Notice that we will be closed: 15 ready-made templates for holidays, vacations and after hours
To write a notice that we will be closed, give the reason in a few words, the exact day you are not available, and the day and time you are back. Then say what the person can do in the meantime: leave their request, send some information or find another contact if it is urgent. Below are 15 ready-made templates to copy, split by situation (holiday, company-wide vacation, year-end break, closed today, power or internet outage, after hours and bereavement), versions for the door, Instagram and email, and the step-by-step for turning on the away message in WhatsApp Business.
CertuAI data: 32.5% of messages arrive outside business hours (122,720 messages from 67 businesses, Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026). See the data
Sources: Meta: Conversations 2026 and the Meta Business Agent
What CertuAI measured on the WhatsApp of 67 businesses
Across the 67 businesses that answer with CertuAI's AI, 32.5% of the 122,720 customer messages arrived outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (July 30 to September 30, 2026). Half of the AI's replies went out within 11.7 seconds, and 9 in 10 within 20.7 seconds (38,908 replies). 34.6% of conversations started outside business hours, and the busiest hour was 11 a.m.
| What was measured | Result | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Customer messages outside Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 32,5% | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
| Weekend messages | 15,8% | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
| Conversations that start outside business hours | 34,6% | 19,900 conversations |
| Time until the AI replies (half of the replies) | within 11.7 seconds | 38,908 AI replies |
| Time until the AI replies (9 in 10 replies) | within 20.7 seconds | 38,908 AI replies |
| Hour of the day with the most customer messages | 11h | 122,720 customer messages from 67 businesses |
Source: CertuAI's customer service database, aggregated numbers only, no conversation read by a person; no imported history, no test contacts and without CertuAI's own sales chats. July 30 to September 30, 2026, measured on Oct 9, 2026. Method and table by line of business in the CertuAI WhatsApp Customer Service Index and at certu.com.br/dados.
Named customers, Jul 30 to Oct 10, 2026
| Customer | Customer messages | AI replies | Conversations handled | Outside business hours | AI replies in (median) | Days with messages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP Gás Água e Rações gas and water distributor | 42.832 | 23.351 | 6.479 | 33,6% | 9,8 s | 70 |
| CEMIP medical clinic | 12.472 | 6.484 | 2.436 | 18,7% | 11,4 s | 37 |
| Nikiti Auto Center auto center | 4.912 | 3.548 | 900 | 19,5% | 14,4 s | 47 |
| Imobiliária Rodrigues & Ribeiro real estate agency | 6.090 | 2.759 | 823 | 33,2% | 18,4 s | 34 |
| Alpha RH human resources | 3.082 | 1.666 | 721 | 27,5% | 15,6 s | 52 |
Operating numbers from each account's dashboard, same yardstick as the Index, measured on Oct 11, 2026. Published with each owner's permission. Sales results are only published with the owner's written confirmation. Full list at certu.com.br/casos.
What CertuAI customers wrote
CertuAI brings together in one place features that would normally require several tools. Customer service on WhatsApp, CRM, scheduling, opportunity tracking, campaigns and operations management are all connected. Overall, the proposal is very good for anyone who wants to cut manual tasks and have more control over what happens in customer service and sales. [...]
Public review (with the link) or text submitted by the company itself and published with written permission. The rating only appears when the source has a rating.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the Brazilian AI platform that answers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for small and medium businesses 24 hours a day, with a CRM included, and is a Tech Provider of Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Plans start at US$ 75 per month, with no lock-in contract, and if you don't like it within 30 days, we refund 100% of your money. Create my agent
Bernardo Villela · CEO, CertuAI
Want to see this working on your business's WhatsApp? Build your agent, no sign-up needed.
Summary in 7 facts
- To write a notice that we will be closed, give the reason in a few words, the exact day you are not available, and the day and time you are back.
- Then say what the person can do in the meantime: leave their request, send some information or find another contact if it is urgent.
- CertuAI data: 32.5% of messages arrive outside business hours (122,720 messages from 67 businesses, Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026).
- The same notice needs to appear everywhere your customer looks for you.
- Change the format, not the information: the date, the reason and the day you are back are always the same.
- The names below are from the WhatsApp Help Center, checked in September 2026.
- They apply to Android and iPhone; the difference is small and is noted.
