What is a text message auto reply?

A text your business number sends automatically when a message comes in or matches a rule. Businesses use it for acknowledgements, opening hours, booking links, and simple triage.

Can I set different replies for different keywords?

Yes. Each keyword gets its own reply, and a fallback covers anything that doesn't match.

Can my team take over the conversation?

Yes. Every message, automatic or not, appears in the shared inbox. A teammate replies from the same number and the automation steps back.

How do I avoid an auto-reply loop?

Line sends the reply once per conversation, not after every message, and stops when a person takes over.

Do marketing rules apply to auto replies?

Only if you put marketing in them. A reply that answers the customer's message is a service message under ICO guidance. Add a promotion and you need consent, so keep the two separate.

Is this the same as missed-call text back?

No. Text auto reply responds to an incoming text. Missed-call text back responds to an unanswered phone call. Many businesses use both.

Text message auto reply

Auto reply to texts, without sounding like a robot

Customers text your business number. Line replies straight away with the right message: your hours, a booking link, or a quick acknowledgement. Then a person picks up the thread.

Get started See pricing

From £4 a month. Pay only for the calls and texts you use. No minimum term.

RCRuby & Co Salon07700 900789

Hi, do you have anything Saturday for a cut and colour?
Sat 18:40
Thanks for your message. We're closed now and open at 9am tomorrow. Reply BOOK for our online diary, or we'll get back to you first thing.
Auto reply · out of hours
BOOK
Here you go: rubyandco.uk/book. Colour appointments need a patch test 48 hours before, so pick a slot from Tuesday.
Auto reply · keyword
Note
Conversation assigned to Jess for the morning.

Can a business number auto-reply to texts?: Yes. Line replies to any incoming text based on the rules you set: time of day, a keyword, or every first message.
What can trigger a reply?: A new message, a keyword like BOOK or HOURS, or a text that arrives outside opening hours.
What happens after the auto reply?: The conversation stays in your inbox. A person or Molly carries on with the full context.

Automate the acknowledgement, not the relationship

Let the auto reply handle the predictable bits. Keep the judgement, the sales, and the sensitive stuff with a person.

Honest about timing

Tell customers when they'll hear from a human. An exact time beats “we'll be in touch”.

Answers the same question once

Keywords such as HOURS, PRICES, BOOK, or QUOTE each get their own reply. Set them up once and they run forever.

Hands over cleanly

The auto reply stops the moment a teammate joins the conversation. Nobody gets the same message twice.

Set up in an afternoon

No engineer, no hardware, no contract. Three steps from sign-up to your first call.

1
Choose the trigger
Every new message, a keyword, or texts that arrive out of hours.
2
Write the reply
Say who you are, answer the obvious question, and tell them what happens next.
3
Choose who follows up
Leave it for the team, assign it to a person, or let Molly continue the conversation.

Auto replies that actually help

Each one gives the customer something useful and a clear next step.

When this happens	Line does this	So you get
A text arrives at 10pm	Sends your opening hours and when a person will reply.	The customer isn't left wondering.
The message says BOOK	Sends your booking link, or asks which service and when.	The customer books without waiting for you.
Nothing matches	Confirms receipt and drops the thread in the team queue.	No made-up answer, no awkward loop.

Worth knowing

A reply to a customer is not a marketing message

The ICO treats a text that only responds to a customer's call or message as a service message, so you don't need marketing consent to send it. Keep offers and promotions out of your automatic replies and you stay on the right side of the rules.

Source: ICO, electronic and telephone marketing guidance

Questions people ask

Straight answers on setup, limits, and what it costs.

Missed-call text back

Text back automatically after an unanswered call.

Business SMS

Send and receive texts from a UK business number.

Automations

Keyword, time, and channel rules.

WhatsApp vs SMS

Which channel to use for which message.

Last reviewed 6 September 2026. Sources: ICO, electronic and telephone marketing guidance.

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