Quick replies on WhatsApp Web: Business shortcuts, saved replies and 15 templates

On WhatsApp Web, built-in quick replies work only on WhatsApp Business accounts: type "/" in a chat and pick a saved reply, but on the computer they are text only and you can store up to 50^[1]. To send saved replies with text, audio, images, videos or files from any account, regular or Business, add a Chrome extension such as Zapext to WhatsApp Web.

This guide is for shop owners, freelancers and small sales or support teams who answer customers from a computer. It covers how the Business app's quick replies work on WhatsApp Web, where they fall short, how saved replies in an extension fill the gaps, and 15 templates to copy.

What quick replies are (and what they are not)

A quick reply is a message you write once, save under a short name and send again whenever the same question comes up: prices, opening hours, your address, how to order. You still read the chat and decide what to send. Nothing goes out on its own.

An auto-reply is different: it answers without you when a rule is met, such as a keyword. For messages that go out by themselves, see auto-reply on a personal WhatsApp account.

The point of quick replies is speed without losing the human touch. Speed matters: in a study reported in Harvard Business Review (2011) covering 1.25 million sales leads, firms that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify the lead as firms that tried even an hour later^[2]. Typing the same price list for the twentieth time is how replies slow down.

Option 1: WhatsApp Business quick replies on WhatsApp Web

Quick replies are a tool of the WhatsApp Business app^[1]. Regular WhatsApp (WhatsApp Messenger) does not offer them. If you are not sure which app you use, read WhatsApp Business vs normal WhatsApp before you switch, because moving a number to the Business app is a change of app, not a setting.

How to create a quick reply in the Business app

WhatsApp's Help Center describes the setup in the phone app. On Android the steps are^[1]:

1. Open the Tools tab and tap Quick replies.
2. Tap the Add (+) button.
3. Tap Message and write your reply.
4. Tap Shortcut and type the keyword you will use to find it, for example prices or hours.
5. Tap Save.

The app also creates default replies from your business profile, so you can send your hours, your address or the profile itself without writing them^[1]. Fill in every section of the profile to get them.

How to use quick replies on WhatsApp Web

Quick replies came to WhatsApp Business on the web and desktop in January 2019, and on the computer you open them by pressing the "/" key in the message box^[3]. In practice:

1. Open the chat on web.whatsapp.com.
2. Click the message box and type /. Your saved replies appear in a list^[3].
3. Keep typing the shortcut to filter the list, or choose a reply with the mouse.
4. The text drops into the message box. Edit it if you need to, then send.

The limits of the Business app's quick replies

• Up to 50 saved replies. The Help Center sets the maximum number of stored quick replies at 50^[1].
• Text only on the computer. On the phone, a quick reply can include media such as images and videos, but media files are not supported in quick replies on Web or Desktop^[1]. From WhatsApp Web, a price-list image, a PDF catalogue or a recorded explanation has to be attached by hand every time you send it.
• Deleted means gone. A deleted quick reply cannot be recovered, and WhatsApp suggests keeping a copy of your most important replies outside the app^[1].
• Business app only. If you sell from a regular WhatsApp number, you get none of this without moving the number to the Business app.

Option 2: saved replies with text, audio and files in an extension

A Chrome extension adds its own saved replies inside WhatsApp Web, so they work whichever app your number uses. Zapext is one example. It runs inside web.whatsapp.com, works with the account you already have, regular or Business, on the same number, and does not use the WhatsApp Business API. Its quick replies save text, audio, media and files as ready-made messages that you send in one click.

That fills both gaps: you keep your regular WhatsApp, and you send the price-list image, PDF catalogue, product video or recorded explanation from the computer without hunting for the file.

How to set it up

1. On a desktop or laptop, open the Zapext page on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. It works in Google Chrome and in other Chromium-based browsers such as Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi.
2. Open web.whatsapp.com and log in to WhatsApp Web as usual.
3. Find the Zapext tab on the left side of the screen and click the avatar icon.
4. Log in with your Zapext account, or create one there with your email and a password you choose. Zapext never asks for your WhatsApp password.
5. Create your quick replies: write a text or add audio, an image, a video or a file.
6. In any chat, pick the saved reply and send it.

Two things to know before you install. Zapext works only on a computer; there is no mobile version. And the quick replies sit next to the rest of a CRM inside WhatsApp Web, including a Kanban board, labels, reminders and a keyword auto-reply, so you may want to read the WhatsApp extension guide or the WhatsApp CRM guide to see whether you need the full set.

Business app shortcuts vs extension saved replies

Feature	WhatsApp Business app on WhatsApp Web	Zapext on WhatsApp Web
Works with a regular WhatsApp account	No, Business app only	Yes, regular or Business
Text replies from the computer	Yes, with the "/" shortcut	Yes, in one click
Images, videos, audio or files from the computer	No, media files are not supported on Web or Desktop	Yes: audio, images, videos and files
Where you create replies	In the Business app (Tools > Quick replies)	Inside Zapext, on WhatsApp Web
Works on the phone	Yes, in the Business app	No, desktop only
Cost	Free app	Paid plan (see below)

The Business app column comes from WhatsApp's Help Center and TechCrunch's report on the web launch^[1][3].

