Every time a customer sends a message to a business, a 24-hour window opens. Inside it, the business can answer with any content: text, images, buttons, without needing a pre-approved template.
The window resets each time the customer sends another message. Once 24 hours pass without a customer message, the window closes and the business must use an approved template to message that customer again.
This rule keeps WhatsApp conversational and consent-driven. It is central to support workflows, where agents reply freely during the window, and to pricing, since session messages behave differently from template messages.
