> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.contactship.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Follow-ups, hours and closing

> Configure experimental follow-ups, cumulative delays, operating hours, cancellation, closing and webhooks. Adjust contact context and message buffering.

export const Availability = ({lang = 'es', plan, addon, permission, route, status}) => {
  const L = lang === 'en' ? {
    plan: 'Plan',
    addon: 'Add-on',
    permission: 'Permission',
    route: 'Where',
    status: 'Status',
    addonNote: 'enabled on request',
    allPlans: 'All plans',
    beta: 'Beta',
    nuevo: 'New',
    soon: 'Coming soon'
  } : {
    plan: 'Plan',
    addon: 'Add-on',
    permission: 'Permiso',
    route: 'Dónde',
    status: 'Estado',
    addonNote: 'se activa a pedido',
    allPlans: 'Todos los planes',
    beta: 'Beta',
    nuevo: 'Nuevo',
    soon: 'Próximamente'
  };
  const items = [];
  if (plan) items.push([L.plan, plan]);
  if (addon) items.push([L.addon, `${addon} · ${L.addonNote}`]);
  if (permission) items.push([L.permission, permission]);
  if (route) items.push([L.route, route]);
  if (status) items.push([L.status, L[status] || status]);
  return <div style={{
    display: 'flex',
    flexWrap: 'wrap',
    gap: '6px 22px',
    padding: '12px 16px',
    margin: '4px 0 24px',
    border: '1px solid rgba(2, 82, 255, 0.28)',
    borderLeft: '3px solid #0252ff',
    borderRadius: '8px',
    background: 'rgba(2, 82, 255, 0.05)',
    fontSize: '13.5px',
    lineHeight: '1.5'
  }}>
      {items.map(([k, v]) => <div key={k} style={{
    display: 'flex',
    gap: '6px',
    alignItems: 'baseline'
  }}>
          <span style={{
    fontSize: '10.5px',
    fontWeight: 600,
    letterSpacing: '0.07em',
    textTransform: 'uppercase',
    opacity: 0.65
  }}>{k}</span>
          <span style={{
    fontWeight: 500
  }}>{v}</span>
        </div>)}
    </div>;
};

<Availability lang="en" permission="agents.read; agents.update to edit" route="Agents → Text → Advanced" status="Experimental" />

**Follow-up messages** sends reminders when a contact stops replying. The app marks this feature as **Experimental**. Review timing, time zone and rules before enabling it.

## Configure a sequence

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable follow-up messages">
    Open the agent, go to **Advanced** and enable **Follow-up messages**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a starting point">
    Select **Gentle**, **Balanced** or **Persistent**. Change the intervals or add more stages.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review hours and exceptions">
    Open **Advanced options**. Configure operating hours, outside-hours behavior and conditions that should stop follow-ups.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose closing behavior and save">
    Decide whether to close the conversation when the sequence ends and whether to send a webhook. Save **Advanced**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Delays are cumulative

Each stage adds a delay after the previous stage. The app shows cumulative time since the last AI reply.

| Preset     | Intervals                              | Cumulative totals                      |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| Gentle     | 4 hours                                | 4 hours                                |
| Balanced   | 2 hours, then 12 hours                 | 2 and 14 hours                         |
| Persistent | 30 minutes, then 2 hours, then 8 hours | 30 minutes, 2 h 30 min and 10 h 30 min |

Each interval accepts a positive integer in minutes or hours. A sequence needs at least one stage.

<Warning>
  The app states that WhatsApp follow-ups must be sent within 24 hours of the user's last message. Time counted from the AI reply does not restart that window. A stage can fall outside it even when its cumulative delay is under 24 hours.
</Warning>

## Advanced options

| Field                                | Purpose                                                | Values or requirements                                                     |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Follow-up operating hours            | Defines when reminders can be sent                     | Time zone, days, start and end times                                       |
| Cancel follow-up                     | Skips a reminder outside operating hours               | One of two outside-hours options                                           |
| Postpone to the next business period | Reschedules to the next operating period               | The new time remains subject to the WhatsApp window                        |
| Custom follow-up instructions        | Defines when not to follow up                          | For example, an order was confirmed or the customer requested no reminders |
| Auto-close conversation              | Closes when the process finishes                       | On or off                                                                  |
| On-close webhook                     | Notifies on an AI decision or completion of all stages | URL and POST or PUT method                                                 |

Specific follow-up hours override channel or agent operating rules only for follow-ups. When disabled, those existing rules apply.

Each schedule needs at least one day and a start time before its end time. An enabled webhook requires a valid URL.

## Closing and webhooks

With **Auto-close conversation** off, the conversation stays open and an internal note is added when the process finishes. With it on, the conversation closes automatically.

The **On-close webhook** belongs to the follow-up process. It is separate from call webhooks and channel change webhooks. Do not assume every manual inbox closure triggers it.

## Other Advanced options

| Option                 | Effect                                                                         |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Auto-tag conversation  | Analyzes and tags with AI; review the additional cost shown before enabling it |
| Global contact context | Adds cross-channel history and contact lifecycle state                         |
| Message buffer         | Waits between 1 and 10 seconds to group messages before replying               |

## Common problems

| Message or symptom                   | Cause and solution                                               |
| ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Stage exceeds 24 hours               | Reduce cumulative delay and check when the user last wrote.      |
| Invalid schedule                     | Complete days and times; the start must be earlier than the end. |
| Invalid webhook URL                  | Complete and correct the URL if the webhook is enabled.          |
| No follow-up outside operating hours | Check cancellation or postponement settings and the time zone.   |

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Does Balanced send its second reminder after 12 hours?">
    It schedules it after 14 cumulative hours: a 2-hour wait followed by another 12 hours. Each stage shows that running total.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does postponing extend the WhatsApp window?">
    No. It changes the attempt time, but does not extend the window. See [WhatsApp templates](/en/messages/templates) for starting a conversation outside it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can the conversation stay open after the last follow-up?">
    Yes. Disable **Auto-close conversation** and save **Advanced**. An internal note is added when the process finishes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do follow-up hours change the channel’s business hours?">
    No. They override hours only for follow-ups. Configure business hours in the [channel settings](/en/messages/channel-settings).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why does the agent wait a few seconds before replying?">
    Check **Message buffer**. Its 1–10 second range groups consecutive messages before generating a reply.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## See also

* [Instructions](/en/text-agents/instructions)
* [Channel settings](/en/messages/channel-settings)
* [WhatsApp templates](/en/messages/templates)