A canned response is a saved reply that an agent inserts into a chat, WhatsApp message, Instagram DM or email, then checks and personalises before sending. Below are 34 copy-ready canned response examples for the situations a consumer brand answers every day: order status, delays, cash on delivery, cancellations, out-of-stock items, damaged or wrong items, returns, refunds and closing a conversation. Each one says what must be true before it's sent.
Canned responses are also called macros, saved replies or quick replies. This page covers the short replies agents reuse inside a conversation, and it's one of our customer service resources. For complete emails, see our customer service email templates; for whole conversations, see these customer service conversation examples; for the phone, see our call center scripts.
In short
- An agent chooses a canned response and can edit it; the system sends an auto-reply by itself; a WhatsApp template message is approved by Meta in advance and is the only kind you can send once WhatsApp's 24-hour window has closed.
- Organise the library by the customer's situation (a refund that hasn't arrived), not by the stage of the conversation.
- Every placeholder comes from a system: the store, the courier or the payment gateway.
- A macro should only confirm what has already happened. Each example below says when to send it.
Canned responses, auto-replies and WhatsApp templates
Four kinds of prepared message get called "templates". They differ in who sends them and what they can say.
| Canned response (macro) | Auto-reply | WhatsApp template message | AI-drafted reply | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who sends it | An agent, after choosing it | The system, on a trigger | The system or an agent | An agent, after reviewing it |
| Can it be edited before sending? | Yes | No | Only the variables in the approved text | Yes |
| What it knows about the order | What the agent fills in | Usually nothing | The variables you fill in | The conversation and any data the tool can read |
| Best for | Repeated situations that still need an agent's judgement | Confirming receipt; out-of-hours replies | Order updates, and reopening a WhatsApp conversation after 24 hours | Replies that depend on this customer's order and history |
WhatsApp's rules decide which of these you can use. Agents can send canned responses while the customer service window is open: 24 hours from the customer's last message, reset each time they write. After it closes, only pre-approved template messages go through, so a delay update sent three days after the customer's question has to be a WhatsApp template message, not a macro. Instagram DMs have the same 24-hour window; after it, Meta's human agent tag lets an agent reply manually for up to seven days. Automatic acknowledgements are a separate job, covered in our guide to WhatsApp auto reply.
How to use these templates
- Placeholders are in square brackets and named after the value they need, such as [Order ID], [Courier] or [Expected date].
- Send when is the condition that must already be true. If it isn't, check the order or take the action first.
- Policy words such as [return window] or [refund timeline] come from your own policy. Fill them in once, when you save the macro.
- Length. The replies are written for chat, WhatsApp and Instagram DMs: two to four short lines, the order number early, the next step last.
Order status
Order status questions, known in ecommerce as WISMO ("where is my order?"), need a different reply for each state of the parcel. Check the tracking first; the right macro depends on what it shows.
ORD-1 · In transit, on schedule Send when: tracking shows the parcel moving and the expected date hasn't passed.
Hi [First name], your order [Order ID] is on its way with [Courier] and is due by [Expected date]. You can track it here: [Tracking link]. If it hasn't arrived by then, reply here and I'll chase it with [Courier].
ORD-2 · Not shipped yet Send when: the order is confirmed and still inside your promised dispatch time.
Hi [First name], your order [Order ID] is confirmed and being packed. It will leave our warehouse by [Dispatch date], and you'll get the tracking link here as soon as it ships.
ORD-3 · Out for delivery Send when: the courier shows the parcel out for delivery today.
Good news, [First name]: your order [Order ID] is out for delivery today with [Courier]. Please keep your phone nearby in case the delivery partner calls. [If cash on delivery: please keep [Amount] ready.]
ORD-4 · Marked delivered, not received Send when: tracking says delivered and the customer says they don't have it. Don't promise a refund or replacement yet.
I'm sorry, [First name], that's worrying. [Courier] shows order [Order ID] as delivered on [Delivery date]. Could you check with family, neighbours or your building's reception? If it isn't there, reply here and I'll open a check with [Courier] today and update you by [Update date].
Order status is also the clearest case for software. Flowcall's AI Agent answers these questions itself on WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Live Chat and email: it checks the order in Shopify and your courier's tracking, and replies with the real status rather than a template with gaps. Flowcall's WhatsApp automation can also send shipped, delayed and delivered updates as they happen, so your agents keep macros like ORD-4 for the exceptions.
