How-to · WhatsApp Business
How to set up a WhatsApp Business auto-reply and greeting message.
You set up auto-replies in the WhatsApp Business app under Settings, then Business tools, then Greeting message and Away message. The greeting is sent to someone who messages you for the first time or after a long gap, and the away message answers outside your working hours. Both are free, take a few minutes, and are the difference between a customer waiting in silence and a customer who knows when you will reply.
Install the right app and keep your number
WhatsApp Business is a separate free app from the normal WhatsApp, and you can move your existing number into it without losing your chats if you follow the migration prompt. Do the move on the phone that will actually answer customers, because the account lives on one main device. Back up your chats first, and keep the number active; if the SIM is cut off for too long, you can lose access to the account.
Fill the business profile before the messages
Add the shop name, category, address, opening hours, web site or catalogue link and a clear profile photo. These details feed the automatic answers, so if your hours are wrong the away message will be wrong too. Write the description in the language your customers use, and add a second language if you serve both Dari and English speakers. A complete profile also makes it easier for people to trust the account before they send anything.
Write the greeting message short and useful
Open Business tools, then Greeting message, turn it on and keep it to two or three lines: who you are, what you can help with, and the one thing you want the person to do next. For a shop that might be sending a photo of the item or writing the neighbourhood name. Set it to send after a short delay rather than instantly, so a real person still has a chance to answer first. Avoid long paragraphs and avoid pretending it is a human; people forgive a bot, they do not forgive being tricked.
Set the away message for your real hours
The away message fires outside the schedule you enter, so set the days and hours honestly, including Friday. Say when you will reply and what the person can do in the meantime, such as leaving the order details or checking the price list. Keep it separate from the greeting so the two do not stack into one long block. You can also set a quick reply for the questions you answer all day, like delivery or price, and send it with one tap.
Test it from another phone and review it monthly
Send a message from a friend's phone to see exactly what a customer sees, including the timing and whether both messages arrive together. Fix anything that reads like a robot or gives a wrong hour, and update the text when your schedule or offer changes. If you use WhatsApp Business on more than one device or with a team, check the current rules for linked devices before relying on them. A good auto-reply buys you time; it does not replace answering.
What you get
- Setting up WhatsApp Business on your number
- Writing the greeting and away messages in Dari and English
- Adding quick replies for common questions
- Testing the flow and updating the hours
Is WhatsApp Business free, and does it replace my normal WhatsApp?
The app is free and it is separate from normal WhatsApp, so you can install it on the same phone with a different number or move your existing number into it. You cannot run the same number in both apps at once, so decide which one will answer customers. The Business app adds the profile, catalogue and automatic messages, while the chats work the same way.
What is the difference between a greeting message and an away message?
The greeting is for a first message or one that comes after a long gap, and it introduces the business. The away message is for anything that arrives outside your working hours, and it tells the person when you will reply. Turn on both, keep them short, and set your hours honestly so the away message does not fire at midday.
Will customers be annoyed by an automatic reply?
Not if it is short and useful; people are annoyed by a long wall of text, by a bot pretending to be a person, or by an auto-reply that keeps repeating. Two or three lines that say who you are, what you sell and when a human will answer are usually welcome, especially at night. Always answer soon after; the automatic message buys time, it does not replace you.
Can I use an auto-reply for my web site or webiste link?
Yes. You can include a link to your site, a price list, a location or a catalogue inside the greeting or away message, and the Business profile has its own link field too; keep the link short and make sure it opens on a normal phone. Test it from another device, because a broken link in an automatic message reaches every new customer.
Can Pamir Digital set this up for me?
Yes. We can install and configure WhatsApp Business on your number, write the greeting and away messages in Dari and English, add quick replies for the questions you get most, and test the whole flow with you, while you keep the account and the number. Send a WhatsApp message and we reply within one working day.