18 useful auto-reply text message examples for businesses

Auto replies are messages that are automatically sent in response to an inbound message. Auto replies can help your business manage customer expectations when you’re unavailable. That way your customers aren't left hanging when you're not around. Here are 18 auto-reply examples, sorted by use case, and a quick explanation of how automated replies work in the Textline app.

18 auto-reply text message examples

1. Out of office: Outside business hours 

Thanks for contacting Riley’s Sporting Goods! Our business hours are Monday to Friday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. We will reply to messages within business hours. 

2. Out of office: Holiday hours 

Betsy’s Cookies are closed for the winter holidays. We will reopen our stores on Monday, January 3 at 11 a.m. 

3. The message was received and in the queue 

Thank you for contacting Divya’s Support Team. We got your message and will respond to you within 12 minutes. 

4. Alternative contact options: Phone

5. Alternative contact options: Website

Thanks for reaching out to the team at Meadows Marketing! We are currently out of the office and will be back on July 6. For self-service, please visit our help center: www.meadowmarketing.com/helpcenter/. 

6. Frequently asked questions

Thanks for contacting Eve’s Flower Garden. For questions regarding floral care, please visit our FAQ: evesfloralgarden/faqs/

7. Request more information from a lead

Thanks for contacting Dino’s support team. Please text us your order number, and the email used to place your order.

8. Direct customer support conversations

Hi 👋 you’ve reached Gigi Jewelry. What can we help you with?

1. Product questions

2. Jewelry care

3. Order update

4. Returns or exchanges

Or reply to this text for any other questions/concerns!‍

9. Out of office: Sales representatives‍‍

10. Gather more information on a lead

Thanks for reaching out to Glendale Vending Solutions! To better serve you, can you please provide us with your name, company size, and website?

11. Customers text in to gather more information

Thank you for texting into Rev Spa. 🧖‍♀️ We are currently offering a monthly pass for $99 facials. Text us back here to schedule an appointment, or call us at 555-456-0943.

12. Direct sales conversations

Hey, there! You’ve reached the sales department at Capybara HR. Please make a selection below:

1. Request a demo

2. Learn more about our Employee Engagement platform

3. Other

13. Delivery delays

14. Confirming a sign-up

Thanks for confirming your subscription to the Hollow News daily newsletter! We text out condensed news stories once per day. Please note, we do not reply to messages here. To reach us, you can shoot us an email at editors@hollownews.com.‍

15. Direct emergencies to 911

You’ve reached the Ronda Pregnancy Resource Center outside of service hours of Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. We will respond to your text inquiry the next business day. For emergencies, please call 911. 

16. Providing information

All patients eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine will need to schedule an appointment online. For more information, visit www.stmarysclinic.com/covid19/vaccinations/.  

17. Message received

18. ‍Direct patient conversations

Thank you for contacting St. Mary’s Clinic. Please reply with the number related to your inquiry so that we can better serve you.

1. Scheduling 

2. Billing

3. Medical records

4. Other

Best practices for sending automated replies

If you want to come up with original automated reply templates, here are some best practices to keep in mind:

1. Introduce yourself or your business
2. Be specific but concise
3. Set proper time expectations (i.e., we’ll respond within 12 hours)
4. Provide an alternative form of communication for urgent issues
5. Make sure replies apply to the customer’s needs (i.e., the response is about returns if a customer is reaching out about a return)

How to set up auto-reply text messages

Auto-reply messages are triggered in response to whatever conditions you set for them. Your conditions can be as simple or complex as you want them to be. For example, you can set a condition to send an auto-reply after 15 minutes if an agent hasn’t replied to a text message. Or you can select the conditions to shoot out a text response if a customer uses a specific phrase or word. 

You can learn more about automated responses in our Textline Help Center or text us at +1 415-849-4349.