How to Set an Away Message on a Facebook Business Page

Setting an away message on your Facebook Page is one of the quickest wins you can achieve for your brand's customer service and your personal sanity. This automated response acts as your round-the-clock digital receptionist, professionally acknowledging every incoming message even when you're off the clock. This guide will walk you through exactly how to set up an effective away message, share best practices for what to say, and provide a few templates you can use right away.

Why a Facebook Away Message is a Non-Negotiable Today

In a world of instant gratification, customers expect quick replies. Facebook even rewards Pages that respond promptly with a "Very responsive to messages" badge. While that's great, it creates a tough standard for small businesses, solopreneurs, and marketing teams who can't be tethered to their inboxes 24/7. An away message is your simple, effective solution.

Here's why it's so important:

• It Manages Customer Expectations: It immediately lets a customer know their message has been received and gives them an idea of when to expect a personal response. This simple act prevents frustration and shows you value their time.
• It Protects Your "Responsiveness" Badge: Facebook’s automated messages count as a response, helping you maintain a high response rate and keep that coveted badge on your Page.
• It Provides Alternative Help: Your away message can direct users to other resources like an FAQ page, a support portal, or a contact form on your website, potentially solving their problem without them needing to wait for you.
• It Creates a Professional Impression: It signals that you are an organized and customer-focused business that has systems in place, building trust and confidence in your brand from the very first interaction.

Away Message vs. Instant Reply: What's the Difference?

Before we jump into the setup, let's clear up a common point of confusion in Meta Business Suite: the difference between an away message and an instant reply.

• Instant Reply: This is a generic, one-time message sent to someone the very first time they message your Page. It’s a welcome mat. Think of it as, "Thanks for messaging us for the first time! How can we help you today?" It doesn’t send to repeat messengers.
• Away Message: This is a time-sensitive message that only sends when you’ve set your status to "away" or during specific hours you choose (like outside your business hours). It lets people know you're not available right now but will be back later. This is what we're focusing on.

For most businesses, the Away Message is far more useful for day-to-day operations because it specifically handles communication when you're not there.

How to Set Your Away Message on Facebook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Thankfully, Meta has centralized all messaging tools into the Meta Business Suite. The setup process is straightforward and only takes a few minutes.

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Navigate to Your Inbox in Meta Business Suite

Log into your Meta Business Suite dashboard. On the left-hand navigation menu, click on the Inbox icon. This is your command center for all comments and messages from Facebook and Instagram.

Step 2: Find the "Automations" Menu

Once you’re in the Inbox, look at the top of the main window. You’ll see a row of icons. Click on the one that looks like a lightning bolt with the word Automations next to it.

Step 3: Select the "Away Message" Automation

You’ll now see a dashboard with various automation options. Under the "Greet customers" section, you’ll find Away message. It's usually the second option, right after "Instant reply." Click on it to open the setup panel.

Step 4: Configure Your Settings

This is where you bring your away message to life. You have a few options to configure:

1. Channel Selection:

On the right side of the screen, you'll see a section called "Channel." Check the box for Messenger. This ensures the away message activates for messages sent to your Facebook Page. (If you have an Instagram account connected, you can set a separate automation for it there as well).

2. Timing:

This is the most important part. Under the "When this happens" section, you will choose when your away message is active. Click the pencil icon to edit your schedule. You must set your business hours first. If you haven’t already, Facebook will prompt you to do so.

• Select your correct time zone.
• Click the checkboxes for each day you have standard business hours.
• Use the dropdown menus to select your opening and closing times for each day. For example, Monday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Once your hours are set, your away message will automatically send to anyone who messages you outside of that schedule. This is perfect for nights and weekends.

3. Craft Your Message:

Now, scroll down to the "Message" text box. This is where you'll write the content of your away message. Meta gives you a default message, but you should always customize it to match your brand's voice and provide helpful information.

You can even add personalization to make your message feel more human. Click the Add Personalization button below the text box to insert placeholders like the customer's first name, last name, or your business's website link.

For example, a simple but effective message might be:

Hi [Customer First Name], thanks for reaching out! We're currently out of the office, but we'll get back to you as soon as we're back. Our business hours are Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 5 PM EST. Chat soon!

Step 5: Turn It On and Save

At the top of the panel, make sure the automation is toggled ON. Review your settings one last time, then click the blue Save changes button in the bottom right corner.

That's it! Your away message is now active and will stand guard for you whenever you’re offline.

Best Practices for Writing a Great Away Message

A functional away message is good, but a helpful and branded one is even better. Here are a few tips to elevate your automated response:

• Be Clear About When You'll Respond. Don't just say "we'll get back to you soon." Give a specific timeframe, like "we'll respond within 24 hours" or "we'll be back in the office at 9 AM EST on Monday."
• Maintain Your Brand Voice. If your brand is playful and energetic, let that shine through. If you're more formal and corporate, stick to that tone. Consistency is important across all customer touchpoints.
• Offer an Alternative Solution. Empower customers to find answers on their own. Link to your FAQ page, knowledge base, or blog. For example: "While you wait, you might find the answer you're looking for on our FAQ page: [yourwebsitelink.com/faq]."
• Apologize for Delays (When Needed). If you're experiencing a higher-than-normal volume of messages due to a sale or issue, acknowledge it. A simple "our team is working through a lot of messages right now, so our reply might be a little slower than usual" builds empathy and understanding.

3 Away Message Templates You Can Steal

Feel free to copy and customize these templates for your own use.

1. The Standard After-Hours Message

Hello [Customer First Name], thanks for your message! Our team is offline for the day, but we'll see this and get back to you first thing in the morning.

Our regular hours are M-F, 9 AM to 5 PM [Your Time Zone]. In the meantime, feel free to check out our help center: [Link to FAQ/Help Page].

2. The Holiday / Vacation Message

Hi there, thanks for getting in touch! Our team is currently out of the office enjoying the [Holiday Name] holiday and will return on [Date]. We’ll be responding to all messages as soon as we get back.

We appreciate your patience and hope you have a great week!

3. The High-Volume / Busy Period Message

Hey [Customer First Name]! Thanks for reaching out. We're so excited about the response to our [Sale/Launch Name], and our team is getting a ton of messages right now.

We are working as quickly as possible to get back to everyone - please expect a reply within 48 hours. Thank you for your patience and support!

Final Thoughts

Setting up a Facebook away message is a simple, five-minute task that delivers huge returns in customer satisfaction and brand professionalism. It automates a small but meaningful part of your communication, allowing you to manage your online presence without being chained to it.

While an away message is a great first-response tool, you still need to manage the massive flow of comments and DMs once you're back online. To help streamline this, we built a unified inbox inside Postbase that brings all your communications from all your social platforms into one simple, clean feed. It stops you from having to hop between apps, ensuring you never miss an important message again.