# The 24-hour reply window

Every message a customer sends to a WhatsApp Cloud inbox opens a 24-hour window in which your team can reply freely: text, images, documents, quick replies, anything. When the customer stays quiet for 24 hours the window closes, and until they write again you can only reach them with an approved message template.

## The Reply window countdown

Above the messages in a WhatsApp Cloud conversation, **Reply window** shows how long is left. It counts down every minute and resets to 24 hours each time the customer sends a message.

* Teal, for example **Reply window · 21h 12m**: you can reply freely.
* Red **Reply window closed · templates only**: the 24 hours have passed. It stays red until the customer writes again.

Hover the countdown to see what it means, the exact time it ends or closed, and a link back to this article.

![Reply window and Free ad window countdowns above a WhatsApp conversation](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/whatsapp-window-pills.jpg)

![Hover card explaining the Reply window](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/whatsapp-reply-window-hover.jpg)

## When the window is closed

The reply box switches to templates only. Pick an approved template to reach the customer; see [Creating WhatsApp message templates](/settings/creating-whatsapp-message-templates). As soon as the customer replies, the window reopens and the countdown starts again.

![Closed reply window with the templates-only reply box](../../.gitbook/assets/guides/whatsapp-reply-window-closed.jpg)

## What the window means for your bill

Meta bills each message you send by its type. Replies inside the reply window are service messages; templates are billed by their category, such as utility or marketing. Until 1 October 2026 service messages are not charged. Inside a [free ad window](/channels/whatsapp-free-ad-window) nothing is charged, whatever the type. Each message in the conversation carries a tag next to its time, such as **Free**, **Free · Ad window** or **Charged · Utility**, so you can see how it was billed.

## Where these rules come from

The 24-hour window and the billing rules are set by Meta, not by Mampu AI, and Meta changes them from time to time. This article reflects Meta's [WhatsApp Business Platform pricing](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing) and [upcoming pricing updates](https://developers.facebook.com/documentation/business-messaging/whatsapp/pricing/non-template-messages) pages as read on 3 September 2026. Check those pages for the current rules before making decisions based on cost.

## Tips

* Answer while the countdown is teal. A quick reply keeps the conversation moving and avoids templates altogether.
* If the window has closed, send a short utility template that invites the customer to continue. Their reply reopens the window.
* Customers cannot see the countdown; it is only shown to your team.

## Related

* [The free ad window](/channels/whatsapp-free-ad-window)
* [Creating WhatsApp message templates](/settings/creating-whatsapp-message-templates)
* [Finding the receipt for conversational cost for WhatsApp API](/platform/connect-to-social-media-channels/normal-whatsapp-vs-whatsapp-cloud/finding-the-receipt-for-conversational-cost-for-whatsapp-api)
* [WhatsApp](/channels/whatsapp)

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Source: https://help.mampuai.com/channels/whatsapp-reply-window