What is the 24h reply window?
Every time a contact sends you a WhatsApp message, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it you can reply with any free-form text — no template, no approval step. When the window expires, WhatsApp only lets you reach out with a template-based message, and that message is charged.
The rule comes from WhatsApp, not from Keaz. It applies to every WhatsApp Business account, so what Keaz can do is make the window visible while you work instead of letting you find out after the fact.
Where does Keaz show the time remaining?
Open a conversation in the Inbox. The composer area shows a live countdown — X Hours left to reply, for example "2 Hours left to reply". It updates in real time, so you can see how much of the window is left before you start typing. The rest of the chat layout is covered in the guide to the Inbox conversation view.
Hover the countdown to read the tooltip. It states the WhatsApp rule in place: free replies are limited to 24 hours, and after that you can only reach out with a template message, which is charged. Nobody has to ask support why a chat behaves the way it does.
What happens when the window closes?
Three things change at once, and all three are visible in the chat:
- Reply window closed appears as a banner at the bottom of the chat, so a closed window is never a silent failure.
- The composer switches into Conversation Starter mode: a Greeting, your own text in the middle, and a Closing.
- A cost notice appears in the composer before you send, naming what this message will cost. You see the amount first and decide afterwards.
So a closed window is not a dead end — the next message simply follows different rules. The Conversation Starter itself is one of the Inbox automations, and how charges like this appear on your account is covered in Settings: Billing.
How do I find the conversations I can still answer?
Filter for them. In the Inbox filter, choose State → Reply window open. The conversation list then shows only chats you can still answer with free text — which is the fastest way to work through the ones where waiting actually costs you something.
Is the reply window the same thing as consent?
No, and it is worth keeping the two apart. The reply window is a technical limit on when a message can be delivered. Whether you may market to someone at all is a consent question, and it is answered by their opt-in level, not by a countdown. Both sides are explained in Opt-in levels and, for the legal background, in our guide to collecting WhatsApp opt-ins the GDPR-compliant way.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly does the countdown appear?
Can I see at a glance which chats still have an open window?
Why can't I just send a normal message after 24 hours?
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