Summary
Wati provides automated Welcome Messages and Out of Office (OOO) Messages for Instagram Direct Messages (DMs) using the Rules Builder under Automations. When you connect your Instagram account to Wati, two automation rules are created by default:
IG Out of Office Message – Automatically replies to messages received outside working hours.
IG Welcome Message – Sends a greeting when someone starts a new conversation with your business. You can customize these rules to fit your needs and enable them with just one click.
Instructions
Setting Up an Out of Office (OOO) Message
By default, Wati sets up an Out of Office message rule with the following conditions:
The incoming message timestamp is outside working hours (as per your settings).
The contact is initiating a new chat with your Instagram account.
This means that when someone sends you a message outside of working hours, they will receive an automatic OOO response. However, if they continue messaging, the rule won’t trigger again within the same conversation. 🔗 Watch the step-by-step tutorial:
Customizing the OOO Rule
You can edit the rule to match your preferences. For example, if you want the OOO message to apply only to new contacts (and not existing ones), you can modify the filter:
Go to Automation Settings in Wati.
Open the IG Out of Office Message rule.
Add a condition to check if the contact does not exist in your Wati contact list.
Save and enable the rule.
Setting Up a Welcome Message
The Welcome Message rule automatically sends a greeting when a new conversation starts during working hours. This helps create a friendly and professional first impression. By default, the rule triggers when:
A new contact initiates a chat with your Instagram account.
The message is received within your working hours.
Customizing the Welcome Message
You can modify this rule to personalize the experience for different users. For example:
Use keyword filtering to send tailored responses.
If someone asks about a specific product, trigger a response with product details instead of a generic welcome message.
Adjust the working hours filter to ensure messages are sent at appropriate times.
Managing and Enabling Your Rules
Navigate to Automation Settings in your Wati dashboard.
Click on Rules to view all existing rules.
Select the rule you want to edit or enable.
Adjust the conditions or responses as needed.
Click Save, then toggle the rule ON to activate it. With these automation rules, you can respond instantly to your Instagram DMs, ensuring a better customer experience while saving time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General Questions
What are Welcome Messages and Out of Office (OOO) Messages in Wati? → Welcome Messages and Out of Office Messages are automated responses for Instagram Direct Messages (DMs) managed through Wati’s Rules Builder.
Welcome Messages greet users when they start a new conversation during working hours.
Out of Office Messages notify users that your business is unavailable when they message outside working hours.
Are Welcome and Out of Office Messages enabled by default? → Yes. When you connect your Instagram account to Wati, these two automation rules are created automatically. However, you must enable them manually if they are turned off.
Can I customize the Welcome and Out of Office Messages? → Yes, you can modify both messages by changing their conditions, responses, and filters to better suit your business needs.
Out of Office (OOO) Message
When does the Out of Office Message get triggered? → The OOO message is triggered when:
A user sends a message outside your defined working hours.
The user is starting a new conversation with your Instagram account.
Does the OOO message trigger for every message sent outside working hours? → No. The rule only triggers once per conversation when a new chat is initiated. If the user continues messaging, they won’t receive multiple OOO responses within the same chat.
How can I apply the OOO message only to new contacts? → You can modify the rule by adding a condition to filter out existing contacts:
Go to Automation Settings in Wati.
Open the IG Out of Office Message rule.
Add a filter condition to exclude existing contacts.
Save and enable the rule.
Can I change my working hours to adjust when the OOO message is sent? → Yes. Updating your working hours in Wati will automatically adjust when the OOO message gets triggered.
Welcome Message
When does the Welcome Message get triggered? → The Welcome Message is triggered when:
A new contact starts a conversation with your Instagram account.
The message is received within working hours as per your Wati settings.
Can I customize the Welcome Message to send different responses based on user intent? → Yes, you can use keyword filtering to send personalized responses. For example:
If a user asks about a specific product, the rule can trigger a response with product details instead of a generic welcome message.
How do I modify or disable the Welcome Message rule?
Go to Automation Settings in Wati.
Select the IG Welcome Message rule.
Adjust the conditions, filters, or response message as needed.
Click Save and enable or disable the rule.
Managing Automation Rules
Where can I view and manage my automation rules?
Navigate to Automation Settings in your Wati dashboard.
Click on Rules to see all existing automation rules.
Select any rule to edit, enable, or disable it.
How do I enable a rule after modifying it?
After making changes, click Save.
Toggle the rule ON to activate it.