In short
A WhatsApp greeting message is an automated reply that fires the moment a customer messages your business for the first time, or after 14 days of silence in that chat. It takes about five minutes to set up inside the WhatsApp Business app, no developer required. Below are 50 ready-to-use examples grouped by business type: retail, e-commerce, salons and clinics, food delivery, home services, online courses, and B2B. Copy one, swap in your business name and hours, and turn it on today.
A template earns its keep while the questions coming in are repetitive and the volume is low. Once customers start asking about stock, order status, or a specific appointment slot, a fixed block of text stops being enough - and later in this article we get into where exactly that line sits.
How greeting messages actually work in WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business (the free app, separate from regular WhatsApp) has a built-in "Business Tools" section with three types of automated messages:
- Greeting message - sent the first time a customer messages you, or after 14 days without contact in that thread.
- Away message - sent on a schedule (outside business hours) or toggled on manually.
- Quick replies - saved shortcuts a staff member inserts with a "/" command for common questions.
To turn on a greeting message: tap the three dots in the top right → Business Tools → Greeting Message → flip the toggle on → edit the text → save. On Android the path is nearly identical, just through the settings gear instead. The practical limit sits around 200-250 characters before WhatsApp starts truncating the preview, even though the full message still delivers.
You can restrict who receives it - everyone, everyone except contacts already in your phone, or a specific list. For most small businesses, leaving it on "everyone" makes sense: that first message is the actual first touchpoint with a new customer.
If you're messaging through the WhatsApp Business API rather than the free app - for instance through a CRM or a platform like Twilio, MessageBird, or a regional BSP - the greeting logic usually lives in that platform's dashboard instead of on the phone. The behavior is the same; only where the text is stored changes. This is also where a proper GPT integration tends to sit, connecting the message layer to whatever system holds order or account data.
50 WhatsApp greeting message examples
Retail and e-commerce
- Hi, thanks for reaching out to [Business Name]! We're open Monday-Saturday, 9am-7pm. Let us know what you're looking for and we'll check stock right away.
- Welcome to [Business Name]! Browse our full catalog at [link], or just tell us the item and size and we'll confirm availability here.
- Hey there! Thanks for messaging [Business Name]. Orders placed before 2pm ship same day. What can we help you find?
- Hi! We've got your message. If you're asking about an existing order, send us the order number and we'll pull it up.
- Thanks for contacting us - we're currently closed, but we'll reply first thing when we open at 9am.
- Hello and welcome! We're running a seasonal sale through the end of the month. Anything specific you're shopping for?
Salons, spas, and clinics
- Hi, this is [Salon Name]! To book, just tell us the service and your preferred day - we'll find you an open slot.
- Welcome to [Clinic Name]. To schedule with a provider, let us know the reason for your visit or which specialist you need, and we'll get back to you within the day.
- Thanks for reaching out! We're open daily 9am-8pm. Tell us what service you need and we'll quote pricing and availability.
- Hi there! If you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment, just send your booking reference and we'll handle it here.
- Our front desk is closed right now, but we've got your message and will follow up by 8am tomorrow.
- Hello! Send a photo if it helps explain what's going on, and one of our providers will take a look before your visit.
Food and local delivery
- Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name]. Send us your address and what you'd like to order, and we'll confirm the total and delivery time.
- Your order #[number] is with the driver now - expect it within 35-45 minutes. Message us if you need to update the address.
- Thanks for your order! We deliver daily from 11am to 11pm, usually within 30-50 minutes depending on your area.
- Hi there, if your order is running later than expected, send the order number and we'll look into it right away.
- Kitchen's closed for the night - we're back taking orders at 11am tomorrow. Thanks for thinking of us!
Home services and auto repair
- Hi, thanks for contacting [Business Name]. Describe the issue or the make/year of your vehicle and we'll give you a rough estimate and book a slot.
- Welcome! To schedule service, tell us the date, the job, and your location, and we'll confirm the nearest available appointment.
- Thanks for reaching out - we're open 8am-6pm, Monday through Saturday. Weekend slots are by appointment only.
- If this is urgent - vehicle won't start or you need a tow - call this same number, it's faster than chat.
- Hi! All our slots are booked until 2pm today, but we can pencil you in for later this afternoon if that works.
Online courses and coaching
- Hi, thanks for your interest in [Course Name]! Let us know your goals and we'll point you to the right program and next start date.
- Welcome! Our next cohort for [Course Name] starts [date]. Want a quick call before you enroll, or do you have questions we can answer here?
- Thanks for reaching out - free trial sessions are available. Tell us a day and time that works and we'll match you with an instructor.
- Hi! If you already have access and you're running into a technical issue, describe it here and support will follow up within the hour.
- Our team has wrapped up for the day, but we've logged your message and will respond first thing tomorrow.
