Reply to a WhatsApp customer before and after the 24-hour window
When a customer messages your business number, a 24-hour service window opens and you can reply with anything. Once it closes, WhatsApp delivers only an approved template. Naffes CRM shows the window's state on every conversation and steers you to a template when it closes.
The rule in brief
Meta's documentation states that non-template messages can only be sent inside an open customer service window, which opens for 24 hours when the customer messages the business. After it closes, only templates can be sent, and they are charged by category (marketing, utility or authentication). When the customer replies to your template, a new window opens and free-form replies are allowed again.
| State | What you see | What you can send |
|---|---|---|
| Open | “Free-form replies open for another …” with the time left | Free text, one attachment, a voice note, or a template |
| Closing soon (under an hour) | “Reply window closing” | The same; best to wrap up the topic now |
| Closed | “Reply window closed” | An approved template only |
How to reply
Open the conversation
Open Inbox from the sidebar and select the WhatsApp thread. You can also answer the same thread from the deal or contact page.
If the window is open
Type your reply, attach one file (up to 16 MB on WhatsApp), or record a voice note in the browser, which the server converts to a format WhatsApp accepts. If AI is set up for your workspace, the copilot button offers up to three ready-to-send replies.
If the window has closed
A closed-window notice appears. Switch from Free text to Template, choose a template, fill in its variables, check the preview and click Send template.
Watch the delivery status
Each outbound message shows queued, sent, delivered, read or failed. Once the customer answers your template, the window is open again.
With AI set up, voice notes from customers are transcribed automatically, so you can read them during a meeting and find them later with inbox search. If transcription fails, the note simply stays as audio.
Common delivery failure codes
When a message fails, Naffes shows the error code with a plain-language explanation. The ones you will meet most:
| Code | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 63016 | Free-form message sent outside the 24-hour window | Resend it as an approved template |
| 63024 | The number cannot receive WhatsApp or is not a valid mobile | Check the number or use another channel |
| 63003 | WhatsApp could not find the recipient | Check the number and country code |
| 63021 | The template's variables or text differ from what Meta approved | Fix the variables on the template row |
| 63049 | Meta capped marketing messages to this person | Try again after 24 hours, or wait for the customer to write |
| 63038 | Your number hit its daily messaging limit | Wait for the reset within 24 hours |
Questions
Questions 3
Can I send a short free-form message after the window closes?
No. Outside the window WhatsApp rejects any free-form message, whatever its length, with error 63016. An approved template is the only way.
What if the template list is empty?
Your workspace admin has not imported templates yet, or has deactivated them. Ask them to sync approved templates from Twilio.
Can I save canned replies for WhatsApp?
Not today: the WhatsApp composer has no saved replies, and snippets exist for email only. Use the copilot's suggestions inside the conversation instead.