Best WhatsApp Business Greeting Message (Quick Answer)
If you need one solid template right now, copy this:
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name] 👋
How can we help today?
Reply with a number:
Sales or pricing
Order or booking status
Product or service question
Talk to a person
This works because it does four things at once: welcomes the customer, confirms they reached the right business, gives clear options, and creates an easy path to a human. Scroll down for 24 more templates organized by business type, industry, and goal.
WhatsApp now has more than 3 billion monthly active users, making it the most widely used messaging app on the planet. And according to Meta's 2026 State of Business Messaging report, based on Kantar research conducted from April to September 2025 across 11,056 adults in 22 markets, 73.3% of consumers prefer messaging when communicating with a business and 66.8% feel frustrated when messaging is not an available option.
Your greeting message is the first thing a customer sees when they reach you on WhatsApp. Get it right, and you've started a workflow. Get it wrong, and you've started a guessing game.
At Social Intents, we help businesses manage WhatsApp conversations at scale, from routing messages into Microsoft Teams or Slack to running AI chatbots with clean human handoff. We've seen firsthand what separates a greeting that converts from one that just sits there looking polite.
Below you'll find 25 copy-paste WhatsApp business greeting messages, a setup guide, a compliance checklist, a common-mistakes list, a scoring audit, and a FAQ section. Use whatever's useful. Start with the quick answer above if you're in a hurry.
What Is a WhatsApp Business Greeting Message?
A WhatsApp Business greeting message is an automated welcome message sent when someone contacts your business for the first time, or after 14 days of inactivity. WhatsApp's Help Center describes this as the "14-day rule": new contacts and inactive ones both trigger the greeting automatically.
Think of it as your digital front desk. The moment a customer sends that first message, before any human sees it, the greeting fires. That small window is your chance to acknowledge them, route the conversation, and set expectations.
A good greeting message does five things:
Makes the customer feel acknowledged right away.
Confirms which business they reached.
Sets realistic expectations about response time.
Asks one clear next question (or gives clear options).
Offers a path to a human when they need one.
WhatsApp's Business App features page describes greeting messages as custom welcome messages for new customer conversations, while also listing away messages (for outside business hours) and quick replies (shortcuts for frequently asked questions) as separate, related tools. If you want to see how these compare to live chat welcome messages on your website, we have a full guide covering both channels.
Greeting Message vs Away Message vs Template Message: What's the Difference?
These three get confused constantly. The distinction matters because they work differently, are triggered at different times, and have different rules.
| Message type | Best used when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting message | A customer starts a conversation or returns after 14 days of inactivity | "Hi! Welcome to [Business Name]. How can we help today?" |
| Away message | Someone messages outside your business hours | "Thanks for your message. We're offline now and will reply tomorrow after 9 AM." |
| Quick reply | Your team repeatedly answers the same question | "Our return window is 30 days from delivery." |
| WhatsApp message template | Your business initiates a conversation, or reopens one outside the 24-hour service window, on the WhatsApp Business Platform | "Hi [Name], your appointment is confirmed for [Date]." |
The 24-hour window matters here. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy says businesses can reply to a customer message without a pre-approved template within 24 hours of the last user message. Outside that window, only approved message templates are allowed. And businesses may only contact people who provided their number and opted in. That policy shapes how you build any WhatsApp workflow, including your greeting.
For cost planning: WhatsApp's pricing page shows that service messages inside the 24-hour customer-service window are not charged, while charges apply per delivered message by market and message category outside that window. If you want a full breakdown of the WhatsApp Business Platform and its API, our complete guide to setting up the WhatsApp Business API covers the onboarding process in detail.
How to Write a WhatsApp Business Greeting Message That Works
Before we get into the full template list, it helps to understand the structure behind the best-performing greetings. The formula is simple:
Welcome + Business Name + Useful Routing + Response Expectation + Human Fallback
In practice, that looks like:
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name]. We can help with orders, pricing, product questions, and support. Reply with what you need, or type human to reach our team.
