Replying to Customers
Send messages, quick replies, attachments and templates — and understand when the composer is locked and why.
This page covers everything about answering a customer: the composer, its limits, and the four situations where you cannot reply.
Before You Reply
Check the ticket has an owner. If the composer is replaced by an Assign to me bar, take the ticket first.
Read the ticket strip — the number and title tell you what this ticket is about.
Check the history bar. If the customer has previous conversations, expand it and see what your team already told them.
Check the countdown in the header on WhatsApp tickets. It shows how long you can still send a free-form reply.
Instagram Comment Threads
A ticket that starts from an Instagram comment opens with Commented on your post, followed by a View post link. It opens the original post on instagram.com in a new tab, so you can read what the customer is replying to before you answer.
The link only appears when Instagram supplies the post's permalink.
The Composer
Two tabs decide where your text goes:
| Tab | Delivered to | Colour |
|---|---|---|
| Message | The customer | Blue |
| Private Note | Your team only | Amber |
Always check which tab is active before sending. The composer changes colour precisely so this is hard to get wrong — but it is worth the half-second glance.
Send a Reply
Make sure the Message tab is selected.
Type your reply in the message box.
Press Enter, or click the send button.
The message appears in the thread immediately and is delivered to the customer.
Character Limit
Customer messages are limited to 1024 characters.
A counter sits to the right of the composer tabs, showing how much you have used — for example
184 / 1024.
| State | What happens |
|---|---|
| Under the limit | Counter shown in grey |
| At the limit | Counter turns red and Send is disabled |
Shorten the message, or split it into two, to send again.
Private notes have no character limit, so the counter is hidden on that tab.
Quick Replies
Quick replies are saved answers to questions you get constantly.
Two ways to insert one:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Button | Click the lightning icon next to the character counter |
| Keyboard | Type / in the message box to open the list, and keep typing to filter |
Pick a reply and it is inserted into the composer, where you can edit it before sending.
Quick replies are created under Inbox Settings.
Attachments, Templates & Flows
The menu beside the composer lets you send more than text:
| Option | Use |
|---|---|
| Attachments | Images, documents, video and audio |
| Voice note | Record and send audio directly |
| Send WhatsApp Template | Approved templates — required outside the 24-hour window |
| Send WhatsApp Flow | Interactive flows |
When You Cannot Reply
The composer is replaced by a banner in four situations:
| Situation | What you see | How to continue |
|---|---|---|
| Unassigned ticket | Amber Assign to me bar | Take the ticket, or assign it to someone |
| Closed ticket | "This chat has been closed by … at …" | Click Reopen in the header |
| Blocked contact | Blocked-contact banner | Unblock the contact |
| Contact flagged as spam | "This contact is marked as spam." | Click Not spam in the banner |
| 24-hour window expired | Template-only options | Send an approved template |
| Conversation limit reached | Amber upgrade callout | Upgrade the plan, or wait for the reset |
The WhatsApp 24-Hour Window
WhatsApp — not RateUp — restricts when you may send free-form messages.
How it works
- The window opens when the customer sends you a message
- It lasts 24 hours from that message
- The countdown in the chat header shows the time remaining
Inside the window
- Send free-form replies, attachments and quick replies
- Continue the conversation normally
Outside the window
- Free-form messaging is disabled
- Only approved templates can be sent
- Once the customer replies to your template, a new 24-hour window opens and normal replying resumes
This limit applies to WhatsApp only. Other channels have their own rules.
Message Status
Outgoing messages show delivery ticks:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Sent | Accepted by the channel |
| Delivered | Reached the customer's device |
| Read | Opened by the customer |
Hover a message to see the exact timestamps.
Deleted Messages
If a WhatsApp user deletes a message they had sent — "delete for everyone" — the message stays in the thread but its content is withheld. In its place you see, in italics:
🚫 This message was deleted
This applies both ways: a customer deleting their own message, and your business deleting a message it sent from the WhatsApp Business app.
| Where | What it shows |
|---|---|
| The thread | The placeholder, in the same position in the timeline |
| The conversation list preview | "This message was deleted" |
| An exported chat | The row is kept; the text is replaced by the placeholder |
Deletions are reported by WhatsApp only for accounts using the WhatsApp Business app (coexistence). On a Cloud API-only number, a customer deleting a message on their phone changes nothing on your side — you keep seeing what they sent.
A deletion is an edit to history, not a new message: it starts no automations, opens no ticket and does not touch the 24-hour window.
Automated vs Manual Messages
A ticket can contain both:
- Automated messages come from flows and automation rules, and often carry buttons. They are visually distinct from an agent's reply.
- Manual replies are sent by people and show the sender's name.
- System notes record assignments, closures and reopenings.
- Private notes are centred, padlocked, and never leave your team.
Frequently Asked
Best Practices
- Reply fast — the 24-hour window is shorter than it sounds
- Check the history bar before answering a returning customer
- Use quick replies for repeat questions, and personalise the opening line
- Keep long explanations under the character limit, or split them deliberately
- Close the ticket once the topic is done
Related Pages
- Sending Templates
- Private Notes & @Mentions
- Closing & Reopening
- Inbox Settings — where quick replies are created