WhatsAppPro and up
The 24-hour window
WhatsApp lets you send a normal message, such as text, buttons or a link card, only within 24 hours of the customer's own last message to your number. Outside that window, only an approved template is delivered. Menuthere shows the window in the inbox and exposes it to flows.
- Where
- Sales channel → WhatsApp
- Updated
How the window works
The window belongs to one customer and one of your numbers. A customer who wrote to your first number has not opened a window on your second.
Where you see it
| Place | What happens |
|---|---|
| Inbox | The conversation header shows the time left, or 24h window closed — template only. The Template button sends an approved template. |
| Flows | Order, loyalty, cart and store-open runs carry window_open, which reads true or false. A Condition step can branch on it. |
| Order updates | A customer who ordered on your store and never wrote to your number is outside the window, so a plain update is not delivered. |
| Templates | The only message type that still reaches a customer outside the window. |
Good to knowThe 24-hour window decides what you can send. It does not decide what you pay. Meta now charges per message, so see What WhatsApp messages cost.
Questions
How do I reach a customer after the window closes?
Send an approved template, from the inbox with Template or from a flow with a Send template step.
Do ready-made flows handle the window for me?
Some do. The Abandoned cart flow picks a chat message inside the window and a template outside it. The We're open again flow sends only inside the window. Order update flows send a plain message, so add a template branch if your customers order without writing to you.
Related
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