By the numbers
| Number | What it means |
|---|---|
| 32,5% | CertuAI data: 32.5% of messages arrive outside business hours (122,720 messages from 67 businesses, Jul 30 to Sep 30, 2026). |
| 5 minutes | "I'll reply in 5 minutes" at 11 p.m. is a lie. |
What a notice that we will be closed needs to have
- When you are back, with day and time. Never "soon".
- The answer to the most common question in your business, right there. If half the messages ask for the price, put the price range.
- An easy question, for the person to answer while they wait. That way the conversation moves forward without you.
- What to do if it is urgent, when there is such a path: another phone number, another location, a public service.
| Message | What it delivers |
|---|---|
| "We will get back to you soon" | Nothing. "Soon" is not a deadline |
| "Our hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m." | Information, with no next step |
| "Your message is important to us" | A call center phrase |
| "I'm back tomorrow at 9 a.m. A haircut is R$ 60. Tell me what you want to do and I'll set the time aside?" | A deadline, an answer and a question |
The first three end the conversation: the person reads it, has nothing to answer and goes looking for someone who answers. The last one keeps the conversation open, because it gives them something to answer. In the templates below, replace what is in brackets with your details.
Ready-made templates by situation
1. Holiday
Hi! Because of the [holiday name] holiday, we will be closed on [day]. We are back on [day], at [time]. If you like, tell me what you need now and I'll reply as soon as we are back.
2. Long weekend or bridge holiday
We will be closed from [day] to [day], because of the [holiday name] holiday. We are back on [day of the week], [day], at [time]. You can leave your request here: we reply in order of arrival when we are back.
3. Company-wide vacation
We are on company-wide vacation from [day] to [day]. We are back on [day], at [time]. Requests and quotes sent until then are answered in order of arrival. If it is [urgent case, for example: warranty on a service already done], contact [name] at [phone].
4. Year-end break
Our year-end break runs from December [day] to January [day], and we will be closed during that period. We are back on [day], at [time]. Thank you for this year with us. If you want to leave your request for January now, just send it here.
5. Closed today, unexpectedly
Today, [day], we will be closed because of something unexpected. We are back tomorrow, [day], at [time]. If you had an appointment today, reply here with two times that work for you and we'll reschedule.
6. Power outage
We have no electricity at the store and will not be serving customers in person until the power comes back. On WhatsApp we are still replying, but more slowly. If you were planning to come by today, send a message before you leave and we'll confirm whether we have reopened.
7. No internet or system down
We have no internet [or: our system is down] and cannot [issue invoices, check orders, confirm payment] right now. As soon as it is back, we will reply in order of arrival. Leave your name and what you need here.
Note: the away message in the WhatsApp Business app is only sent if the phone is connected to the internet, according to the WhatsApp Help Center. If the store's internet went down, leave the phone on mobile data so the notice keeps going out.
8. Outside business hours (retail and services)
Hi! Our hours are Monday to Friday, [hour] to [hour], and Saturday, [hour] to [hour]. I'll reply to your message tomorrow starting at [hour]. If it's a quote, send me [what you need to know: photo, measurements, model] now and I'll get a head start here.
9. Outside hours (clinic and practice)
We received your message outside the hours of the front desk, which is open [days], [hour] to [hour]. Tomorrow, starting at [hour], we reply in order of arrival. To book an appointment, send your full name and the best time of day for you. In an emergency, call 192 (SAMU, Brazil's emergency medical service) or go to an emergency room.
10. Bereavement
Due to a bereavement, we will be closed from [day] to [day]. We are back on [day], at [time]. Your message is saved and will be answered when we return. Thank you for your understanding.
In a bereavement, less is more: you do not need to explain who passed away or apologize. Just do not forget to say when you are back.
11. Professional on vacation, team covering
[Name] is on vacation and is back on [day]. In the meantime, [name of whoever is covering] is handling requests and quotes at [phone]. If you prefer to wait for the return, leave your message here.
12. Renovation or change of address
We are renovating and will be closed at the store from [day] to [day]. We reopen on [day], at [time], [at the same address, or: at the new address, such-and-such street, number so-and-so]. Requests on WhatsApp continue as normal during this period.
Notice for the door, Instagram and email
The same notice needs to appear everywhere your customer looks for you. Change the format, not the information: the date, the reason and the day you are back are always the same.
13. Sign on the door
NOTICE. We will be closed on [day], because of [reason]. We are back on [day], at [time]. WhatsApp: [number]. Thank you.
Big letters, little text and the WhatsApp number at the end. Put the sign up a few days ahead, not just the day before, so that people walking by already know.
