Canned Responses: 40 Examples for AI Customer Support

Last updated: October 2026

TL;DR

• A canned response is a pre-written reply your team saves and sends again, for questions that come in every day like shipping times, refunds and opening hours.
• The 40 examples below are ready to copy, grouped by situation: greetings, orders, refunds, complaints, billing, technical help, follow-ups and closing.
• Edit every canned response before you send it. Add the customer's name and one detail from their message, so it reads like a person wrote it.
• AI customer support answers the repetitive questions first, from your own help content, so your team uses canned responses for the cases the AI hands over.
• In Invent, canned replies live in the reply box, one tap from Draft a reply, with up to 5 files each.

Every support team answers the same questions all day. Canned responses are how a team stops typing the same refund policy for the hundredth time. Used well, they make replies faster and more consistent. Used badly, they make customers feel like they are talking to a wall.

This guide gives you 40 canned responses for customer support you can copy today, the rules that keep them sounding human, and where AI fits in now that it can answer most of these questions on its own.

What is a canned response?

A canned response is a saved, pre-written reply that a support agent inserts into a conversation instead of typing it from scratch. Teams use canned responses for frequent questions, standard policies and common steps, then edit them to fit each customer.

Canned responses are also called saved replies, quick replies, snippets or response templates. In Gmail they are called templates.

40 canned responses for customer support

We wrote these with empathy in mind: they thank, apologize or reassure where it fits, because a saved reply should still sound like a person who cares. Copy them, then change the details in brackets to match your business. Each one is short on purpose: customers read support replies on their phones.

Greetings and first replies

1. "Hi [name], thanks for reaching out. I'm looking into this now and will get back to you in a few minutes."
2. "Hi [name], thanks for your message. Could you share your order number so I can check this for you?"
3. "Hi [name], happy to help. To make sure I get this right, could you tell me a bit more about what happened?"
4. "Hi [name], thanks for writing in. Our team is online [hours], and we'll reply as soon as we're back."
5. "Hi [name], good to hear from you again. Is this about your last order, or something new?"

Orders and shipping

1. "Your order [number] left our warehouse on [date]. You can track it here: [link]."
2. "Orders placed before [time] ship the same day. Delivery usually takes [x] business days to [region]."
3. "I'm sorry your order is late. I've checked with the carrier and it's now expected on [date]. I'll keep an eye on it for you."
4. "We ship to [countries]. Shipping to [country] costs [price] and takes [x] business days."
5. "You can change your delivery address until the order ships. Send me the new address and I'll update it now."

Returns and refunds

1. "You can return any item within [x] days of delivery. Here's how to start a return: [link]."
2. "Your refund of [amount] was sent on [date]. It can take [x] business days to show on your statement."
3. "I'm sorry the item arrived damaged. Could you send a photo of the box and the item? We'll send a replacement or a refund, whichever you prefer."
4. "This item is final sale, so we can't take it back. I can offer [alternative], if that helps."
5. "We received your return today. Your refund will be processed within [x] business days."

Complaints

1. "I'm sorry about this, [name]. That's not the experience we want you to have, and I'm going to fix it."
2. "Thank you for telling us. I've shared this with [team] so it doesn't happen again."
3. "You're right, we should have told you sooner. Here's what happened and what we're doing about it: [details]."
4. "I understand why this is frustrating. I've escalated it to [person or team], and you'll hear from us by [time]."
5. "I'm sorry for the wait. As a thank-you for your patience, here's [gesture]."

Billing and payments

1. "Your invoice is attached. You can also download past invoices here: [link]."
2. "I can see two charges on your account. One is a temporary hold that will disappear in [x] days."
3. "Your payment didn't go through. You can update your card here: [link], and we'll retry automatically."
4. "You can cancel anytime from [location]. Your plan stays active until [date]."
5. "We accept [payment methods]. If you need an invoice with your company details, send them to me and I'll prepare it."