Delivery delays
A delay macro has one job: give a date, or the time you'll update by. "Soon" is what makes a customer write again.
DEL-1 · Delayed, new date known Send when: the courier or warehouse has given a new date.
Hi [First name], I'm sorry: your order [Order ID] is running late. [Courier] now expects to deliver it by [New date], and the tracking link shows the latest: [Tracking link]. If it isn't with you by [New date], reply here and I'll take it up with them straight away.
DEL-2 · Delayed, no new date yet Send when: the parcel hasn't moved for longer than your limit and you've raised it with the courier.
Hi [First name], your order [Order ID] hasn't moved since [Last scan date], so I've asked [Courier] to investigate. I don't have a new date yet. I'll message you by [Update date] with what they find, even if there's no news. If the parcel is lost, we'll [send a replacement / refund you in full].
DEL-3 · Dispatch delayed by a sale or holiday Send when: your warehouse has a backlog and a revised dispatch date for this order.
Hi [First name], thank you for your order [Order ID]. Because of high demand during [sale or holiday], orders are taking [number] extra days to leave our warehouse. Yours will ship by [Dispatch date] and should arrive by [Expected date]. If you'd rather cancel, reply CANCEL and we'll refund you in full.
Send DEL-3 before customers ask. On WhatsApp that means a template message, because a customer who hasn't written to you in the last 24 hours can only receive a template. The rest of sale-period planning is in our guide to Black Friday customer service.
Cash on delivery
Cash on delivery (COD), where the customer pays the courier on arrival, is common in India. It adds three conversations: confirming the order, a failed delivery attempt, and refunds, because there's no card to refund to.
COD-1 · Confirming a COD order Send when: your policy asks for confirmation of this order, for example above a set value or for a first order.
Hi [First name], thanks for ordering from [Brand]. Please confirm your cash-on-delivery order [Order ID] for [Amount]: reply YES to confirm or NO to cancel. [Optional: pay online now and get [prepaid offer]: [Payment link]]
COD-2 · Delivery attempt failed Send when: the courier recorded a failed attempt and the parcel isn't yet on its way back.
Hi [First name], [Courier] tried to deliver your order [Order ID] today but couldn't ([Reason from courier]). Would you like another attempt? Reply with a day that suits you, or a corrected address or phone number, and I'll arrange it. If we don't hear from you by [Date], the parcel will come back to us and the order will be cancelled.
COD-3 · COD not available Send when: the delivery area, order value or product isn't eligible for COD under your rules.
Hi [First name], cash on delivery isn't available for [your delivery area / orders above [Amount] / this product], so this order needs online payment. You can pay by [UPI, card or net banking] here: [Checkout link]. If anything goes wrong at checkout, reply here and I'll help.
COD-4 · Refund on a COD order Send when: the refund is approved and your policy pays COD refunds by UPI (India's instant bank-transfer system), bank transfer or store credit.
Hi [First name], your refund of [Amount] for order [Order ID] is approved. As you paid cash on delivery, we'll send it to your [UPI ID / bank account / store credit]. Please add your details through this secure link: [Refund details link]. We will never ask for an OTP, PIN or card number in chat.
COD-1 is the macro in this section that software can take over. Flowcall's WhatsApp Marketing confirms cash-on-delivery orders on WhatsApp and offers a discount to pay online in the same message, and customers accept or cancel, so agents spend their time on failed deliveries and refunds instead. For the wider picture, see our guide to COD orders.
Cancellations and address changes
CHG-1 · Cancelled before dispatch Send when: the order is cancelled in your store and, for a prepaid order, the refund has been started.
Done, [First name]: order [Order ID] is cancelled. Your refund of [Amount] has been started to your [payment method] and should reach you within [refund timeline]. [If COD: as you hadn't paid yet, there's nothing to refund.]
CHG-2 · Too late to cancel Send when: the order has already shipped.
Hi [First name], order [Order ID] has already left our warehouse, so I can't cancel it now. You can refuse the parcel when it arrives, or accept it and start a return here within [return window]: [Returns link]. Either way, we'll refund you once it's back with us.
CHG-3 · Address updated Send when: you've changed the address on the order and, if the shipment is booked, with the courier.
Hi [First name], I've updated the delivery address for order [Order ID] to: [New address]. [Courier] has the new address too, and your order is still due by [Expected date].
