About Automated Messages

About Automated Messages

Automated messages let your business reply to customers automatically, even when no one is available.
Arattai Business offers two types — a greeting message for first contact, and an away message for when you are unavailable.
Both are sent from Arattai's servers and they are not end to end encrypted messages.

Prerequisites

  1. Stable internet: A stable internet connection is required to set up and manage automated messages.
  2. A business account: Automated messages are configured per business profile.
  3. Business hours (for one away option): To use the away message's "Outside business hours" schedule, set up your business hours first. See "Set Your Business Hours".

About Automated Messages

Available on:  Android  ·  Web

There are two types of automated message:
  1. Greeting message: Sent when a customer contacts you for the first time, or again after a period of inactivity you choose. See "Greeting Messages".
  2. Away message: Sent when a customer contacts you while you are unavailable, based on a schedule you set. See "Away Messages".

Where to Find Them

  1. Automated messages are set up from the Business Hub tab.
  2. In the Auto-Replies section you will find two rows: Greeting message and Away message.
  3. Each showing an ON or OFF label. Tap either to open its configuration screen. See "About the Business Hub".

Writing Your Message

Both message types use the same editor. On the greeting or away screen, tap Edit message to open it. You can include:
  1. Text: Up to 1,000 characters, with a live character counter.
  2. Formatting: A formatting bar lets you add Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough, a Hyperlink, a Quote, and bulleted or numbered lists.
  3. Attachment: One attachment per message, up to 50 MB — JPEG, PNG, GIF, MP4, or PDF. On mobile you can also capture a photo with the camera.
  4. Link preview: Type a URL and the editor shows how the link will appear in chat.
You can save a message with text, an attachment, or both.

Who Receives Them

You choose the audience separately for the greeting and the away message:

Option

Who receives the message

Everyone (default)

Sent to everyone who contacts you.

Everyone except contacts

Sent only to people not saved in your contacts.

Everyone except selected

Sent to everyone, except specific contacts you choose.

Only selected

Sent only to the specific contacts you choose.

If Both Messages Apply

If a customer's first contact arrives while you are away, both messages are sent — the greeting first, then the away message after your reply delay. Both appear in the chat marked as automated. The greeting and away audiences are checked independently, so a customer excluded from one may still receive the other.

How Automated Messages Appear in Chat

  1. Automated messages appear as normal chat bubbles with a bot icon, so both you and your customer can see the message was sent automatically rather than typed by a person.
    This applies in both your view and the customer's view.
  2. Delivery ticks (read receipts) are shown on automated messages, just like your regular messages. Automated messages cannot be edited from the chat after they are sent.

Turning Automated Messages On and Off

Turning a message off simply pauses it. Your message text, schedule, recipients, and all other settings are kept, so you can turn it back on later without setting it up again.

FAQs

  1. Where do I set up automated messages?

     From the Business Hub tab, in the Auto-Replies section. Tap Greeting message or Away message to configure each one.

  1. Do automated messages work when my phone is off?

     Yes. They are sent from Arattai's servers, so they send regardless of whether your device is online.

  1. Can I style the text or add a photo?

     Yes. The editor has a formatting bar (bold, italic, lists, and more) and lets you attach one image, GIF, video, or PDF up to
     50 MB.

  1. Will I know if my automated message was delivered and read?

     Yes. Automated messages show delivery ticks like any other message, alongside a bot icon that marks them as
     automated.

  1. If I turn an automated message off, do I lose my setup?

           No, turning it off pauses it and keeps all your settings, so you can resume any time.

Arattai Help Center · Arattai Business

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