The 24-hour customer service window, explained

WhatsApp separates “someone messaged us” from “we’re messaging someone.” The rule that governs both is the 24-hour customer service window. Understanding it keeps your replies free-form and your account healthy.

What opens the window

Whenever a customer sends your business a message, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it, you can reply with normal free-form messages — text, images, documents — no template required. Every new inbound message from that customer resets the 24 hours.

What happens when it closes

Once 24 hours pass with no new customer message, the window closes. You can still reach the customer, but only with a pre-approved template. A template does not re-open the window — only a fresh reply from the customer does. This is why a well-timed, relevant template matters: it invites the customer to respond and re-open free-form messaging.

The free-entry-point window

There is a helpful exception. When a customer reaches you through a Click-to-WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Page call-to-action, you get a 72-hour free-entry window instead of 24 hours — and those conversations are free. It’s one more reason ads that land in WhatsApp convert so well.

How Peak helps

• Live window countdown on every conversation, so agents know when free-form is about to expire.
• The composer blocks free-form sends on a closed window and offers a template instead.
• Free-entry (ad-referred) conversations are flagged so you make the most of the 72-hour window.

Treat the window as a prompt, not a limit: reply fast while it’s open, and use a genuinely useful template to re-engage when it isn’t.