B2B and wholesale
- Hi, this is the sales team at [Company Name]. Let us know the products and quantities you're looking for and we'll put together a quote.
- Thanks for reaching out! Send your item list and delivery location and we'll respond with wholesale pricing within one business day.
- Hello, if you're an existing account, include your account number or company name so we can route you to your rep faster.
- Welcome! Your regional account manager will follow up within the hour. If it's urgent, give us a quick summary here first.
- Thanks for contacting us. Our current price list and terms are attached - let us know if you'd like samples sent over.
General and after-hours
- Hi, thanks for messaging us! We're online Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, and typically reply within 30 minutes during those hours.
- Welcome to [Business Name]. We've received your message and someone will follow up shortly.
- It's currently outside our business hours, but your message is saved - we'll respond as soon as we're back at [time].
- Thanks for reaching out! If this is time-sensitive, call us directly at [phone number] - we don't monitor WhatsApp around the clock.
- Hi, this is the official WhatsApp for [Business Name]. Tell us what you need and we'll connect you with the right person.
- Hello! Thanks for getting in touch - to help you faster, let us know your city or account and what you're contacting us about.
- Hi there! We just wanted to say thanks for choosing [Business Name] - let us know how we can help today.
- Welcome! Feel free to browse our catalog, ask a question, or request a callback - whatever's easiest for you.
- Hi! We're a small team so replies may take a bit longer during peak hours, but every message gets a response.
- Thanks for your message. If you're following up on a previous conversation, just reply here and we'll pick up where we left off.
- Hello and welcome. This number is monitored by our support team during business hours only.
- Hi there! For fastest service, tell us your order number or account email right away.
- Thanks for reaching out to [Business Name] - we'll do our best to get back to you within the hour.
- Welcome! If you're a returning customer, mention your last order and we'll pull up your history.
- Hi, thanks for your patience - message volume is higher than usual today, but we're working through the queue.
- Hello! This chat is for customer questions only; for careers or press inquiries, please use the contact form on our website.
- Thanks for writing in. A team member will review your message and respond as soon as possible.
- Hi there, welcome to [Business Name]! Let us know what brought you here today.
Choosing and adapting a template
Don't paste one of these in verbatim. Swap in your real business name, your actual hours, and drop any promise you can't keep - if you only have one person checking WhatsApp, don't promise a reply "within the hour." Customers test that promise immediately, and a broken one does more damage to trust than having no greeting message at all.
Keep it short. One or two concrete facts - hours, typical response time, what to send next - work better than a paragraph about your company's mission. Most people decide whether to keep reading within a couple of seconds of the message landing.
If you serve customers in more than one language, consider a short bilingual version rather than a long message in only one language. A greeting that's easy to skim in either language beats a longer one that only works for half your audience.
When a template stops being enough
A static greeting solves one job well: telling the customer they've been heard and setting expectations for response time. It can't check stock in your inventory system, look up an order's status, find an open slot with a specific stylist, or answer "do you still have the blue one from the photo in a size 8?" As message volume grows and the questions get more varied, something has to sit behind the greeting - and that's where a fixed template hits its ceiling.
The first sign you've outgrown it: staff spend more time manually answering the same handful of questions - shipping cost to a specific area, whether an item is in stock, what time a location opens - than they spend actually selling. The second sign: messages sent overnight or on weekends pile up unanswered until someone gets back to a desk, because the greeting fires but nothing processes the request.
At that point, the fix usually isn't a longer template - it's a system that reads the customer's actual question, checks the relevant data (inventory, CRM, booking calendar), and only hands off to a person when the request falls outside what it can safely resolve on its own. That's the difference between an auto-reply and a working AI agent: one is text written once and left alone, the other stays connected to what's actually happening in the business.
FAQ
Is a WhatsApp greeting message required for WhatsApp Business?
No, but without one, a customer's first message can sit unanswered for hours, especially evenings and weekends. The auto-reply removes that dead air immediately, even if a person answers properly later.
Can I send different greetings to different customers?
Not inside the WhatsApp Business app itself - the text is the same for everyone in your chosen recipient list. Different messages by customer type or product usually require a CRM integration or a dedicated messaging platform.
How often should the greeting message be updated?
Update it whenever your hours, location, promotions, or contact details change. There's no need to rewrite it just for variety - customers care about the facts in it, not the phrasing.
What if message volume outgrows manual replies?
Start by identifying which questions repeat most often and turn those into quick replies. If that's still not enough and requests keep slipping through, the next step usually isn't a new greeting - it's how AI can answer customers directly in chat, based on the actual question rather than a fixed script.
Pick three or four templates above that fit your business, turn them on today, and spend a week watching what customers actually ask. That will tell you whether you need a better greeting or something that can actually answer.