Whenever a customer messages your business on its WhatsApp API number, it starts a 24-hour session window.
While this session is open, you can exchange unlimited messages with your customer. However, once the 24-hour period is over, WhatsApp closes the conversation.
This can lead to a big hassle in replying with your customers, especially if your brand receives a lot of support queries on a weekend that may only get replied to when your team is back on Monday.
DelightChat's solution to overcome the 24-hour rule
There are 2 types of WhatsApp 24-hour sessions.
- User-initiated: It's when your customer messages you and starts a 24-hour conversation window.
- Business-initiated: It's when the business sends a pre-approved template message, typically for transactional or promotional notifications.
To overcome the 24-hour rule, we have created a feature in DelightChat where you can send a business-initiated template message to a customer after the session window expires.
Whenever a conversation is past the 24-hour session window, you will see an option to send a template message.
Clicking on the button will open a modal where you can select which pre-approved template you want to send.
You would also have to resolve the variables in the template.
We have a specific variable called [Value + Text] which allows you to write a longer message, thus allowing you to share an update customer and successfully overcome the WhatsApp 24 hour session window limitation.
