The rule: 24 hours after the customer's last message

On WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram you can't send messages without limits. Meta uses a reply window: you can reply freely until 24 hours after the customer's last message.

• Every new message from the customer restarts the clock.
• Your own messages don't. If you send three messages yourself, the clock just keeps running.

Example: the customer sends a message on Tuesday at 14:00. You can then reply freely until Wednesday at 14:00. If the customer sends another message on Wednesday at 10:00, the window moves to Thursday at 10:00.

WhatsApp: after 24 hours, only a template

Once the window on WhatsApp has expired, you can only reach the customer with a template approved by Meta. The article "Managing WhatsApp templates" explains how to create and send one.

Messenger and Instagram: up to 7 days for team members

On Messenger and Instagram it works slightly differently:

• Within 24 hours — normal replies and replies from the AI agent go through as usual.
• Between 24 hours and 7 days — a team member replying from the inbox can still reply up to 7 days after the customer's last message. Bugalou then automatically adds Meta's "human agent" label. You don't need to do anything for this.
• After 7 days — you can't reply until the customer writes again. You get a clear message instead of a failed send.

The AI agent always stays within 24 hours. In practice that's no limitation, because the AI agent answers immediately anyway.

How much time is left? The label at the top of the conversation

At the top of a conversation, next to the channel, a label shows the time left, for example "5h 12m left to reply". The colour shows how urgent it is:

• Green — there is still plenty of time.
• Orange — less than 4 hours.
• Red — less than 1 hour.
• Grey — the AI agent is handling the conversation.

Once the window has closed, the label reads "24h window expired" or, on Messenger and Instagram, "7-day window expired".

Hover over the label for a card with the exact time the window closes, the time left and a short explanation.

The clock in the conversation list

In the conversation list, every unanswered conversation on WhatsApp, Messenger or Instagram has a small clock:

• Grey — with the number of hours or days you have left.
• Orange — less than 4 hours.
• Red — less than 1 hour.
• expired — the window has closed. You see this for up to 3 days after it closed.

If you have already answered the conversation, there is no clock.

The Expiring soon filter

In the Inbox section of your filters you'll find Expiring soon, with an orange clock. It lists all unanswered conversations whose window closes within 4 hours, most urgent first. Handy to go through at the start of your shift or before the end of the day.

Reminder 1 hour before the window closes

About 1 hour before the window of an unanswered conversation closes, Bugalou sends a reminder:

• If the conversation is assigned to someone, that person gets a notification under the bell and a push notification: "⏱ 1 hour left to reply: {customer}".
• If the conversation is unassigned, the whole team is notified.

You get this reminder once per customer message. Click the notification to open the conversation directly.

Automatic follow-up (Pro)

Did you reply last and the customer stayed silent until the window closed? With the automation recipe Nog hulp nodig? Bugalou automatically sends one follow-up template, for example with a "Yes, please" button. If the customer replies, the window opens again. If not, the ticket closes after 2 days (adjustable). See Automation Templates Library.

When the window has closed

When the window has closed, a red bar appears above the reply box. On WhatsApp this bar contains the Send template button, so you can still reach the customer with an approved template. On Messenger and Instagram you wait until the customer writes again.