Set up automatic replies

Automation Rules follow a simple pattern: when something happens, if conditions match, then do these actions.

Create a rule

1. Go to Automation Rules and click New Rule (or Create First Rule).
2. Give it a Rule Name, e.g. "Price enquiry".
3. WHEN — Trigger: choose what starts it:

   • First Message from Contact — perfect for a welcome message.
   • Keyword Match — when a message contains words like price, rate, cost. Choose contains any keyword, exact match, starts with or fuzzy match (catches typos).
   • Any Inbound Message, Customer Hasn't Replied For…, a WhatsApp Flow form is submitted, a customer sends an order, or asks about a product.
4. FILTER — Conditions (optional): narrow it down, e.g. only contacts with a certain tag.
5. THEN — Actions: add up to five steps that run top to bottom — Send Text Message, Send Template, Add Tag, Assign to User, Start Chatbot Flow, Send WA Flow, Update Attribute or Close Conversation.
6. Click Save Rule.

Only one rule runs per message

Rules are checked in order and the first one that matches wins — the rest are skipped. If two rules could match the same message, give the important one a higher Priority.

Ideas to start with

Want buttons and branches?

For a full chatbot — menus, buttons, different paths for different answers — use the Flow Builder, then start it from a rule with the Start Chatbot Flow action. See Build a chatbot with the Flow Builder.