The trap most businesses fall into is the vague greeting:
Hi, how can we help?
That's polite, but it puts all the work on the customer. They have to think about what to say, how to phrase it, and whether they're even in the right place. A well-structured greeting gives them shortcuts. It's not just friendlier, it actually reduces your response time because you've already started the routing. The same principle applies across channels, and our 35+ chatbot welcome message examples show how this structure adapts for website chatbots and AI-first conversations.
25 WhatsApp Business Greeting Messages You Can Copy and Paste
Replace bracketed text like [Business Name], [hours], [link], and [team name] before using.
1. General Welcome Message
Best for: Any business that wants a simple, professional default greeting.
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name] 👋
Thanks for reaching out. How can we help you today?
Why it works: Short, warm, and universally appropriate. Good starting point if you're not sure which template fits.
2. Menu-Based WhatsApp Greeting Message
Best for: Businesses that receive different types of requests and want to route them efficiently.
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name].
What can we help with today?
Reply with a number:
Sales
Support
Order status
Booking or appointment
Talk to a person
Why it works: Cuts back-and-forth immediately. When a customer picks an option, your team already knows what channel or workflow to use.
3. Friendly Small-Business Greeting
Best for: Local shops, salons, cafes, creators, and service providers who want warmth without being too casual.
Hey there 👋 Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
We're happy to help! Send us your question, and we'll reply as soon as possible.
Why it works: Feels human and approachable. Right for businesses where the relationship matters as much as the transaction.
4. Professional B2B Greeting
Best for: Agencies, consultants, SaaS companies, IT providers, and professional services teams.
Hello, and thank you for contacting [Business Name].
Please share a few details about what you need help with, and the right person from our team will respond shortly.
Why it works: Sets a polished, efficient tone. The phrase "right person from our team" signals expertise and routing without being cold.
5. Lead Qualification Greeting
Best for: Sales teams that need to qualify inbound WhatsApp leads before routing them.
Hi! Thanks for your interest in [Business Name].
To connect you with the right person, could you share:
What you're looking for
Your company or use case
Your preferred timeline
Why it works: Turns a casual opening message into a qualified sales conversation. Your team gets context before they even say hello. For more on turning WhatsApp conversations into a real sales pipeline, our guide to live chat for sales teams walks through lead handling from first message to close.
6. E-Commerce Product Discovery Greeting
Best for: E-commerce stores, retail brands, boutiques, and catalog-based sellers.
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name] 🛍️
Tell us what you're shopping for, or send a photo or link of the item you like. We'll help you find the best option.
Why it works: Invites the customer to share context immediately, which speeds up product recommendations and avoids the "what do you sell?" back-and-forth. For a fuller look at how live chat for e-commerce fits into your store's support and sales workflow, we've documented the key benefits and setup steps.
7. E-Commerce Order Help Greeting
Best for: Online stores that frequently handle order, shipping, and return questions.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
For order help, please send your order number and the email or phone number used at checkout.
We can help with tracking, returns, exchanges, and product questions.
Why it works: Asks for the exact information your support team needs upfront, cutting resolution time.
Compliance note: Do not ask customers to send full payment card numbers, government IDs, or other sensitive financial information in chat. WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy explicitly prohibits businesses from requesting full card numbers, financial account numbers, personal ID card numbers, or similar sensitive identifiers.
8. Shipping and Delivery Greeting
Best for: Stores, restaurants, logistics providers, and local delivery businesses.
Hi! You've reached [Business Name].
Need help with delivery? Please send your order number or delivery address, and we'll check the latest status for you.
Why it works: Focuses the conversation on the one piece of information needed to resolve a delivery issue.
9. Returns and Exchanges Greeting
Best for: Retail and e-commerce support teams with regular post-purchase questions.
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name].
We can help with returns and exchanges. Please send your order number and a quick note about what you'd like to return or exchange.
Why it works: Reduces friction for the most common post-purchase request. Customer knows immediately they're in the right place.
