Messaging Windows and Sending Limits
WhatsApp and Instagram only allow hotels to reply freely for a limited time after the guest's last message. This article explains those windows in practical terms, what template messages are, and why answering promptly keeps your options open.
The WhatsApp 24-hour window
Every time a guest sends you a message on WhatsApp, a 24-hour window opens (or resets). While the window is open, you and Brixa can send anything: free-text replies, quotes, follow-up questions, documents.
Once 24 hours pass with no new message from the guest, the window closes. WhatsApp then blocks ordinary free-text messages — the only thing that can be sent is a template message.
What template messages are
A template message is a message with pre-approved wording. Templates are reviewed and approved by WhatsApp in advance, which is why they are allowed outside the window when free text is not. They can include placeholders that are filled in per guest — for example a name or a quote reference — but the overall wording is fixed.
If a message to a guest goes out as a template, it means the window had closed — a template was the only thing WhatsApp would accept. If the guest replies to a template, the 24-hour window reopens and normal free-text conversation resumes.
Instagram's window
Instagram works on the same idea: the guest's message opens a limited window for human replies, and outside it sending is restricted. The key practical difference is that Instagram has no template mechanism for hotels — once its window closes, there is no reliable way to restart the conversation from your side. You have to wait for the guest to write again.
WhatsApp vs Instagram at a glance
| Window opens when | Guest sends a message | Guest sends a message |
| Inside the window | Free-text replies, quotes, media | Free-text replies, quotes, media |
| Outside the window | Pre-approved template messages only | Effectively nothing — wait for the guest |
| Restarting a quiet conversation | Send a template; a reply reopens the window | Only the guest can restart it |
What this means for your team
- Reply promptly. Answering while the window is open keeps the conversation free and natural. Drafts left waiting past the window may become unsendable as written.
- Expect templates on late follow-ups. If a WhatsApp reply goes out as a template, it is because the window closed — not an error.
- Treat Instagram with more urgency. With no template fallback, a missed Instagram window can mean a lost lead.
If a message fails because of a closed window or a template problem, see Delivery Failures and Template Issues.