someone forgets to undo. Who answers via WhatsApp Web with Zapext stores variations as quick responses, ready to exchange in seconds, and uses the chatbot based on rules (without AI — you define the rules) for after-hours screening, such as asking for scheduling details while the reception desk doesn't return.

4 mistakes that make absence work against you

• Promising a deadline that you don’t meet. Worse than having no message is having one that lies. If it says "we respond at 9am", the 9am line is sacred.
• Leave seasonal message active. Holiday warning running on the following Wednesday burns credibility. Temporary scenario requires deactivation reminder.
• Vague text. "We cannot respond at the moment", with no deadline or alternative, only confirms the vacuum.
• Rude robot. Without a greeting or company name, the customer doubts they even called the right number.

Generate yours in seconds

To build your version without starting from scratch, use the free automatic message generator from Zapext: filter by scenario (absence, welcome, qualification, after-sales) and by niche, copy the ready-made template and paste it into your WhatsApp Business. And if the out-of-office message is the first step in tidying up, the complete method — tags, funnel, and team distribution — is in the out-of-office guide. how to organize service on WhatsApp.

Sources

1. [1] The Short Life of Online Sales Leads — Harvard Business Review (2011-03). accessed 2026-05-19.
2. [2] Email open rate vs messaging open rate benchmarks — Sinch (MessengerPeople) (2024). accessed 2026-05-19.