10. Customer Support Queue Greeting
Best for: Teams that manage high message volume and want to set honest expectations.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
We've received your message. Our team is helping other customers right now, but we'll reply as soon as possible.
In the meantime, please describe your issue in one message so we can help faster.
Why it works: Acknowledges the customer and sets realistic expectations. The second ask collects context while they wait. For teams handling volume at this level, a shared WhatsApp inbox makes it manageable, where every agent sees the same queue and nothing gets buried.
11. Technical Support Greeting (SaaS)
Best for: SaaS companies, software products, IT providers, electronics, and any technical product.
Hi! You've reached [Business Name] Support.
Please send a short description of the issue, plus any screenshots, error messages, or steps you already tried.
Why it works: Collects troubleshooting context upfront. Your support team can diagnose faster without a back-and-forth discovery round. For SaaS and software companies, our page on live chat support for software teams covers the specific workflows that work best in that context.
12. Billing or Account Support Greeting
Best for: Subscription businesses, SaaS companies, membership services, and schools.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
For billing or account help, please share your account email and a brief description of the issue.
Please don't send passwords, full card numbers, or sensitive documents here.
Why it works: Gets the team what they need to identify the account while reinforcing safe messaging behavior from the start.
13. Appointment Booking Greeting
Best for: Clinics, salons, consultants, repair services, tutors, and local businesses that run on appointments.
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name].
We can help you book an appointment. Please send your preferred date, time, and service, and we'll confirm availability.
Why it works: Gives the customer a clear next step and collects the three pieces of information you need in one go.
14. Appointment Rescheduling Greeting
Best for: Any business with appointment-heavy operations and frequent rescheduling requests.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
Need to reschedule or cancel an appointment? Please send your name, appointment date, and the new time you prefer.
Why it works: Prevents long back-and-forth by capturing both the current appointment and the desired change in the first message.
15. Restaurant or Food-Order Greeting
Best for: Restaurants, cafes, bakeries, caterers, and food delivery businesses.
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Restaurant Name] 🍽️
Would you like to place an order, ask about the menu, make a reservation, or speak with our team?
Why it works: Covers the four most common restaurant contact reasons in one short prompt.
16. Real Estate Greeting
Best for: Real estate agents, property managers, brokerages, and rental teams.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
Are you looking to buy, rent, sell, or schedule a property viewing? Send us your preferred area, budget, and timeline.
Why it works: Qualifies the inquiry immediately. A lead that says "buy, under $500K, within 3 months" is dramatically easier to route than a message that just says "Hi." For a fuller look at how real estate live chat supports lead capture and agent routing, we've built out that use case in detail.
17. Travel and Hospitality Greeting
Best for: Hotels, tour operators, travel agencies, and experience providers.
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name] ✈️
We can help with bookings, availability, itinerary questions, and special requests.
Please send your travel dates and what you'd like help with.
Why it works: Captures travel dates immediately, which is the critical variable for any travel-related inquiry.
18. Education or Course Inquiry Greeting
Best for: Schools, online courses, coaching programs, tutors, and training providers.
Hi! Thanks for your interest in [Program or School Name].
Are you looking for course details, fees, admissions, schedules, or support for an existing enrollment?
Why it works: Routes prospects and current students into separate paths from the very first message.
19. Healthcare and Wellness Greeting
Best for: Wellness clinics, fitness studios, dental offices, therapy practices, and non-emergency healthcare businesses.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
We can help with appointments, general service questions, and office information.
If this is urgent or a medical emergency, please call your local emergency number or seek immediate care.
Why it works: Helpful and clear about what the channel can handle. The emergency disclaimer is important: WhatsApp is not a crisis response channel, and your greeting should make that explicit. Our guide to live chat in healthcare settings covers privacy considerations and HIPAA-aware workflows for practices handling patient communication.
20. Finance or Professional Services Greeting
Best for: Accountants, financial advisors, insurance brokers, legal offices, and finance-related service providers.
Hello, you've reached [Business Name].
Please tell us what you need help with, and we'll direct your message to the right team member.
