Quick answer
When a customer messages your business, a 24-hour window opens in which you can reply with any message type. Once it closes you can only send an approved template message, which also reopens the conversation if the customer answers.
The 24-hour window is the single most important rule in WhatsApp for business. It decides what your team can send and what it costs to reach a customer again.
What opens the window
The window opens when the customer sends you a message. Every new message from the customer starts a fresh 24 hours. A message you send does not extend it.
What you can send inside the window
- Plain text and media: images, video, audio and documents.
- Interactive messages: reply buttons, list menus and link buttons.
- Product messages and forms where your account supports them.
What you can send after it closes
Only a template message that Meta has approved. A good template asks a question or offers something the customer will want to answer. If they reply, a new window opens and you can talk freely again.
How to work with the window
- Reply quickly. Most chats are won or lost in the first minutes.
- Use a bot to acknowledge the message instantly, then hand over to a person.
- When a window is about to close and you still need an answer, send an approved template.
- In the inbox, check whether the window is open before you type a long reply.
In Ten Digit, the composer tells you when the window is closed and lets you send an approved template instead. The API returns a SESSION_EXPIRED error if you try a free-form message outside the window, and has an endpoint that checks whether the window is open before you send.
Frequently asked questions
Does a message from my business extend the window?
No. Only a message from the customer opens a new 24-hour window.
Can I send a template inside the window?
Yes. Templates can be sent at any time.
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