WhatsApp provides a 24 hour customer service window during which you can exchange any number of free flowing messages with the customer. This 24 hour window is calculated from the time your customer last messaged you. Beyond the 24hours, you can only send template messages to the customer. The 24hour window will open up again ONLY once the customer responds to you. Till the customer responds, you can only send template messages.

Here’s an article on Templates that can help rekindle chats after the the 24hour window.

Here is how you can send the standard template message to your customer if the 24 hour window is closed in chat

To do this: 

1. Click on the quick reply template button on the left chat bar.

‍

2. Select the approved template that you want to send. In our case, we select Hello {{1}}.

‍

3. You can type the message in the variable {{1}} and hit the Post Message button.

Once your customer responds to your messages, the 24 hour window will re-open again for another 24 hours.

‍Note: This is WhatsApp’s policy and hence Zoko has no control over it.

‍

Keyword: 24 hours window expired, Session message, template message

‍