For your security, please don't send passwords, full account numbers, or sensitive documents in this chat.
Why it works: Sets a professional tone and proactively reduces data-risk exposure before a client shares something they shouldn't.
21. After-Hours WhatsApp Greeting Message
Best for: Any business that doesn't offer 24/7 live support.
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name].
Our team is currently offline. Our business hours are [days / hours / time zone].
Please leave your question here, and we'll reply when we're back.
Why it works: Acknowledges the customer, sets an honest expectation, and keeps the door open. For a broader set of after-hours support strategies, including auto-routing, AI coverage during off-hours, and follow-up workflows, we've documented seven approaches that work.
Note: this template also works as a WhatsApp away message. WhatsApp's Business App features page describes away messages as automatic responses sent outside business hours. You can configure this separately from your greeting.
22. Weekend or Holiday Greeting
Best for: Seasonal closures, holidays, and planned downtime.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
We're closed for [holiday / weekend / event] and will be back on [date / time].
Please send your question here, and we'll reply when we return.
Why it works: Prevents customers from wondering why they haven't heard back. A specific return date is always better than "soon."
23. AI Chatbot WhatsApp Greeting With Human Fallback
Best for: Businesses using WhatsApp automation, virtual assistants, or AI-powered support.
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name] 👋
I'm the virtual assistant. I can help with common questions, orders, bookings, and product information.
If you need a person, type human anytime.
Why it works: Transparent about using automation and gives the customer control. That combination builds trust rather than eroding it. If you want to see what a fully built WhatsApp AI chatbot looks like in practice, including how to train it, set up routing, and configure escalation, our step-by-step guide walks through the whole setup without code.
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy allows automation during the 24-hour window, but requires businesses to maintain prompt, clear, and direct escalation paths to human agents, including options like phone, email, web support, or in-store visits.
24. Human Handoff Message
Best for: Teams using AI first, but routing complex or sensitive conversations to live agents.
Of course. I'll connect you with a team member now.
They'll be able to see the conversation so far, so you won't need to repeat everything. Please hold for a moment.
Why it works: Reassures the customer that context carries over. Nobody wants to explain their problem twice. For a complete look at how AI-to-human handoff works in practice, including escalation triggers, context passing, and agent takeover flows, our guide covers the architecture in detail.
With Social Intents, escalated chats route to Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, or the Social Intents web dashboard. Agents see the full conversation history before taking over, so handoffs stay smooth regardless of how complex the conversation got before the switch.
25. Opt-In Greeting for Future Updates
Best for: Businesses that want permission to send future updates, reminders, or offers.
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name].
We're happy to help with your question today.
If you'd also like to receive WhatsApp updates from us, such as [order updates / appointment reminders / offers], reply YES. You can reply STOP anytime to opt out.
Why it works: Separates the immediate support conversation from future messaging consent. Customers appreciate being asked rather than assumed.
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy requires businesses to have opt-in permission before sending business-initiated messages, and to honor all opt-out requests. The policy also recommends clear opt-in categories so customers know exactly what they're signing up for.
Which WhatsApp Greeting Message Fits Your Business Goal?
Sometimes it's easier to pick a greeting by what you're trying to accomplish rather than by business type. Here's a quick-reference set:
→ If you want more sales:
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name]. What are you looking for today? Send us your goal, budget, or a product link, and we'll recommend the best option.
→ If you want faster support:
Hi! Thanks for contacting [Business Name] Support. Please send your order number, account email, or a screenshot of the issue so we can help faster.
→ If you want more bookings:
Hi! We can help you book an appointment. Please send your preferred date, time, and service.
→ If you want to qualify leads:
Hi! Thanks for your interest in [Business Name]. What are you looking to solve, and when are you hoping to get started?
→ If you want to reduce missed chats:
Hi! Our team is offline right now, but I can still help with common questions. Type your question, or type human and we'll follow up when we're back.
Once you've matched a template to your goal, deploying it takes about three minutes in the WhatsApp Business App. For teams managing higher volumes, the WhatsApp team inbox extends this into full multi-agent workflows with routing, AI automation, and reporting built in.
