Fix: WhatsApp Auto-Reply Not Working
Fix auto-reply issues including session disconnection, command not recognized, and permission problems.
Auto-reply is enabled in the dashboard but the bot is not responding. Five common reasons, in rough frequency order.
Confirm the symptoms
- Sent a test message; no reply.
- Auto-reply log in dashboard shows no recent activity.
- !afk doesn't echo back a confirmation.
30-second quick fix
- Send !back then !afk again, fresh state often clears stuck flags.
- Check that the session is "Connected", not "Disconnected".
- Make sure you are testing from a different account/chat (the bot ignores its own messages).
Root causes
1. Session disconnected
No reply at all = bot is offline.
- Reconnect from dashboard.
2. Scope set too narrow
Maybe AFK is scoped to DMs only and you are testing in a group.
- Dashboard → Auto-reply → check scope.
3. Cooldown active
Per-user cooldown means a recent reply blocks the next one.
- Wait 30 min or reduce the cooldown.
4. Testing from the same account
BotWave ignores messages from the same session that owns the AFK.
- Ask a friend to test, or use a second WhatsApp account.
5. AI mode but quota exhausted
On AI auto-reply, free tier caps at 10/day. After that, the AI calls fail silently.
- Check Dashboard → AI → Usage. Wait for reset or upgrade.
Detailed resolution
- 1
Confirm session connected
Dashboard → Sessions.
- 2
Check AFK is active
Send !afk status from any chat the bot is in.
- 3
Verify scope
Dashboard → Auto-reply → make sure the test chat is in scope.
- 4
Test from a different account
Self-tests don't trigger AFK.
- 5
Check the auto-reply log
Dashboard → Logs → Auto-reply. Find your test message; the log shows why a reply was/wasn't sent.
Expected result
Test message gets the configured reply within 1-3s.
Frequently asked questions
Does AFK reply to me when I message my own session?
No, by design. Otherwise it would infinite-loop on every action.
Still stuck?
Open a support ticket from the dashboard and we will look at your session logs directly.
Other troubleshooting guides
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