On this page
The 24-hour service window
Every customer message restarts the 24 hours from that moment.
Why it matters
The window is WhatsApp's core anti-spam rule: businesses can talk freely only while the customer is engaged. It shapes every workflow. Agents must answer within a day or switch to a template; automated replies must check the window before sending free text; a lead who goes quiet can only be re-engaged with a template and its cost. The window decides what you may send, not whether it is free: From 1 October 2026 Meta charges for replies too; the first 1,000 each month on each WhatsApp number are free. Utility templates are charged per delivered message, including inside the 24-hour window, from 1 October 2026. See the October 2026 pricing change.
In VGraple CRM
Each conversation header shows the time left in the window. When it closes, the composer offers approved templates instead of free text, flows switch to template steps automatically, and sequences schedule template steps for closed windows. Ad-originated chats show the extended window of up to 7 days.
Related terms
Service conversation, Session message, Message template, and sending templates from the inbox.