How to Set Up a WhatsApp Business Greeting Message
For businesses using the WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp's Help Center describes the setup flow as:
Open the WhatsApp Business App.
Go to Tools (or Business Tools, depending on your version).
Tap Greeting message.
Turn on Send greeting message.
Paste or type your greeting.
Choose who receives it (all contacts, or specific ones).
Save.
Test it by messaging your business from a phone number that hasn't contacted the account before.
That last step is the one most businesses skip. Always test. Check that the greeting fires correctly, sounds natural on mobile, fits on a single screen without too much scrolling, and includes a clear next step for the customer. For a deeper technical walkthrough, our guide to setting up WhatsApp Business covers the full account configuration including number registration, business profile setup, and message template submission.
A practical note on mobile formatting: WhatsApp is almost entirely a phone app. Long paragraphs look fine on a desktop editor and terrible on a 6-inch screen. If your greeting needs more than five short lines, it's probably trying to do too much.
The WhatsApp Business App works well for solo operators and small teams. As message volume grows, though, teams typically need more: shared inboxes, AI automation, routing, reporting, and multi-agent collaboration. That's where a purpose-built integration changes the picture.
How Social Intents Turns WhatsApp Greetings Into Automated Team Workflows
A greeting message, on its own, is just a welcome.
What you really want is a workflow: a sequence where every incoming message gets acknowledged, routed, handled, and closed without anything falling through the cracks.
That's harder to build with the WhatsApp Business App alone, especially once you have more than one or two people handling conversations. Agents can't share inboxes natively. You can't route conversations by topic. There's no team-level visibility into what's been answered and what hasn't.
Social Intents connects WhatsApp to the tools your team already works in. Messages come in through WhatsApp, and agents handle them from Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, or the Social Intents web dashboard, whichever your team uses. There's no new tool to learn. Your team keeps working in the interface they're already in.
Here's what the full workflow looks like:
Greeting fires. Customer sends their first message. The greeting delivers instantly, acknowledges them, and gives them routing options.
AI handles the routine questions. FAQs, order status lookups, booking availability checks, product information, pricing. The Social Intents WhatsApp chatbot is trained on your website URLs, documents, and Q&A pairs, so it handles what it knows and knows when to escalate.
Customer chooses a path. Sales, support, order help, booking, or human. The menu-based or keyword-triggered routing does this automatically.
Conversation routes to the right team. Into a Teams channel, a Slack channel, a Google Chat space, or the web inbox. No messages sit unrouted.
Agent gets full context. The complete conversation history is visible before the agent types a word. No customer repeats themselves.
Transcript, tags, and reporting. Everything is logged. Useful for training, quality review, follow-up, and identifying the questions that come up most often.
Social Intents also supports WhatsApp Coexistence Mode, which lets you keep the WhatsApp Business App active while syncing incoming messages with Social Intents for team-based handling. If you're mid-migration or want to run both in parallel, that option exists.
The practical result: your greeting message stops being a static welcome and starts being the first step in an automated, human-supervised workflow. Customers get faster responses. Agents handle more conversations without more effort. And nothing gets missed.
Start a free 14-day trial and see how the integration works with your existing WhatsApp number.
WhatsApp Business Greeting Message Compliance Checklist
Use this before you publish your greeting.
| Check | What to do |
|---|---|
| Opt-in | Don't send business-initiated messages unless the person gave you their number and permission. |
| Opt-out | Tell people how to stop future non-essential messages, especially marketing or recurring updates. |
| 24-hour window | If the customer messages first, you can reply inside the 24-hour window. Outside it, use approved WhatsApp message templates. |
| No sensitive data | Don't ask for full card numbers, passwords, full bank details, or government ID numbers in chat. |
| Clear identity | State the business name so customers know exactly who they're talking to. |
| Human escalation | If you use automation or AI, include a visible, easy path to a person. For guidance on building compliant AI-to-human escalation flows, our guide covers the triggers, handoff mechanics, and agent takeover experience. |
| Expectation setting | Include support hours or response times when your team isn't always available. |
| No surprise marketing | A support greeting should not silently opt someone into promotions. Ask first. |
WhatsApp's Business Messaging Policy requires businesses to obtain opt-in permission, respect opt-outs, use approved templates where required, and provide escalation paths when automation is involved. A greeting that skips any of these isn't just ineffective. It's a policy risk.