CHG-4 · Address can't be changed Send when: the courier doesn't accept address changes once a parcel is in transit.
Hi [First name], order [Order ID] is already with [Courier], and they can't change the address while it's on its way. You can reschedule or redirect it when the delivery partner calls. If it comes back to us, I'll resend it to your new address [at no charge / for [Fee]].
Out of stock and back-orders
OOS-1 · Sold out after the order was placed Send when: the warehouse can't fulfil an item and you've agreed the options.
Hi [First name], I'm sorry: [Product] from your order [Order ID] sold out before we could pack it. You can wait for new stock, due by [Restock date], or I can cancel that item and refund [Amount] to your [payment method]. The rest of your order ships as planned. Which would you prefer?
OOS-2 · Asked about an item that's out of stock Send when: a customer asks about a product or size you don't have right now.
Hi [First name], [Product] in [size or colour] is out of stock at the moment. We expect more by [Restock date], and you can get a message when it's back here: [Notify link]. If you need something sooner, [Alternative product] is similar in [how it's similar]: [Product link].
Damaged, wrong or missing items
These macros ask for evidence first and confirm the fix only once it exists; mixing the two up is how a brand promises a replacement it later refuses. For fuller apologies, see our apology statements for customer service.
DMG-1 · Asking for photos Send when: a customer reports damage and your policy needs photos before a replacement or refund.
I'm really sorry your [Product] arrived damaged, [First name]. So I can sort this quickly, please send three photos: the damage, the outer box, and the shipping label. As soon as I have them, I'll [arrange a replacement / start your refund].
DMG-2 · Replacement arranged Send when: the replacement order exists and has its own order number.
Thanks for the photos, [First name]. I've arranged a replacement [Product] under order [Replacement order ID], which ships by [Dispatch date]. [You don't need to return the damaged one. / [Courier] will collect the damaged one when they deliver the new one.]
DMG-3 · Wrong item received Send when: the photo confirms the item doesn't match the order.
I'm sorry, [First name], that's our mistake: you ordered [Ordered product] and received [Received product]. [Courier] will collect it on [Pickup date], and we'll send the right item [with the pickup / as soon as it's collected].
DMG-4 · Item shipped separately Send when: the customer reports a missing item and your order system shows it in a second shipment.
Hi [First name], I've checked order [Order ID]: [Missing product] was sent in a separate parcel and is due by [Expected date]. Here's its tracking link: [Tracking link].
DMG-5 · Item missing from the parcel Send when: the item should have been in the parcel that arrived.
I'm sorry, [First name], [Missing product] should have been in your parcel. Could you send a photo of everything that arrived, with the packing slip if you have it? Then I'll [send the missing item / refund it] and confirm here.
Returns and exchanges
RET-1 · How to start a return Send when: the item is returnable and inside your return window.
Hi [First name], yes, you can return [Product] from order [Order ID] until [Return deadline]. Start it here: [Returns link]. We'll book a pickup from your address, and your refund goes out once the item reaches us and passes our check.
RET-2 · Outside the window, or not returnable Send when: your policy says no and the customer hasn't asked for an exception. If they push back, hand over instead.
Hi [First name], I've checked order [Order ID]: [Product] was delivered on [Delivery date], and our [return window] ended on [Return deadline]. [Or: [Product] can't be returned because [reason].] I'm sorry I can't accept a return. If something is wrong with it, tell me what's happening and I'll check what our [warranty] covers.
RET-3 · Pickup booked Send when: the courier has confirmed a pickup date.
Your return pickup is booked, [First name]: [Courier] will collect [Product] on [Pickup date]. Please pack it with its tags and accessories, and keep the courier's pickup receipt until your refund arrives.
RET-4 · Exchange for another size Send when: the new size is in stock and your policy allows an exchange.
Hi [First name], I can swap your [Product] for size [New size], which is in stock. [Courier] will collect the current one on [Pickup date], and we'll dispatch the new size [the same day / once it's collected]. Shall I go ahead?
RET-5 · Return received Send when: the warehouse has logged the returned item.
Hi [First name], your returned [Product] reached us on [Received date]. We check returns within [inspection time], and I'll confirm your refund as soon as that's done.
Refunds
A refund macro has to carry the one thing a customer can take to their bank: the refund reference. A bank can't trace a payment from your order number. For full refund emails, including how to say no, see our refund email template guide.
