Default Actions automatically send replies or manage chat assignments when your team is unavailable, a customer is waiting for a response, or a conversation is about to expire.

This guide explains how to configure working hours, set up Default Actions for each channel, and understand which action Wati applies when multiple settings could match.

Use Rules instead of Default Actions when setting up new automated replies.

There are 2 important differences:

Make sure you have:

Working hours determine when your team is available. Several Default Actions use these hours to determine when they should run.

Your working hours now appear next to Current Working hours.

Default Actions are configured separately for each channel.

Repeat these steps for each channel you want to configure.

Wati sends only 1 Default Action for a customer message, even if multiple settings could apply.

For message-based Default Actions, Wati checks the settings in this order:

Wati sends the first Default Action that matches and does not continue to the next setting.

Two settings are scheduled separately and are not part of this order:

A Default Action runs only when:

If a chatbot is handling the conversation or an agent is already assigned to the chat, the Default Action does not run.

These 6 settings send messages automatically. Each setting requires a material.

Enable this setting to send a welcome message when a customer starts a new chat and their message does not match any keyword.

This setting has the highest priority among the message-based Default Actions.

Enable this setting to automatically reply when a customer messages you outside your configured working hours.

This setting runs only if the welcome message setting did not apply first.

Enable this setting to reply when a customer messages during working hours but no customer service agent is online.

You can use a different material for this setting than the one used for replies outside working hours.

Enable this setting to send a reply when a customer's message does not match any keyword and no other Default Action applies.

The fallback message is the last message-based Default Action in the sending order.

Wati sends the fallback message no more than once every 30 minutes.

Enable this setting to send a reply when a customer has waited longer than the configured number of minutes without receiving a response.

This setting applies during working hours and when the customer's message does not match a keyword.

Because this setting is scheduled based on the customer's wait time, it is not part of the message-based Default Action order.

Enable this setting to follow up with a customer who has stopped responding before the 24-hour messaging window expires.

On WhatsApp, you can send free-form messages within 24 hours of the customer's last message. After the 24-hour window expires, you must use an approved message template to reply.

Wati sends this follow-up only when the conversation is not marked SOLVED.

Because this setting is scheduled based on customer inactivity, it is not part of the message-based Default Action order.

These 6 settings control how chats are assigned or handled. They do not require a material.

Enable this setting to send the out-of-office message outside working hours even when the customer's message matches a keyword.

When this setting is enabled, Wati sends the out-of-office reply instead of running other automations outside working hours, including Keyword Actions, routing, and chatbots.

Enable this setting to automatically reassign a chat to another agent when the assigned agent does not respond.

Enable this setting to remind a customer who has stopped responding and close the chat if the customer does not respond.

Enable this setting to keep an expired or closed chat assigned to the last agent who handled it instead of assigning it to the bot.

When the customer sends a new message, Wati notifies the last assigned agent directly. This setting does not send an automated message.

Enable this setting to assign expired chats using round robin instead of keeping them assigned to the last agent.

Enable this setting to distribute newly opened chats across the users in the assigned team using round robin.

You can also enable:

Keep the following behavior in mind when configuring Default Actions:

Wati sends only 1 message-based Default Action for each customer message. Wati checks the settings in this order: welcome message, outside working hours, no agent online, and fallback message. If an earlier setting applies, Wati does not send a later message.

A Default Action does not run when the contact is in a chatbot flow or the chat is assigned to an agent. A Default Action also does not run if an earlier Default Action has already replied.

The fallback message is the last message-based Default Action in the sending order. It may not send if another Default Action has already replied or if the fallback message was sent within the previous 30 minutes.

Yes. Default Actions are configured separately for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and TikTok. You must configure each channel separately based on your requirements.

If Always send the out-of-office message is enabled, Wati sends the out-of-office reply outside working hours and does not run Keyword Actions, routing, or chatbots.

No. Rules continue to run outside your working hours unless you add a working-hours filter to the Rule.

Welcome messages sent through Default Actions are chargeable. To send welcome messages for free, use the built-in Rules instead.

Default Actions is a legacy feature. For new automation, use Rules because Rules provide more flexibility and better performance.

If you add multiple working-hour entries for the same day, only the last entry applies. Wati ignores the earlier entries for that day.