7 WhatsApp Business Greeting Message Mistakes to Avoid
Quick reference: The mistakes below fall into two buckets: unhelpful greetings (vague, overloaded, or missing context) and risky ones (privacy issues, missing escalation, or treating support like marketing). Both cost you customers.
1. The Vague Opener That Does Nothing
"Hi, how can we help?" is polite but useless. It forces the customer to figure out what to say, which adds friction before you've even started.
Better:
Hi! Welcome to [Business Name]. Do you need help with sales, support, order status, or bookings?
2. Asking Too Many Questions at Once
A greeting is not a form. Ask for the minimum information needed to route the conversation. One or two questions maximum.
3. Hiding Your Response Time
If your team doesn't reply instantly, say so. "We'll be in touch shortly" means nothing. "We usually reply within 2 business hours" sets a real expectation.
4. Using Automation Without a Human Fallback
Customers tolerate chatbots when they're genuinely helpful. They get frustrated when there's no escape route. Including "type human anytime" costs you nothing and prevents a lot of irritation. Getting chatbot automation right, including the escalation path, is the difference between a bot customers trust and one they abandon.
5. Treating Your Greeting Like a Promotional Blast
Your greeting fires because a customer reached out to you. That's their intent, not yours. Keep the welcome focused on helping them first. If you want to ask about marketing opt-in, use Template 25 and keep it separate.
6. Asking for Sensitive Information
Collect only what you need to start the conversation. Sensitive details (card numbers, passwords, government IDs) should go through secure portals, not a WhatsApp chat.
7. Forgetting That WhatsApp Is a Phone App
Long paragraphs look fine in your editor. On a phone screen, they look like a wall of text. Keep lines short. Break content into small chunks. Test on an actual phone before you publish.
For a broader framework on everything that happens after the greeting, including queue management, response quality, and team workflow, our guide to live chat best practices covers the full picture.
How to Audit Your WhatsApp Business Greeting Message in 10 Minutes
Already have a greeting live? Score it. Rate each item from 0 to 2.
| Item | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcomes the customer | Missing | Generic | Warm and brand-specific |
| Names the business | Missing | Indirect | Clear |
| Gives next steps | Missing | Vague | Specific options |
| Sets expectations | Missing | Partial | Clear response time or hours |
| Routes the conversation | Missing | Manual only | Menu, keywords, or automation |
| Offers human help | Missing | Hard to find | Clear human path |
| Avoids sensitive data | Risky | Mostly safe | Safe and explicit |
| Supports opt-in / opt-out | Missing | Partial | Clear where relevant |
What your score means:
0 to 6: Rewrite immediately.
7 to 11: Functional, but likely causing avoidable back-and-forth.
12 to 16: Strong greeting.
17 to 20: Excellent and ready to scale.
If you scored 12 or higher and you're managing more than a handful of conversations a day, the next question is whether the workflow behind the greeting can keep up with the volume.
WhatsApp Business Greeting Message: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best greeting message for WhatsApp Business?
The best greeting message is short, specific, and action-oriented. For most businesses, a menu-based format works well:
Hi! Thanks for messaging [Business Name] 👋
How can we help today? Reply with a number: 1. Sales, 2. Support, 3. Order status, 4. Booking, 5. Talk to a person.
The key is giving customers a shortcut. Don't make them figure out what to type.
When does a WhatsApp Business greeting message get sent?
WhatsApp's Help Center describes the 14-day rule: greeting messages are sent automatically when a customer messages your business for the first time, or after 14 days of inactivity from that contact.
What's the difference between a greeting message and an away message?
