WhatsApp auto-reply for online stores
The WhatsApp Business app can greet new customers automatically and send an away message outside your hours, for free. What it cannot do is react to your store: confirm an order, remind about a checkout, or send a tracking link. That is store automation, and it needs an app connected to your Shopify store.
By Mousa Alhelo, founder, E-SAFQA · Updated · 4 min read · How we write and test these guides
Built into the WhatsApp Business app
- Greeting message: sent automatically to customers who message you for the first time or after 14 days of silence.
- Away message: sent outside the hours you set.
- Quick replies: shortcuts for answers you type often (delivery times, sizes, payment methods).
- Labels: organise chats by status such as new order or pending payment.
What a greeting should say for a store
State who you are, when you reply, and what the customer can ask: 'Thanks for messaging Example Store. We reply within 30 minutes, 9 am to 10 pm. Send us the product name or your order number and we will help.'
Where automation takes over
Auto-replies answer messages customers send you. Store automation sends messages because of what customers did in your store: WhatsApp Pilot confirms orders automatically when they are created and reminds opted-in customers about abandoned checkouts. Both come from the same number, so your greeting and quick replies keep working alongside.
Ready to put WhatsApp to work on your store?
Start with the free widget. Upgrade to Pro for order messages, cart recovery, the smart product button, back-in-stock alerts and Product Demand.