1. Finding the Tools tab on your phone
All three features live in the Tools tab. On Android, open WhatsApp Business and tap the Tools tab. On iPhone, tap the Settings tab at the bottom of the screen, then tap Business tools.
Everything below follows the same steps on both phones once you are in. These steps were checked against WhatsApp's official help articles in September 2026. WhatsApp still renames menus between app versions, so if a button is called something slightly different on your screen, it is the same setting.
2. Quick replies: answers you trigger with a tap
Quick replies are saved messages you insert by typing a shortcut. They are manual, not automatic: you stay in control of when they go out, so nothing is ever sent to the wrong customer.
To create one, open the Tools tab and tap Quick replies, then tap the Add button. Type your message, add a short keyboard shortcut you will remember, and tap Save.
To use a quick reply, open any chat and tap the paperclip icon, then tap Quick replies. Your saved replies appear. Tap the one you want to drop it into the message box, then send it as normal.
Start with the four replies every seller needs:
- Price list (shortcut: price): your most asked prices in one message, so you stop retyping them one by one.
- Delivery time (shortcut: delivery): how many days delivery takes and the delivery charge, if any.
- Payment method (shortcut: payment): how you accept payment, UPI ID included if that is how you get paid.
- Shop address and hours (shortcut: hours): your shop address or area, plus the hours you reply to chats.
A quick reply takes ten seconds to set up once and replaces a message you were going to type fifty times a month. The busier your chat gets, the more it pays back.
3. Greeting messages: an automatic welcome for new chats
A greeting message is sent automatically when a customer messages you for the first time, or when a customer who has been quiet for 14 or more days messages you again. You write it once and it greets every new contact for you.
To set it up, open the Tools tab and tap Greeting message. Turn on Send greeting message, tap the message to edit the text, then choose who receives it: Everyone, Everyone not in address book, Everyone except, or Only send to. Then tap Save. Your phone needs an active internet connection for the greeting to go out.
A good greeting points the customer to where they can browse. Try something like this: "Hi! Thanks for messaging us. You can browse our full collection here: catalink.in/s/yourshop. Tap 'I want this' on anything you like and we will reply with details." This way, new customers start shopping immediately instead of asking "what do you have?" and waiting.
4. Away messages: automatic replies when you are offline
An away message is an automatic reply that goes out when you cannot answer. Customers stop wondering whether their message reached you, and you stop waking up to annoyed follow ups.
To set it up, open the Tools tab and tap Away message. Turn on Send away message, tap the message to edit the text, then tap Schedule and choose: Always send, Custom schedule, or Outside of business hours. That last option only appears if you have business hours saved in your business profile. Then choose the recipients and tap Save.
Keep the message short and useful: "Thanks for your message! We are away right now but will reply during shop hours (10 am to 8 pm). Meanwhile, you can browse everything here: catalink.in/s/yourshop." One thing to know: away messages need your phone to be online to send. If your phone is switched off or has no internet, the reply waits until it comes back online.
Get started
These three tools pair well with a catalog link. Quick replies cover the questions that keep repeating, but your catalog covers them first: buyers read the answers before they even ask. That means fewer questions to reply to, and the ones that do come in are the serious ones from people who are ready to buy.
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