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WhatsApp

How the WhatsApp 24-hour window works and what to do when it closes

When a customer messages you on WhatsApp, a 24-hour window opens for you to reply with free-form text, voice notes, or files. After that, in Conversations you can only send an approved template; once the customer replies, the window opens again.

Updated on

Before you start

  • WhatsApp must be connected in Settings › WhatsApp.
  • To message outside the window, you need at least one message template with Active status.
Where to find it

Conversations › customer's conversation › WhatsApp channel

Step by step

Reply within the 24-hour window

  1. Open Conversations and click the customer's conversation.
  2. Make sure the selected channel is WhatsApp.
  3. If the customer messaged you less than 24 hours ago, reply freely (text, images, documents, or voice notes) and send.
  4. Every new message from the customer restarts the 24 hours.

When the window has already closed

  1. In the same conversation, choose WhatsApp Template instead of free-form text.
  2. Pick an approved template (only active templates are listed) and check the preview.
  3. Send the template.
  4. When the customer replies, the 24-hour window opens again and you can write freely.

Check the window automatically in a workflow

  1. Open Automation › Workflows and create or edit a workflow.
  2. Click + and add the WhatsApp: Customer Service Window Check action.
  3. Choose the WhatsApp number for the conversation.
  4. In the Open branch, add a WhatsApp action with the template set to None – Free form message and write your text.
  5. In the Closed branch, add a WhatsApp action and choose a Marketing or Utility template.
  6. Save and publish the workflow.

Tips

  • Reply quickly: while the window is open, the conversation flows without needing templates.
  • Keep "re-engagement" templates ready, like a reminder or a follow-up, for customers who stopped replying.
  • If the customer has another channel (email or text message), you can ask them there to reply to your WhatsApp message.

Common problems

  • Error "message failed to send because more than 24 hours have passed since the customer last replied" → The window has closed. Send an approved template. There's no way around this rule: it's a WhatsApp policy.
  • No templates show up to choose from → You don't have any approved templates yet. Create one in Settings › WhatsApp › Templates and wait until it's Active.
  • I can't send a voice note or a file → Standalone voice notes and files can only be sent while the window is open. Send a template first and wait for the customer to reply.
  • I keep sending templates and the customer doesn't reply → Don't keep sending repeated messages: that lowers your number's quality. Wait, or reach the customer through another channel.

Frequently asked questions

When do the 24 hours start?

From the last message the customer sent you. Every new message from them restarts the clock.

What if the customer comes from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad?

When a customer starts the conversation from a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page button, the window lasts 72 hours instead of 24.

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