REF-1 · Refund processed Send when: the refund shows as processed in your payment gateway or store, with a reference.
Hi [First name], your refund of [Amount] for order [Order ID] was processed on [Refund date] to your [payment method]. It can take [refund timeline for that method] to show in your account. Your refund reference is [Refund reference].
REF-2 · Processed, but not received Send when: the refund was processed and its timeline has passed.
I'm sorry it hasn't shown up yet, [First name]. We processed [Amount] on [Refund date], and the reference is [Refund reference]. Your bank can trace the payment with that number. If they can't find it, send me a screenshot of their reply and I'll raise it with our payment provider.
REF-3 · Refund not started yet Send when: the return hasn't reached the warehouse or hasn't passed inspection.
Hi [First name], your refund for order [Order ID] starts once the returned [Product] reaches us and passes our check. It's currently [return status], due to reach us by [Date]. I'll message you here as soon as the refund is processed.
REF-1 and DMG-2 are only true once someone has processed the refund or created the replacement, which means working in the store admin and the payment gateway and copying details between them. In Flowcall's AI Helpdesk, that step is a ticket action: the AI fills the refund, replacement or order form from the conversation and your connected systems, and the agent checks it and clicks once. One action can run in more than one system, such as Unicommerce and Shopify. The macro then confirms something that has already happened. The rest of the process is on our returns, refunds and exchanges page.
Closing and handing over
CLS-1 · Resolved Send when: the question is answered or the fix is done.
Glad that's sorted, [First name]. [One-line recap, such as: your replacement ships by [Date].] Is there anything else I can help with today?
CLS-2 · No reply Send when: you asked the customer something and they haven't replied within [your wait time].
Hi [First name], I haven't heard back, so I'll close this chat for now. Reply here any time and we'll pick up where we left off.
CLS-3 · Rating request Send when: the issue is resolved, not while the customer is still waiting.
Thanks for your patience today, [First name]. Could you rate this chat from 1 to 5? It helps us improve: [Survey link].
CLS-4 · Handing over to another team Send when: another team or a senior agent needs to take over, and you've written the handover note on the ticket.
I'm passing this to our [Team] team, [First name], with your photos and order details, so you won't need to explain it again. They'll reply here by [Time].
For warmer sign-offs after a purchase, see these ideas for a thank you message to customer.
How to personalise a canned response
Personalising a macro means filling each placeholder with this order's facts, not just adding a first name: the order from Shopify or your order system, the date from the courier's latest scan, the refund reference from the payment gateway. Our customer service email templates set out where each blank comes from and what goes wrong when it's guessed. Read the whole conversation before choosing a macro, and check every placeholder is filled: a reply that still says "[Expected date]" tells the customer exactly how it was written.
In Flowcall's AI Helpdesk, an agent inserts a canned response on a ticket where Customer 360 already shows the customer's orders, delivery, payments and refunds, so the values are on screen. Then Rewrite with AI adapts the macro to this customer and this conversation: it rewrites the reply for clarity and tone, in the customer's language, so you don't need a copy of every macro in every language. With nothing in the reply box, it writes a fresh reply from the conversation instead, for the agent to review. Add ticket actions, and everything an agent needs to answer and act on a case is on the ticket, for the systems you connect.
Channel rules: chat, WhatsApp, Instagram and email
Here is DEL-1 on each channel:
- Live chat, Instagram DMs and WhatsApp inside the 24-hour window: the macro as written. On live chat the customer is waiting on the page, so keep a holding line ready ("Let me check that for you, one moment") and send it before you look anything up.
- WhatsApp after 24 hours: an approved template message with the same facts as variables, such as "Your order [Order ID] is running late. [Courier] now expects to deliver it by [New date]. Reply here if you need help." When the customer replies, the window reopens and agents can use macros again.
- Instagram DMs after 24 hours: an agent's manual reply sent with Meta's human agent tag, within seven days of the customer's last message.
- Email: a subject line that states the news, the facts the customer would otherwise ask for, and a signature.
Subject: Your order [Order ID] is running late: new delivery date [New date]
Hi [First name],
I'm sorry your order is running late. [Courier] now expects to deliver it by [New date].
Items: [Items]
Tracking: [Tracking link]
If it hasn't arrived by [New date], reply to this email and I'll take it up with [Courier] straight away.
