Guide
How to Auto Reply to "Is This Still Available?"
It is the most sent message on Facebook Marketplace, because it is Facebook's one-tap default. Half the senders vanish after you answer. The other half include your actual buyer. Here are the three ways to answer it automatically, from free to fully done-for-you.
Option 1: Meta AI's built-in auto reply (free)
Facebook now offers AI-drafted replies to availability questions. When a buyer asks about an item, Meta AI can draft an answer using your listing details such as price, availability, and pickup location. You can enable and preview it when creating a listing.
Good
- Free and built in
- No setup beyond a toggle
- Fine for casual, one-off selling
Limits
- Handles the first availability question, then stops
- Cannot negotiate, capture the buyer's number, or book a time
- You still do all the actual selling
Option 2: Saved replies (business pages)
If you sell through a Facebook business page, Messenger lets you create saved replies and an instant reply for new conversations. You write the text once and it fires at every new message.
Good
- Free
- Instant acknowledgement so buyers know you exist
- You control the exact wording
Limits
- Needs a business page, not a personal profile
- Same canned text for every buyer and every listing
- A buyer's second message goes unanswered
Option 3: An AI that finishes the conversation
The availability question is never the real conversation. What follows is "will you take $80", "what's the mileage", "can I come Saturday". An AI auto reply tool like PilotAgent answers the first message and everything after it: it knows your listing details, negotiates within a floor price you set, pulls the buyer's name and number into a CRM, and offers time slots to book the viewing. It runs as a Chrome extension in your own browser, so there is no Meta API approval and no business page requirement.
The practical difference: options 1 and 2 acknowledge buyers. Option 3 sells to them, including the 60% of messages that arrive while you are at work or asleep.
Frequently asked
Why do buyers always ask if the item is still available?
It is Facebook's default suggested message, one tap for the buyer. Many senders never reply again, but real buyers are mixed in with them. The only way to find out which is which is to answer, which is why sellers automate it.
Does ignoring these messages hurt my listings?
Slow or missing replies lose real buyers, who usually message several sellers at once and buy from whoever answers first. Facebook also shows your responsiveness on your profile, and a poor response rate makes future buyers less likely to message.
What should my auto reply actually say?
Confirm availability, answer the obvious next question before it is asked, and move toward a meeting. For example: "Yes, it's available. It's in great condition and I can do pickup this week, would Saturday morning work?" An AI tool composes this per listing automatically.
Related reading: Facebook Marketplace auto reply, the full guide, or the auto reply tools comparison.