14. Instagram post or story
Notice: we will be closed from [day] to [day] due to [reason]. We are back on [day], at [time]. Requests on WhatsApp [number] are saved and answered when we return.
On Instagram you can also turn on an automatic reply to direct messages. It lives in Meta Business Suite, Meta's dashboard for businesses: in the Inbox, under automations, there is the Away message template, which applies to Instagram business accounts, Facebook Pages and connected WhatsApp Business accounts (Meta Help Center).
15. Automatic email reply
Subject: We will be closed from [day] to [day]. Body: We received your email. We are [reason] and will be closed until [day]. We are back on [day] and reply in order of arrival. If it is urgent, contact [name] at [phone or email].
In Gmail, the path on a computer is Settings, See all settings, General tab, Vacation responder section. You choose the start and end dates, the subject and the text, and save. According to Gmail Help, the reply starts at midnight on the first day and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the last, and in general it only goes to each person's first message; they only receive it again if they write after four days or if you edit the reply.
And on Google?
People who look for your store on Google see the hours there, and that is what they use to decide whether to leave the house. In your Google Business Profile, use special hours: Edit profile, Hours, and next to Special hours, Edit. Choose the date and mark Closed. According to Business Profile Help, this is for closures of up to six days in a row; for seven days or more, or for an indefinite period, the right thing is to mark the business as temporarily closed.
Want to know how many hours customer service eats up per month? Work out the hours.
How to set up the away message in WhatsApp Business, step by step
The names below are from the WhatsApp Help Center, checked in September 2026. They apply to Android and iPhone; the difference is small and is noted.
- Open the WhatsApp Business app and go to the Tools tab.
- Tap Away message.
- Turn on the Send away message option.
- Tap the message text to edit it. Paste one of the templates above, replace the brackets and confirm (on Android the button is OK; on iPhone, Save).
- Tap Schedule and choose when the message goes out.
- Tap Recipients and choose who receives it.
- Tap Save.
| Schedule option | When to use |
|---|---|
| Always send | When you will go days without looking at WhatsApp. Remember to turn it off when you are back |
| Custom schedule | Holiday, vacation and break: you set the start and end, and the message stops by itself |
| Outside of business hours | Every day, after the store closes. It only appears if you registered the hours in the business profile |
| Recipients option | What happens |
|---|---|
| All | Anyone who sends a message gets the notice |
| Everyone except my contacts | Only people who are not saved on your phone receive it. Existing customers get no notice |
| Everyone except... | Everyone, except the people you choose |
| Only send to... | Only the people you choose |
For a holiday or vacation notice, choose Everyone. With "Everyone except my contacts", it is precisely the loyal customer, who is saved on your phone, who does not find out you closed.
Register your business hours first
The Outside of business hours option only appears after the hours are in your business profile. In the profile, open the Business hours field and choose between Selected hours (the days and hours you open, with different hours per day if needed), Always open or By appointment only. Save and go back to the away message.
Did the away message stop going out?
Check four things. The phone needs to have internet. The Outside of business hours option only works with the hours registered in the profile. Under Recipients, "Everyone except my contacts" leaves a saved customer without the notice. And, if Meta's AI (Meta Business Agent) is on in the app, the away message is paused while the AI is active and comes back when it leaves the conversation, according to the WhatsApp Help Center, read on October 1, 2026. To turn off the AI, see how to turn off the AI in WhatsApp Business.
The app's away message only goes out with the phone connected to the internet. If the phone is off, out of battery or has no signal, the customer gets no notice.
Common mistakes
- Promising a deadline you do not keep. "I'll reply in 5 minutes" at 11 p.m. is a lie.
- Long text. A notice needs to be read at a glance, on a phone.
- Forgetting the return date. "We are on vacation" with no return day leaves the customer not knowing whether to wait or look elsewhere.
- Sending an away message during business hours, because nobody updated the setting.
- Leaving the holiday message on after the holiday.
- Announcing only on WhatsApp and forgetting the door, Instagram and Google.
The two in the middle are the most frequent and the easiest to avoid. An away message firing in the middle of a Tuesday gives an impression of disorganization, and nobody notices internally, because the sender does not receive it. Send a test message from another number after you set it up.
For a holiday, use Custom schedule instead of Always send. The message turns itself off at the end of the period and you do not depend on remembering.
