WhatsApp glossary

What is the WhatsApp 24-hour window?

The 24-hour window — Meta calls it the customer service window — opens every time a customer messages you. While it is open you can reply freely; after it closes you need an approved template.

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Last updated: 5 November 2026

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Quick answer

The WhatsApp 24-hour window, which Meta calls the customer service window, starts when a customer messages your business and resets with every new message from them. While it is open you can send normal replies — text, media, buttons — without approval. Once 24 hours pass with no customer message, you can only send pre-approved templates.

Meta: Service messages

Inside vs outside

What you can send when

	Window open	Window closed
Normal typed replies, media, buttons		—
Approved templates
What it costs (India)	First 1,000 service replies per number each month free, then ₹0.115. Utility templates are charged.	Template rate by category

Pricing rules effective 1 October 2026. Meta rates last checked on 5 November 2026 (Meta's India rate card effective 1 October 2026).

How it works - A customer sends you a message → a 24-hour timer starts. - Every new message (or call) from the customer resets the timer to 24 hours. - Meta adds one more rule: you can only message WhatsApp users who have opted in.

Why it matters for a business Replying inside the window is the cheapest, simplest way to talk to customers — so reply early. If a message fails with error 131047, the window had closed; send a template instead. In the Lead Pattern inbox, a "24-hour window expired" bar appears above the reply box and the template button is highlighted. [Error codes →](/guides/whatsapp-error-codes)

Two special cases - Click-to-WhatsApp ads: if you reply within the window to someone who came from your ad, Meta opens a free window of up to 7 days. [Click-to-WhatsApp ads →](/whatsapp-glossary/click-to-whatsapp-ads) - Coexistence: the window applies to messages sent through the API; messages sent from the WhatsApp Business app don't open or extend it.

An example A customer asks about a sofa at 6 p.m. on Monday. Your team can chat freely until 6 p.m. Tuesday. If the customer replies at 5 p.m. Tuesday, the window runs until 5 p.m. Wednesday. If no one writes back, a follow-up on Thursday must be a template.

Frequently asked questions

What starts the WhatsApp 24-hour window?+

A message from the customer. Meta says each new message or call from them resets the timer to 24 hours.

What happens after the 24-hour window closes?+

You can only send pre-approved message templates until the customer messages you again.

Are replies inside the 24-hour window free?+

From 1 October 2026, the first 1,000 service replies per number each month are free; after that each costs ₹0.115 in India. Utility templates sent inside the window are charged.

Keep reading

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What is the WhatsApp 24-hour window?

What you can send when

How it works - A customer sends you a message → a 24-hour timer starts. - Every new message (or call) from the customer resets the timer to 24 hours. - Meta adds one more rule: you can only message WhatsApp users who have opted in.

An example A customer asks about a sofa at 6 p.m. on Monday. Your team can chat freely until 6 p.m. Tuesday. If the customer replies at 5 p.m. Tuesday, the window runs until 5 p.m. Wednesday. If no one writes back, a follow-up on Thursday must be a template.

Frequently asked questions

Related terms and guides

What is WhatsApp message template?

What is Click-to-WhatsApp ads?

The 24-hour window, in depth

Pricing

WhatsApp glossary

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