How to build a quick reply library that people actually use

• Start with your top 10 questions. Scroll through last week's chats and write one reply for each question customers ask most.
• Pick the right format. Text for facts that change (prices, dates), images for price lists and menus, PDFs for catalogues and policies, a short voice note when tone matters, and video to show a product working.
• Name replies the way you think. Short, lower-case names such as prices, hours, pay and returns are faster to find mid-conversation than "Reply 7".
• Write for a phone screen. Two or three short sentences and one question at the end.
• Review every month. Prices, links, hours and stock change. An outdated quick reply costs more than no reply.

15 ready-to-use quick reply templates

Replace the parts in square brackets once, when you save each reply. The suggested name is the shortcut you would type or search for. Templates marked image or video cannot be sent as quick replies from WhatsApp Web: send them from the Business app on your phone or use an extension. For PDF and audio templates, attach the file by hand or use an extension that saves files and audio.

Sales templates

1. Welcome (name: hi; text or audio): "Hi, thanks for messaging [business name]! Tell me what you are looking for and I will send you the details in a few minutes."
2. Price list (name: prices; image with this caption): "Here is our current price list, valid until [date]. Which option would you like?"
3. Catalogue (name: catalogue; PDF): "Here is our full catalogue. Send me the code of any item you like and I will check stock for you."
4. Product demo (name: demo; video): "This short video shows how [product] works. Any questions after watching?"
5. Qualifying questions (name: needs; text): "To suggest the right option, could you tell me: 1) what you need it for, 2) how many you need, and 3) by when?"
6. Quote follow-up (name: quote; text): "Hi again! Did you get a chance to look at the quote I sent? I am happy to adjust quantities or the delivery date."
7. Payment details (name: pay; text): "You can pay by [payment methods you accept]. As soon as the payment is confirmed, I will send the receipt and delivery date here."
8. Order confirmed (name: confirmed; text): "Your order is confirmed. Expected delivery: [delivery time]. I will message you here when it is on its way."

Support templates

9. Business hours (name: hours; text): "We are available [days], [opening hours] ([time zone]). Messages sent outside these hours are answered on the next working day."
10. Location (name: address; text): "We are at [address]. Map: [map link]. [Parking or landmark tip]."
11. Problem report (name: issue; text): "Sorry about that. To help you quickly, please send your order number and a photo or short video of the problem."
12. Checking (name: checking; text): "Thanks, I have everything I need. I am checking this with our team and will reply here by [time]."
13. Returns policy (name: returns; PDF with this caption): "Here is our returns and exchange policy. In short: [return window] from delivery, in the original packaging."
14. How-to guide (name: howto; audio): "Hi, it is [your name] from [business name]. Here is how to [set up or use the product] in three steps: first…, then…, and finally…. Message me if anything is unclear."
15. Closing and review (name: thanks; text): "Glad we could sort this out! If you have a minute, a short review helps us a lot: [review link]. Have a great day."

Pair template 6 with a reminder so the follow-up happens on the right day. See WhatsApp follow-up reminders for a simple routine.

Quick replies not showing on WhatsApp Web? What to check

• Is the account really Business? Regular WhatsApp has no quick replies, on the phone or on the web.
• Did you type "/" in the message box? The list opens from the message box of an open chat^[1][3].
• Is the reply a media reply? Replies with images or videos are not supported on Web or Desktop^[1], so send them from the phone or use an extension.
• Is the app up to date? Update the Business app on your phone, then reload WhatsApp Web. If WhatsApp Web itself gives you trouble on a computer, see WhatsApp Business on PC.

What Zapext costs, and who it suits

Quick replies are included in both Zapext plans^[4]. Starter costs ≈ US$ 57/year, about US$ 4.76/month (charged in Brazilian reais, BRL, at 5.2 BRL/USD on 28 Sep 2026), or ≈ US$ 9.60/month on the monthly plan. Plus, for teams of up to 4 users on the same number with chat transfer and round-robin distribution, costs ≈ US$ 192/year or ≈ US$ 25/month (charged in Brazilian reais, BRL, at 5.2 BRL/USD on 28 Sep 2026). You pay a flat price, not a fee per conversation, and there is a 7-day money-back guarantee. See pricing.

Zapext has 552 users and a 5.0 rating from 45 reviews on the Chrome Web Store (figures seen on 24 October 2026)^[5]. It suits people who answer customers from a computer most of the day. If you mostly reply from your phone, the free Business app's quick replies may be enough. If several people share one number, read multiple users on one WhatsApp number. To check how an extension handles your data, see the security page.

Sources

1. [1] How to use quick replies — WhatsApp Help Center — WhatsApp (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.
2. [2] WhatsApp Business app adds customer service features to its desktop and web apps — TechCrunch (2019-01-24). accessed 2026-10-25.
3. [3] The Short Life of Online Sales Leads — Harvard Business Review (2011-03). accessed 2026-05-19.
4. [4] Zapext — Plans and pricing (charged in Brazilian reais, BRL, with US dollar estimates) — Zapext (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.
5. [5] Zapext — Chrome Web Store listing (users, ratings and current version) — Chrome Web Store (Google) (2026). accessed 2026-10-24.