# How to Create Automated Welcome and Away Messages
{% hint style="success" %}
In this use case article, you’ll discover how to respond to customers’ first message immediately and manage customers’ expectations on your business response time.
{% endhint %}
When customers starts messaging your business, you can automate a welcome and an away message to ensure they receive an immediate response even when no agent is available to attend to their inquiries. This can help reduce customer wait time and set customers’ expectations on business hours and response times.
#### Benefits of Automated Welcome and Away Messages
Use automated welcome and away messages to:
* improve customer experience by providing a prompt response 24/7.
* provide assurance to customers that their messages are received, which can prevent them from sending the same messages multiple times.
* manage customers’ expectations by providing information such as business hours and response times.
#### Methods for Sending Automated Welcome and Away Messages
1. [Send a welcome or an away message when a Contact opens a conversation.](/ismessenger/automate-conversations/how-to-create-automated-welcome-and-away-messages.md)
2. [Send welcome and away messages based on business hours.](/ismessenger/automate-conversations/how-to-create-automated-chat-menus.md)
**Send a welcome or an away message when a Contact opens a conversation**
**Use this method** to immediately send a greeting or an away message when a Contact messages you.
In the **Workflows** module, click **+ Add Workflow** and choose your template:
* To send a welcome message, click **Welcome Message** > Click **Use Template**.
* To send an away message, click **Away Message** > Click **Use Template**.
The Workflow template is set up with a Trigger and Send a Message step. You can configure the messages as needed.
1. [**Trigger**](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md): The Workflow starts when a conversation is opened by a Contact.
2. **Welcome Message** or **Away Message:** [Sends a message](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md) to greet your Contact, or inform your Contact that you’re currently not available and when they can expect a reply.
Once you have completed the setup, click **Save** and **Publish** to activate the Workflow.
**Send welcome and away messages based on business hours**
**Use this method** to send a welcome message during business hours and an away message outside of the business hours.
In the **Workflows** module, click **+ Add Workflow** > Click **Away Message with Business Hours** > Click **Use Template**.
The Workflow template is set up with a Trigger, Business Hours step and Send a Message step.
1. [**Trigger**](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md): The Workflow starts when a conversation is opened by a Contact.
2. **Business Hours**: [Set up your business hours](/ismessenger/modules/workflow.md). Once configured, this step will route Contacts based on the date and time conditions.
3. **Welcome Message** or **Away Message:** If the conversation is opened within the business hours, a welcome message will be sent. If the conversation is opened outside of the business hours, an away message will be sent. This step lets you [configure the messages](/ismessenger/sales-use-cases/how-to-route-leads.md), if needed.
{% hint style="success" %}
Once you have completed the setup, click **Save** and **Publish** to activate the Workflow.
{% endhint %}
---
# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:
```
GET https://docs.is-messenger.com/ismessenger/automate-conversations/how-to-create-automated-welcome-and-away-messages.md?ask=
```
The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
