Welcome message
The welcome message is the automatic reply sent when a contact writes to a business WhatsApp number for the first time, or writes again after a long period of inactivity. It introduces the business, sets expectations on hours and response times and often steers the request with options or questions, opening the conversation in a professional way.
On the WhatsApp Business app it's a native feature: you set the text and the app sends it to new contacts or after fourteen days without messages. On API platforms the welcome is an automation you can configure with more freedom: text with media, buttons to route the request to sales or support, activation of the AI agent, or collection of marketing consent in the very first exchange.
An effective welcome is short and practical: whoever writes already has an intention, so the message should speed up the answer, not delay it with long introductions. A proven pattern: a greeting with the brand name, one line on timing, a question that qualifies the request. In flows with bots or AI, the welcome states that an automated assistant is replying and how to reach a human agent — a transparency requirement under the policies.
With SendApp, the first contact can immediately get a reply from the AI agent in the brand's tone of voice, which qualifies the request and, if necessary, hands the conversation to a human agent.
Frequently asked questions
From theory to practice
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