Technical help

1. "Could you send a screenshot of what you see? It helps me find the problem faster."
2. "Please try logging out and back in, then refresh the page. Let me know if the issue is still there."
3. "Thanks for the details. I've reproduced the issue and passed it to our technical team. I'll update you by [time]."
4. "This is a known issue and our team is working on it. I'll message you as soon as it's fixed."
5. "Here's a short guide that walks through the setup step by step: [link]."

Follow-ups

1. "Hi [name], just checking in. Did the steps I sent fix the issue?"
2. "Hi [name], we haven't heard back, so I'll close this for now. Reply anytime and we'll pick it up from here."
3. "Hi [name], your replacement shipped today. Here's the tracking link: [link]."
4. "Hi [name], quick update: [status]. I'll write again when I know more."
5. "Hi [name], you left a few items in your cart. Want me to hold them for you until [date]?"

Closing the conversation

1. "Glad that's sorted, [name]. Anything else I can help with today?"
2. "Thanks for your patience today. Have a great [day or weekend]."
3. "If anything else comes up, just reply to this message and we'll be here."
4. "Would you rate your experience today from 1 to 5? It helps us get better."
5. "Thanks for choosing [business]. We're happy to help anytime."

How to write canned responses that don't sound canned

• Lead with empathy. Acknowledge how the customer feels before you explain a policy. "I'm sorry this arrived damaged" lands better than "Per our policy."
• Keep each one short. Two or three sentences. If it needs more, link to a help article.
• Leave room to personalize. Use brackets for the name, order number and dates, and fill them in every time.
• Write how your team talks. If your team says "Hi" and not "Dear customer," so should your canned responses.
• Name them by situation. "Damaged item" is faster to find than "Response 14."
• Review them every few months. Prices, policies and links change, and an outdated canned response is worse than none.

Canned responses vs AI customer support

Canned responses still need a person to read the question, pick the right reply and fill in the details. AI customer support skips that step for the questions it can answer on its own.

They work best together. The AI answers the repetitive questions first and hands the rest to your team, and your team replies faster with canned responses. For the full picture, see our guide to AI customer service and support.

Canned replies in Invent

In Invent, canned replies sit in the reply box, one tap from the AI writing tools.

• Save a reply once: give it a name like "Shipping times," write the message and attach up to 5 files, such as a size guide or a return label.
• Insert it in one tap: open the + menu in the reply box and pick a reply. It drops into your message with its files, ready to edit before you send.
• Let AI help with the rest: the AI button next to it offers Draft a reply, which writes a reply from the recent messages, and Polish, More formal, Friendlier and Shorter to adjust what you wrote.

Each member keeps their own list of up to 20 canned replies. For answers the whole team should give the same way, add them to your AI's knowledge, so the AI answers them for everyone. On WhatsApp, a canned reply works inside the 24-hour window after the customer's last message. After that, WhatsApp requires an approved template, which is also where variables like the customer's name live.

FAQs

What is a canned response?

A canned response is a pre-written reply that a support agent saves and reuses for common questions, like shipping times or refund policies, and edits before sending.

What is an example of a canned response?

"Your refund of [amount] was sent on [date]. It can take [x] business days to show on your statement." It answers a common question and leaves room for the details of each customer.

Are canned responses bad for customer service?

No, as long as your team edits them before sending. They go wrong when they're sent unchanged, ignore what the customer asked, or contain outdated policies.

Can AI replace canned responses?

For repetitive questions, mostly yes: AI customer support answers them from your help content without anyone picking a reply. Canned responses stay useful for the conversations the AI hands to your team.

What is the difference between canned responses and WhatsApp templates?

A canned response is a saved message your team inserts and edits in a conversation. A WhatsApp template is a message pre-approved by Meta that a business needs to start a conversation, or to reply after the 24-hour window closes, and it can include variables like the customer's name.

Related

• AI Customer Service & Support: How It Works and Costs
• Live Chat Welcome Messages: 30+ Examples
• WhatsApp Templates and Template Replies: Complete Guide
• How to Build a Knowledge Base for Your AI Support Agent

The fastest reply is the one your team doesn't have to type.