[Agent name], [Brand] customer care
On chat and WhatsApp, send each reply as one message with links on their own line. If you serve customers in more than one language, keep a version of each macro per language, checked by a fluent speaker.
How to name, organise and maintain the library
Name every macro "Topic – situation – channel", for example "Refund – processed, not received – chat". Agents search by topic, and the channel tells them which length they're getting. Short codes like REF-2 help in training and quality reviews.
- Start from your contact reasons, not a brainstorm. Group last month's tickets by reason and write macros for the biggest reasons first.
- Write one macro per situation and channel. If agents keep editing a macro the same way, it's covering two situations: split it.
- Give each topic an owner. The returns lead owns RET and REF and approves changes to them.
- Review once a month, and on triggers: a new return window or refund timeline, a new courier or payment method, a sale period, a new product line.
- Keep the name when the text changes, so agents' shortcuts and your reports still work.
- Mark internal macros. Start notes to the warehouse or finance with "Internal –" so they're never sent to a customer.
- Retire what nobody uses.
Four measures show whether the library is doing its job:
| Measure | How to count it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Use per macro | Times each macro was sent, per week | Which macros carry the load, and which to retire |
| Coverage by contact reason | Conversations where an agent used a macro, divided by all conversations, for each contact reason | Which reasons still have no macro |
| Repeat contact per macro | Times the customer wrote again about the same order within 7 days of the macro, divided by the times it was sent | Which macros don't answer the question |
| Placeholder errors | Replies sent with a wrong, stale or unfilled value, found in quality reviews | Whether agents have the data at hand when they reply |
In Flowcall's AI Helpdesk, canned responses are saved replies for chat and email that agents insert and edit. Admin Copilot drafts new ones from a plain-English description and shows each as an editable draft to approve before it applies. To decide what to write next, Flowcall's AI Auto QA groups conversations into the issues that are growing, such as delivery, product or policy problems, with the conversations behind each trend.
When a canned response is the wrong tool
- The customer is angry, or it's their third contact about the same order. Write in your own words; our guide on how to handle angry customers covers what to say.
- The request is an exception. A goodwill gesture, or a return just outside the window for a loyal customer: a macro that says no reads as the brand saying no. Hand it to a team lead or manager who can decide, following your escalation management rules.
- Safety, health or legal issues. An allergic reaction, an appliance that sparked or a legal notice goes straight to a trained team.
- You aren't sure what the customer is asking. Ask a question first.
- The customer has already had this macro. If it didn't help the first time, it won't the second.
- The answer only needs a system check or a routine change. Order status, cancellations before dispatch and refund status need customer service automation that looks the answer up or makes the change, not a better macro.
How Flowcall handles canned responses
Flowcall puts canned responses in an AI Helpdesk where the order, delivery, payments and refunds are already on the ticket, Rewrite with AI fits an inserted macro to the customer and their language, and one-click actions, with the details already filled in, sit beside it. On WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Live Chat and email, its AI Agent takes the order-status, return, refund, cancellation and COD conversations your rules can settle, and answers questions before purchase with product recommendations from your catalogue. It hands the rest to your agents with the conversation, the order and what's left to do.
If you'd like to see an agent answer a refund question from the ticket, with the order on screen, the reply drafted and the refund form already filled, book a demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you give me an example of a canned response?
"Hi [First name], your order [Order ID] is on its way with [Courier] and is due by [Expected date]. You can track it here: [Tracking link]." The agent inserts it, fills the placeholders from the order and the tracking, checks that it answers the question, and sends it.
What are some good canned responses for chat support?
Order status for each parcel state, a delay with a new date, a request for damage photos, a refund with its reference, a handover to another team and a close. Add a holding line ("Let me check that for you, one moment") so the customer isn't left in silence while you look something up.
What is another word for canned response?
Macro, saved reply, quick reply, canned message, response template or snippet, depending on the tool. Some tools use "macro" for a saved reply that also updates the ticket, for example setting its status or adding a tag.
What is a canned email?
A canned email is the email version of a canned response: a saved reply with a subject line, greeting and signature that an agent reuses and edits. Our customer service email templates, linked above, are complete canned emails for the same situations.
Can you send canned responses on WhatsApp?
Yes, while WhatsApp's customer service window is open: 24 hours from the customer's last message. After it closes, you can only send pre-approved template messages, so a proactive update such as a delay notice needs a template. A WhatsApp team inbox lets several agents answer these conversations from one number.
