What can you send inside the window?
Inside the window you can send free-form messages, such as text, images, documents, voice notes, location pins and buttons, without Meta approving them first. This is where real conversations happen, so the faster you reply after a customer writes in, the more of the sale happens while the window is open.
What happens after 24 hours?
After the window closes, WhatsApp only lets you send an approved template message. If the customer replies to that template, a new 24-hour window opens and the conversation carries on normally. That is why follow-up templates matter: they are the only way to restart a conversation that has gone quiet.
Does the 24-hour window affect cost?
Yes. Since 1 July 2025 Meta has charged per delivered message, by category and country. Template messages are charged. Service replies inside the window used to be free; from 1 October 2026 Meta charges for service messages beyond a free monthly tier per number. Meta's pricing page has current rates.
Meta doesn't charge for messages that customers send to you.
How does Rainmaqer AI handle this?
Sid replies within seconds, so most of the conversation happens while the window is open. When a lead goes quiet, Sid follows up with your approved templates on day 1, 3, 7 and later, and stops the moment they say no.
Need examples? Copy our free WhatsApp follow-up templates.
Rainmaqer AI is ₹1,999/month billed yearly or ₹2,999/month billed quarterly, plus GST. See pricing.
Sources
Checked on 25 Oct 2026. Meta updates these pages often, so check them for the latest detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 24 hours counted from my message or the customer's?
From the customer's. The window opens when the customer messages or calls you, and resets each time they do. Your own messages don't extend it.
Does the window reset if the customer replies to a template?
Yes. A reply from the customer opens a new 24-hour window, so you can send normal messages again.
What about chats that start from Click-to-WhatsApp ads?
Meta's pricing page describes a free entry point window for conversations that start from Click-to-WhatsApp ads or a Facebook Page call-to-action, during which messages are free. Check that page for the current rules.
How does Rainmaqer AI help with the window?
Sid answers inside the window in seconds, any time of day, and uses approved templates for follow-ups once it has closed. Meta's charges are billed separately at actuals from a prepaid wallet.