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An out-of-hours message on a clinic’s WhatsApp: templates, and what it does not solve

In the WhatsApp Business app, the away message is under Business tools: you turn on “Send away message”, write the text, and choose when it goes (always, a custom schedule, or outside the business hours set in your profile) and to whom. It tells the patient the clinic is closed.

It does not answer the question or book the appointment: the patient still waits until reception opens. With 33% of appointments in Brazil booked outside business hours (Doctoralia), someone who wants it settled now may book elsewhere.

Updated Oct 14, 2026

How it works

  1. Turn it on

    WhatsApp Business app: Business tools > Away message > turn on “Send away message”.

  2. Choose when it goes

    Always, a custom schedule, or outside business hours. The last option only appears once business hours are set in your business profile.

  3. Choose who gets it

    Everyone, everyone not in your contacts, everyone except some contacts, or only selected contacts. The phone must be online for it to be sent.

  4. Template 1, short

    “Hello! The clinic is closed now. We are open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 6 pm, and Saturday 8 am to noon. We will reply as soon as we open.”

  5. Template 2, taking the request

    “Hello! We are outside our hours. If you would like an appointment, send your name, the day and the time of day you prefer (morning or afternoon), and reception will confirm when we open.”

  6. Template 3, urgency

    “Hello! We are closed now. If you are in severe pain or have had an accident, look for emergency dental care. To book, leave your name and the best time, and we will reply from 8 am.”

What it costs to run

The away message is free in the WhatsApp Business app. On the official API, Meta charges per message sent; the prices are in the guide on what a WhatsApp message costs in Brazil.

What we learned building it

Our own study of the 27 capitals and our fictional example clinic (October 2026)

The message arrives; the appointment does not
89% of dental clinics in the capitals are closed at 7 pm on weekdays. An away message only tells the patient; whoever wants a time still has none until morning.
What changes when something answers
An assistant built from a fictional example clinic’s own web pages answered a request for a Saturday evaluation in under 4 seconds, with two free times.

When it is not worth it

  • If hardly anyone writes to the clinic outside its hours, the away message is enough.
  • If someone on your team already answers in the evening, an assistant only helps when that person is overloaded.

Questions

Does the away message work on regular WhatsApp?

No. It is a feature of the WhatsApp Business app (free) and of the official API.

Why is my away message not working?

Check that it is on, that the schedule covers the moment the message arrived, that business hours are filled in on your profile if you chose “outside business hours”, who it is set to go to, and that the phone is online.

Can the away message book an appointment?

No. It only sends a fixed text. Answering questions and offering times outside hours takes an assistant connected to the clinic’s WhatsApp.

Sources

Want to try, with your clinic’s own website, an assistant that answers patients outside your hours?

See the service: Free AI audit for dental clinicsLet’s talk

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