A greeting message fires at the start of a new or resumed conversation, regardless of the time of day. An away message fires specifically when your business is set to unavailable or is outside operating hours. WhatsApp's Business App features page lists both as separate tools in the Business App.
Can I use emojis in WhatsApp Business greeting messages?
Yes. One or two emojis can make a greeting feel warmer and more approachable. But use them lightly in a business context. Three or four emojis starts to look unprofessional.
How long should a WhatsApp Business greeting message be?
Aim for 2 to 5 short lines. If you include a routing menu, use a numbered list. The goal is that a customer understands your message in a few seconds on their phone screen. Anything longer than what fits without scrolling is probably too long.
Do WhatsApp Business greeting messages cost money?
In the WhatsApp Business App, greeting messages are free as part of the app's built-in tools. For the WhatsApp Business Platform (the API-based version used by larger teams), WhatsApp's pricing page shows charges are per delivered message by market and message category. Service messages sent within the 24-hour customer-service window are not charged.
Can I send a greeting message to someone who hasn't messaged my business first?
Not as a standard greeting message. If your business initiates a conversation on the WhatsApp Business Platform, you need an approved message template, and WhatsApp's policy requires prior opt-in permission from the recipient. Greeting messages are reactive, not proactive.
Should Your WhatsApp Business Greeting Message Include Response Time?
Yes, particularly if your team doesn't respond instantly. A phrase like "We usually reply within 2 business hours" or "Our team is online Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM" is far more useful than "We'll be in touch soon."
Should I use an AI chatbot for WhatsApp greetings?
If your customers frequently ask the same questions (pricing, hours, order status, booking availability, return policies), yes, an AI chatbot handling those upfront saves your team significant time. The important requirement is that customers can always reach a person. WhatsApp's policy requires clear escalation paths when automation is in use.
Social Intents supports AI-to-human handoff into Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Chat, or the web dashboard. The chatbot handles what it's trained on, escalates when it's not confident or when a customer asks for a person, and the agent picks up with full conversation history already visible. For a complete guide to building a WhatsApp chatbot, including training, routing, and deployment, we've covered the full setup process.
Can multiple agents reply to the same WhatsApp number?
Yes, though the standard WhatsApp Business App starts to feel limiting as team size grows. Social Intents lets teams manage WhatsApp through a shared WhatsApp team inbox, with agents responding from Teams, Slack, or Google Chat. Conversation history stays synced across agents and platforms.
What's the difference between the WhatsApp Business App and the WhatsApp Business Platform?
The WhatsApp Business App is a free mobile app designed for small businesses with one or a few users managing conversations manually. The WhatsApp Business Platform (also called the WhatsApp API) is for larger teams and businesses that need automation, multi-agent shared inboxes, integrations, and programmatic message sending. Our complete guide to setting up the WhatsApp Business API walks through the full onboarding process from number registration to first message. Tools like Social Intents build on the Platform to give teams more capability than the app alone can provide.
Build a Full WhatsApp Support Workflow Around Your Greeting
A good WhatsApp Business greeting message isn't the end of the workflow. It's the beginning.
The best greeting acknowledges the customer instantly, routes the conversation intelligently, and hands off to the right person or automation without the customer needing to explain themselves twice. Once you've deployed a greeting that does those things, the next bottleneck becomes the workflow behind it.
If you're handling a few dozen conversations a day, the WhatsApp Business App can manage it. Once you're past that threshold, having agents work from a shared inbox inside the tools they already use (Teams, Slack, Google Chat) makes a real difference. Conversations don't get missed. Context doesn't get lost. Your team doesn't spend the day toggling between tabs.
Social Intents connects your WhatsApp number to your team's existing tools, adds AI chatbot support for repeatable questions, and keeps every conversation organized in one place. There's a free 14-day trial at app.socialintents.com, and setup typically takes less than an afternoon.
Start with the template that fits your use case. Test it from a fresh contact. Score it against the audit above. And when the conversations start coming in faster than a single person can handle, we're already set up to help.
