When a customer messages your business on WhatsApp, they expect an instant reply.
If they wait even a few minutes, trust drops.
If they wait hours, they leave.
An automatic welcome message in WhatsApp Business ensures that every customer receives an immediate response, even outside business hours. For ecommerce brands, Shopify stores, and online businesses, this simple automation improves engagement, reduces response delays, and increases conversions.
But most businesses only set up a basic greeting.
They do not optimise it for sales, support efficiency, or order tracking.
What Is an Automatic Welcome Message in WhatsApp Business?
An automatic welcome message is a pre-set reply that is sent automatically when a customer messages your WhatsApp Business account for the first time or after 14 days of inactivity.
It is different from:
Manual replies
Broadcast messages
Marketing campaigns
It is the first interaction a customer receives.
For ecommerce stores, this first interaction sets expectations about response time, support availability, and purchasing confidence.
If you are building a broader greeting strategy across platforms, you may also want to review how chatbot welcome messages work in ecommerce stores, since WhatsApp greetings should align with website chat experiences.
Step-by-Step: How to Set Automatic Welcome Message in WhatsApp Business App
This method works for the standard WhatsApp Business app (not API).
Step 1: Open WhatsApp Business
Go to your WhatsApp Business application.
Step 2: Go to Business Tools
Tap the three dots in the top right corner.
Select “Business Tools.”
Step 3: Select Greeting Message
Tap on “Greeting Message.”
Step 4: Turn On Greeting Message
Enable the toggle.
Step 5: Edit Your Message
Write your automatic welcome message.
Example:
Thank you for messaging us. We respond as quickly as possible. Let us know how we can help.
Step 6: Choose Recipients
You can choose:
Everyone
Everyone not in address book
Everyone except specific contacts
Only send to specific contacts
Most ecommerce stores select “Everyone.”
Step 7: Save
Your automatic welcome message is now active.
What Is the Difference Between Greeting Message and Away Message?
Greeting Message
Sent when someone messages you for the first time or after 14 days.
Away Message
Sent outside business hours.
For ecommerce brands that operate 24/7, relying only on away messages is risky. Customers expect instant replies.
That is why many growing online stores move beyond basic greetings and implement structured automation with WhatsApp AI chatbots to handle tracking, product queries, and FAQs automatically.
How to Write a High-Converting WhatsApp Welcome Message
Most businesses write something generic like:
“Hi, we will get back to you soon.”
That does not guide action.
Instead, structure your message like this:
Acknowledge
Offer quick options
Set expectations
Example for ecommerce:
Thank you for contacting us.
Reply 1 for order tracking, 2 for product information, or 3 for returns.
This reduces friction immediately.
If your store receives frequent order tracking requests, consider connecting WhatsApp to automated Shopify order tracking so customers can get real-time updates without waiting for support.
WhatsApp Auto Reply for Shopify Stores
Shopify stores commonly receive WhatsApp messages about:
Order tracking
Delivery time
Product availability
Returns
Discount codes
Instead of manually replying to each query, you can automate Shopify support through WhatsApp by integrating your store with chatbot automation tools.
This allows:
Instant order lookup
FAQ responses
Product recommendations
Checkout assistance
Your automatic welcome message becomes the entry point into a structured support flow.
WhatsApp Business App vs WhatsApp Business API
The standard app allows:
Basic greeting messages
Away messages
Quick replies
The WhatsApp Business API allows:
Full chatbot automation
AI-powered responses
Order integration
CRM syncing
Multi-agent dashboards
If you are scaling, the API offers far more flexibility. Many ecommerce brands compare WhatsApp AI chatbot solutions before choosing a system that integrates directly with Shopify and customer data.
Best Automatic Welcome Message Examples for WhatsApp Business
Basic professional
Thank you for contacting us. We will reply shortly.
Ecommerce structured
Thank you for messaging us.
Reply 1 for tracking, 2 for product info, 3 for returns.
High-conversion version
Welcome. Need help tracking your order or choosing the right product?
Lead capture version
Thanks for reaching out. Want personalised recommendations?
Premium brand version
Welcome to our store. Let us know how we can assist you today.
Support-first version
Need help with a recent order? We’re here to assist.
Short and direct
Thank you for messaging. How can we help?
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using long paragraphs
Not offering structured options
Not linking to order tracking
No automation after greeting
Slow follow-up
Your welcome message should start a conversation, not delay one.
When to Upgrade Beyond Basic Auto Reply
If your business experiences:
High support volume
Repetitive tracking questions
Cart abandonment from delayed replies
Weekend message overload
You need more than a static greeting.
Advanced automation tools allow you to:
Reduce repetitive customer questions
Handle tracking requests automatically
Connect product catalogue data
Escalate complex queries to human agents
This is where AI-powered ecommerce chatbots outperform manual WhatsApp handling.
How AeroChat Powers Advanced WhatsApp Welcome Automation
Setting a basic automatic welcome message inside the WhatsApp Business app is useful.
But it has limitations.
It cannot:
Pull real-time Shopify order data
Answer product-specific questions
Track delivery automatically
Handle multiple conversations at scale
Personalise responses based on customer behaviour
This is where AeroChat comes in.
AeroChat connects directly with your Shopify store and WhatsApp channel to transform a simple greeting into a structured automation system.
Instead of sending only:
“Thank you for messaging us.”
AeroChat can send:
“Welcome back. Need help tracking Order #1042 or looking for new arrivals?”
Because it connects to your store data.
What AeroChat Enables Beyond Basic Auto Reply
With AeroChat, your WhatsApp welcome message can:
Trigger automatic order tracking
Answer product FAQs instantly
Suggest related products
Reduce repetitive support questions
Escalate complex issues to human agents
Work 24/7 without hiring extra staff
For growing ecommerce brands, this turns WhatsApp from support channel into conversion channel.
If your store struggles with repetitive tracking or delayed responses, structured WhatsApp automation becomes essential.
From Greeting to Revenue Channel
Most businesses treat WhatsApp auto replies as a courtesy.
High-performing ecommerce brands treat them as:
Sales assistants
Checkout helpers
Cart recovery tools
Post-purchase support systems
When connected to broader ecommerce automation, your WhatsApp greeting becomes part of a proactive support strategy that prevents issues before they escalate.
Instead of waiting for customers to complain about slow replies, automation ensures instant engagement.
Why This Matters for Shopify Stores
Shopify stores often experience:
High message volume during sales
Weekend response delays
Repetitive tracking questions
Cart abandonment due to unanswered doubts
AeroChat reduces support load by automating structured WhatsApp flows.
This allows store owners to:
Reduce response time
Lower support costs
Improve conversion rate
Scale without increasing headcount
Your automatic welcome message becomes the entry point into that system.
How to Upgrade from Basic WhatsApp Greeting to Full Automation
Step 1
Set your basic WhatsApp Business greeting.
Step 2
Identify your most common customer questions.
Step 3
Connect WhatsApp to your Shopify store.
Step 4
Deploy AI-powered flows that handle tracking, product queries, and FAQs automatically.
Step 5
Monitor response time and conversion impact.
This transition moves your store from reactive replies to intelligent automation.
Final Positioning
If you are a small local business, the standard WhatsApp Business greeting may be enough.
If you are a growing ecommerce brand handling dozens or hundreds of messages daily, you need more than a static auto reply.
AeroChat transforms WhatsApp into:
An automated support system
A product recommendation engine
A checkout assistant
A 24/7 sales channel
Your automatic welcome message is the first step.
Automation is the next.