Fixed away message or an AI that answers outside business hours
The away message solves the minimum and has a clear ceiling: it sends the same text to everyone. It informs and asks for one thing, but it does not answer the second question, does not handle a case different from what was planned and does not hold someone who wants to solve it now. An AI agent reads what the person wrote and answers that question.
| Away message | AI agent | |
|---|---|---|
| What it answers | Always the same text | The question the person asked |
| Second question | Gets no answer | Answers |
| Depends on your phone | Yes, it needs to have internet | No, when connected through Meta's official API |
| Cost | Free in the WhatsApp Business app | Monthly subscription |
| When it is enough | Few messages outside business hours, almost always the same question | Steady volume at night and on weekends, varied questions |
CertuAI puts an AI on the business's own WhatsApp, by code or QR code, or through Meta's official API on Pro and above, which runs on Meta's servers and does not depend on your phone. It answers with what you wrote in the Brain, the business's knowledge base: prices, hours, dates when the store closes, what you do and what you do not do. Each conversation becomes a contact in the CRM, and people who stopped replying get an automatic follow-up afterward.
Start with the well-written message, which is free and takes ten minutes. If after a month you still open WhatsApp in the morning to a queue of conversations that the away message did not solve, the next step is justified by what you measured yourself. That next step is an AI that answers outside business hours, which answers the question the away message leaves for later. See also the page about the automatic business hours message on WhatsApp.
Read also
- messages outside business hours: what to do with them
- how to turn off the AI in WhatsApp Business
- how much it's worth to reply within one minute
- the agent as a first impression
- the customer who only says hi
Frequently asked questions
- How do I write a notice that we will be closed?
- Give the reason in a few words, the exact day you will not be available, and the day and time you are back. Close with what the person can do in the meantime, such as leaving their request in a message or finding another contact if it is urgent.
- What should I write in a holiday notice?
- The name of the holiday, the day you are closed and the return with day and time. For example: "Because of the [name] holiday, we will be closed on [day]. We are back on [day], at [time]. You can leave your request here."
- How do I let people know we will be closed tomorrow?
- Say the day, the reason in a few words and when you are back. For example: "Tomorrow, [day], we will be closed due to [reason]. We are back on [day], at [time]. You can leave your request here and we'll reply when we return." In WhatsApp Business, use Custom schedule so the message goes out only that day.
- How do you set up an away message on WhatsApp Business?
- In the Tools tab, tap Away message, turn on Send away message, edit the text, choose the Schedule (Always send, Custom schedule or Outside of business hours), choose the Recipients and tap Save.
- Does the away message work with the phone turned off?
- No. According to the WhatsApp Help Center, the device needs to be connected to the internet to send the away message. A phone with no battery or no signal does not send the notice.
- Why is the away message not going out?
- The most common reasons are four: the phone has no internet, business hours are not registered in the profile, Recipients is set to Everyone except my contacts, or Meta's AI is on in the app, which pauses the away message while it is active.
- How does the holiday message turn itself off?
- Under Schedule, choose Custom schedule and set the start and end of the period. Outside that window the message is not sent, and you do not have to remember to turn it off.
- How do I let people know on Instagram that we will be closed?
- Publish a post or story with the date, the reason and the day you are back, and turn on the Away message in the Meta Business Suite Inbox automations, which applies to Instagram business accounts.
- How do I show on Google that the store closes for the holiday?
- In your Google Business Profile, use special hours and mark the day as Closed. For seven days in a row or more, Google advises marking the business as temporarily closed.
- Why doesn't "we will get back to you soon" work?
- Because it is not a deadline and it asks for nothing. The person reads it, has nothing to answer and goes looking for someone who answers. Swap it for the day and time you are back and an easy question.
- Should I put a price in the away message?
- If price is the most common question in your business, yes. It is the part that solves the most and gets used the least: with the price range right there, some conversations are settled before you get to them.
- What is the difference between an away message and an AI agent?
- The away message always sends the same text and does not answer the second question. An AI agent reads each message and answers what was asked, based on what you taught it about the business.
Keep reading
In short
To write a notice that we will be closed, give the reason in a few words, the exact day you are not available, and the day and time you are back. Then say what the person can do in the meantime: leave their request, send some information or find another contact if it is urgent.
About CertuAI: CertuAI is the Brazilian AI platform that answers WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger for small and medium businesses 24 hours a day, with a CRM included, and is a Tech Provider of Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform. Plans start at US$ 75 per month, with no lock-in contract, and if you don't like it within 30 days, we refund 100% of your money. Create my agent
