Guide

How to set up a WhatsApp auto-reply for when you're closed

Your business closes, but your customers don't stop. They WhatsApp at 9pm, call at midnight, message on Sunday — and by the time you open, some of them have already gone elsewhere. An after-hours auto-reply keeps those contacts warm until you're back. Here's how to set one up, starting with the free option and where it runs out.

Option 1: The free WhatsApp Business away message

The WhatsApp Business app has a built-in away message you can schedule for outside your business hours.

1. Open WhatsApp Business → Settings → Business tools → Away message.
2. Turn it on, write your message, and set the schedule to "Outside of business hours."
3. Choose which contacts it applies to.

That's a real, free solution — and if all you need is a single "we're closed, back at 9am" line on incoming messages, use it.

Where the free away message stops

Two gaps matter after hours:

• It ignores calls. The away message only fires on incoming messages. A customer who calls your WhatsApp after hours gets nothing back.
• It can't answer anything. It's one canned line. A customer ready to book or buy just waits until morning — by which time the urgency, and sometimes the customer, is gone.

Option 2: An auto-reply that covers calls and can actually respond

This is where RocketReply comes in. It connects to your existing WhatsApp number with one QR scan and covers the after-hours gap fully:

• It replies to missed calls, not just messages — so a midnight caller hears back instantly.
• On Pro, it holds a real conversation. An AI assistant answers the customer's actual questions in your voice — hours, availability, next steps — and keeps them warm until you're in.
• On Business (rolling out), it routes the result to your CRM or an automation via webhook, so overnight enquiries are waiting as records, not buried in a thread.

You can run it in a "closed hours only" spirit — let it cover nights and weekends while you handle the daytime yourself, taking over any chat the moment you're back.

The bottom line

If your only after-hours need is a "we're closed" line on messages, the free away message does it. If you also miss WhatsApp calls after hours, or you want the reply to move the conversation forward instead of parking it till morning, you need an auto-reply built for that. RocketReply comes with a 14-day free trial and no credit card, and it's live the moment you scan the QR.