WhatsApp platform3 min read
WhatsApp 24-hour window: replies and templates
What resets the clock
The window belongs to one customer and one business phone number. Each message or call from that customer resets it to 24 hours.
- Your reply does not reset it. A customer writes at 9am and you answer at 5pm: the window still closes at 9am tomorrow.
- A template does not open it. If the customer replies to the template, their reply opens a new window.
- It is per number. An open window with your support number does not cover your sales number.
- It is 24 hours, not a business day. A message at 4pm Friday cannot get a free-form reply on Monday morning.
Inside the window
You can send text, images, documents and supported interactive messages without a template. Being allowed to send and being charged are separate questions. Meta charges:
- every template, including one sent inside the window;
- service replies after the first 1,000 a month on each business phone number, at the market's service rate.
The pricing guide has the current rates. Your software provider charges separately.
After the window closes
On WhatsApp, only an approved message template can go out. A free-form message fails with error 131047, and retrying does not help.
Instagram and Messenger have their own rules, and a WhatsApp template does not cover them:
- The human agent tag lets a person reply for up to seven days on an unresolved issue. It requires App Review and is not for automation.
- Message tags allow specific, personally relevant updates. Misuse can restrict sending.
Check Meta's Messenger and Instagram policy, and the permission your integration holds, before planning follow-ups there.
Why the window exists
Meta uses the window, template review and the quality rating to limit unexpected business messages. Plan follow-ups around what the customer asked for and agreed to.
How to answer inside the window
- Show the time left on every open chat. Your team should see "four hours left", not discover it at send time.
- Keep the deadline in view after you reply. "We are checking and will confirm today" sets expectations, but it does not buy time. Prepare a template if the answer will come later.
- Automate what your sources answer reliably. Hours, preparation steps and delivery policies are good starting points.
- Decide what happens after hours. A late message can get a grounded reply, a question for the missing detail, or a clear next step.
A deadline example
A customer asks about a property viewing at 10am Monday. The team replies at 3pm.
| Event | Effect on the window |
|---|---|
| The team replies Monday afternoon | No extension; closes 10am Tuesday |
| The customer asks another question at 6pm Monday | New deadline: 6pm Tuesday |
| The team sends an approved reminder after it closes | Does not reopen it |
| The customer replies to that reminder | A new 24-hour window opens |
For scheduled bookings, also check that the reminder still matches the current appointment.
Read the failure codes
Meta reports each outbound message as sent, delivered, read or failed with a code. Three codes need different responses:
| Code | What happened | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 131047 | More than 24 hours since the customer last wrote | Send an approved template, or wait for the customer |
| 131049 | Meta held back a marketing template to limit what this person receives | Wait at least 24 hours before resending |
| 131050 | The person stopped marketing messages from your business | Do not retry; suppress marketing to them |
Software that treats all three as "failed, retry" harms your account.
Common mistakes
- "We can extend the window by messaging first." No. Only the customer's message or call moves the clock.
- "Templates are for marketing." Templates are for anything sent outside the window, including order updates. Their category sets what they may contain and cost.
- "A chatbot can keep the thread alive." Automated messages you send do not reset the window either.
- "They replied to our template, so we are fine." Their reply opens 24 hours for service messages. It does not override an opt-out or make templates free.
