🛠️ Step by Step: How to Configure Out of Hours
If the system is not properly configured, Atom could continue assigning conversations to disconnected agents, leaving the customer without a response.
Follow these steps to configure it correctly:
Access the settings: Go to the left sidebar menu in Settings > User Management > Groups.
Select the group: Locate the support group to which you want to apply the configuration.
Verify working hours: Make sure the normal service hours are correctly set. This is the first filter for the system to know when to activate "out of hours" mode.
Adjust the assignment: Click the three vertical dots next to the group and select Edit.
Enable "Assign out of hours" only if you have on-call agents available to assist.
Disable it if you prefer that chats not be assigned to anyone until the next business day.
Configure the Bot: Make sure your bot's flows include an automated message indicating that the team is unavailable and when they will resume assistance.
💡 Best Practices and Additional Notes
To ensure a seamless customer experience, apply these operational recommendations:
Global Configuration: If all your support groups share exactly the same schedule, you can make this configuration in bulk from the My Company > Schedule Settings section.
Quick Responses: If you want agents to send a manual closing message, make sure to create a Quick Response and tag it strictly under the 'out of hours' category.
Post-vacation reversion: Don't forget! When you return to your normal duties, you must revert this configuration so that flows and assignments return to normal.
📌 Key Considerations: WhatsApp (API) Policies
When a user starts a conversation outside business hours, you can show them an automated message using a schedule conditional in your flow (e.g. "Hello, our hours are Monday to Friday from 9 to 6 pm...").
However, if the conversation is paused until the next day, you must take into account Meta's strict rules on response times:
Conversation context | Allowed message type | Can it be used freely? |
🧍♀️ User writes first | Free message (session) | ✅ Yes, for 24 hours |
🕓 More than +24 hours have passed since their message | Approved template (HSM) | ✅ Only if approved by Meta |
🏢 Company initiates contact | Approved template (HSM) | ❌ Cannot send free text |
⚠️ Important: For this reason, if a client writes to you on Friday night and your team responds on Monday morning (more than 24 hours later), it will not be possible to respond with a free message. You must necessarily use a previously approved template (HSM) to reactivate the conversation.
📞 When to Contact Support?
You should open a ticket with our support team if you experience the following scenarios:
The automatic out of hours messages configured in your bot are not being sent or are sent at the wrong times.
You notice serious inconsistencies in assignment, where conversations are assigned to inactive profiles despite having the "Assign out of hours" option turned off.
Protect your customers' experience 24/7! 🚀
Correctly configuring your schedules, flows, and understanding the 24-hour WhatsApp rule will allow you to provide professional and transparent communication, ensuring that each prospect feels valued even when your team is resting. ✅