The 24-hour reply window
You know exactly how long you have to answer, and what to do when the time has passed.
On this page
Before you start
- The 24 hours run from their last message.
- A private reply to a comment: one message, within 7 days.
- They write again, and a new window opens.
Read the window on the conversation.
Above the composer: the time left
You will see How long you have, to the minute.
Recognise a closed window.
The closed-window line above the composer
You will see A clear statement, not a silent failure.
Work with it.
Notifications, so a message never waits a day
You will see A push when a customer writes.
If something is off
- My message was refused
- The window closed while the conversation was open.
- Can I extend the window
- Meta sets it; their next message opens a new one.
- The window is shorter than I expected
- It counts from their last message, not from now.
Common questions
Does the 24-hour window restart when I reply?
No. The 24 hours run from the customer's last message, not from your reply, and the countdown above the composer counts from their message.
How long do I have to send a private reply to a comment?
One message, within 7 days of the comment. After that, follow-ups are possible only once the person replies, and then within 24 hours of their reply.
Where does CommentWatchDog show how much time is left to reply?
Above the composer: Reply window open, with the time left in hours and minutes. When it has closed, the same line says so and the composer will not send.
Why is there a 24-hour limit on replying to messages?
Meta limits how long a business may reply to a person after their message. CommentWatchDog shows the limit rather than setting it, and the customer writing again opens a new window.
For agents: plain text of this guide · all guides
For agents
Guide: The 24-hour reply window
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/messages/the-24-hour-reply-window
Topic: Messages
Time: about 3 minutes
Who can do it: Anyone on your team
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox
Result when done: You know exactly how long you have to answer, and what to do when the time has passed.
Context: Meta limits how long a business may reply to a person. After their message you have 24 hours. The conversation shows how much of that is left, and says plainly when it has closed.
Before you start
1. The 24 hours run from the customer last message, not from your reply.
2. A private reply to a comment has its own rule: one message, within 7 days of the comment.
3. When the window has closed, the customer writing again opens a new one.
Steps
Step 1 of 3: Read the window on the conversation.
Where: Above the composer: Reply window open, with the time left. It counts down from their last message.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/messages-ig.en.webp (The reply window, on the conversation.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/messages-ig-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: How long you have, in hours and minutes.
Step 2 of 3: Recognise a closed window.
Where: The line reads that the 24-hour reply window has closed, and the composer will not send. Nothing you wrote is lost.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/messages-closed.en.webp (A closed window.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/messages-closed-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: A clear statement rather than a message that silently fails.
Step 3 of 3: Work with it.
Where: Answer inside the window, use notifications so you know when someone writes, and when a window has closed, answer their next message quickly.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/notifications?tab=device (Open notifications)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/device.en.webp (Turn on notifications, so a new message reaches you in time.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/device-turnon-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: A push when a customer writes, which is what keeps you inside the window.
If something is off
Problem: My message was refused
Fix: The window had closed between opening the conversation and sending. The text stays in the box.
Problem: Can I extend the window
Fix: No. Meta sets it. The customer writing again opens a new one.
Problem: The window is shorter than I expected
Fix: It counts from their last message, which may be older than the conversation looks if you have been reading it for a while.
Common questions
Question: Does the 24-hour window restart when I reply?
Answer: No. The 24 hours run from the customer's last message, not from your reply, and the countdown above the composer counts from their message.
Question: How long do I have to send a private reply to a comment?
Answer: One message, within 7 days of the comment. After that, follow-ups are possible only once the person replies, and then within 24 hours of their reply.
Question: Where does CommentWatchDog show how much time is left to reply?
Answer: Above the composer: Reply window open, with the time left in hours and minutes. When it has closed, the same line says so and the composer will not send.
Question: Why is there a 24-hour limit on replying to messages?
Answer: Meta limits how long a business may reply to a person after their message. CommentWatchDog shows the limit rather than setting it, and the customer writing again opens a new window.
Related guides
Reply in public or by private message: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/reply-in-public-or-by-private-message
Where messages come from: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/messages/where-messages-come-from
Turn on push notifications: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/notifications/turn-on-push-notifications
Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/messages/the-24-hour-reply-window.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt