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Create an Automation Rule

Build your own rule when no template fits. A rule has one Trigger, optional Conditions and one or more Actions. This page walks through each part.

Before you start​

  • Connect the channel the rule will message on, for example WhatsApp, Telegram or an SMS provider.
  • For messages sent later than 24 hours after the contact's last message (reminders, follow-ups, birthday wishes), create an approved WhatsApp template first.

Create the rule​

  1. Go to Engage > Automations and click Add Rule.
  2. On Create Automation Rule, click Create rule from scratch.
  3. Click the name at the top (it starts as Untitled Automation Rule) and type a name you will recognise, for example "Opening hours reply".
  4. Click the settings icon next to Publish Rule to open Rule Settings and choose a Category: WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, SMS, TikTok, Web, Shopify, WooCommerce, Customer Experience or Manual. The category only decides which tab the rule is listed on.
A new automation rule in the editor with the name field, the Publish Rule switch, the Rule Settings category list and the Add a Trigger section

1. Choose the trigger​

Click Trigger (or Add a Trigger) and pick an event from the Trigger list. Triggers are grouped under headings: Messaging, Bookings, Sales and payments, E-commerce, Clients and contacts, Forms and Other. Type to search the list. A short description of the trigger appears below it. See Triggers for every option.

The Trigger list on a new automation rule with triggers grouped under Messaging, Bookings and the other headings

Changing the trigger later clears the rule's conditions and actions, because each trigger has its own.

On message triggers you also see Override Human Agent:

  • Off (default): while a team member has the conversation Open, the rule does not run, so the bot does not talk over a person.
  • On: the rule runs whatever the conversation status. Use it for rules that must always work, such as an opt-out keyword.

2. Add conditions (optional)​

Without conditions, the rule runs every time the trigger fires. To narrow it down:

  1. Click Add Condition. The Conditions section opens with a new condition.
  2. Pick a Field, an Operator and a value. The value box changes with the field: keywords, a regex pattern, a list of tags, a time, a number or a status.
  3. Add more conditions if needed, and choose the Condition Type:
    • All (AND): "This rule is executed only when all of the following conditions are met."
    • Any (OR): "This rule is executed even when any one of the following conditions is met."
  4. Remove a condition with the bin next to it.

Useful operators:

OperatorUse it for
includes anyKeywords. Matches if the text contains any of them, ignoring upper and lower case.
equals / not equalsAn exact value, such as a status or an exact reply.
matches regex patternPrecise text matching. Click View examples for patterns such as /^stop$/i.
is part of any / is part of all / is not part of allLists, such as tags, groups or message types.
is between / is before / is afterA time of day in your location's time zone, for example 19:00 to 09:00.
is onOne or more weekdays.
is less than X period ago (past) / is more than X period ago (past)How long ago something happened, for example the last contact activity.
is within business hours / is outside business hours (after hours or holiday) / is after hours (not a holiday) / is on a holidayMessage received time on incoming message triggers, checked against the location's business hours and holidays. No value needed.

Business hours​

On incoming message triggers, Message received time can follow the opening hours and holidays you set for the location, so you do not have to type times. Pick is outside business hours (after hours or holiday) for an away message, or split it: is after hours (not a holiday) for a normal "we are closed" reply and is on a holiday for a holiday message. The condition links to Business hours and Holidays so you can check them. A location without business hours counts as open, except on its holidays.

An Away message rule with the Incoming WhatsApp Messages trigger and the condition Message received time is outside business hours (after hours or holiday), with links to Business hours and Holidays

The Away Message Outside Business Hours and After Hours and Holiday Messages rule templates set this up for each channel.

Other useful conditions​

  • Appointment Booked From and Class Participant Booked From: where a booking was made, including Telegram for bookings in the Telegram mini app.
  • Ordered From on Order Updates: Admin Portal, Online Store, WhatsApp, Telegram or API.
  • Client Receives Updates On on client, booking and sales triggers: the channels the client chose (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, Email or Not set), so each client gets updates where they want them.
  • Contact Language on Telegram triggers: the language of the customer's Telegram app.

3. Add actions​

  1. Click Add Action and pick one from Select Action. The list depends on the trigger.
  2. Fill in the action, for example the Message to send. To add a personalisation variable such as the client's name, click the { } button under the field, pick the variable in Insert variable, optionally fill in Fallback value (optional) and click Insert.
  3. Add more actions as needed. They run from top to bottom; use the arrows on an action to move it up or down, and the bin to remove it.
An open Send WhatsApp Message action with its description, the Add wait time button and the Message box

Wait and schedule times​

By default an action runs straight away. To delay it:

  • Click Add wait time, enter a number and Choose duration (minute(s), hour(s), day(s), week(s) or month(s)).
  • On template messages and emails, click Add wait & Schedule time to also set a Schedule Time (Optional): the action runs at that time of day on the day the wait ends. If that time has already passed, it runs the next day.
  • On appointment, class and credit triggers you can also wait relative to the event, for example day(s) before appointment or hour(s) after class.

Things to know about waits:

  • Wait times count from the trigger event, not from the previous action. For a sequence of 1 day, 3 days and 7 days, enter 1, 3 and 7.
  • Messages that need an open WhatsApp session (text, media, buttons, lists) can wait at most 1 day: "This action supports only a maximum wait time of 1 day as per WhatsApp session policy". Use Send a WhatsApp Template Message for anything later.
  • A "before" wait that is already in the past when the rule runs is skipped.

Channels​

Pick the send action for the channel you want to reach:

  • WhatsApp: text, media and interactive messages inside the 24-hour session, and Send a WhatsApp Template Message at any time.
  • Telegram: Send Telegram Text Message, Send Telegram Template Message (buttons), Send Telegram Media and Send Telegram Audio. On Telegram message triggers they answer that chat; on client, booking and sales triggers they go to the Telegram chat linked to the client. A button can be a Web URL, a Post Back or Open mini app, which opens your booking site inside Telegram (see Telegram mini app). Request Telegram Phone Number asks the customer to share their number.
  • SMS: Send SMS sends text through the SMS provider connected under Integrations > SMS, to the SMS conversation or to the client's phone number. The action counts characters and SMS as you type; your provider bills a long message as several SMS. See SMS.

When a Telegram or SMS action cannot reach the client (no linked chat, no provider, no phone number, or the number replied STOP), it is skipped with a "Skipped:" reason in the rule's log. The other actions still run.

Emails​

Send Email asks for an Email type:

  • Transactional: reminders, confirmations and receipts. No unsubscribe link, and it reaches clients who opted out of marketing.
  • Marketing: offers and drip sequences. An unsubscribe link is added, a verified sending domain is required, and clients who opted out are skipped. Marketing emails need CRM Suite.

Send from picks the sender: "The default sender is pre-filled. Choose another to send this email from a different address." Senders come from your verified email domains. Without one, transactional emails use the standard sending address and marketing emails need a sender first.

An open Send Email action with the Email type choice and the Send from list showing the default sender

4. Publish and save​

  1. Make sure Publish Rule is on if the rule should start running now.
  2. Click Save. You see Automation Rule saved successfully!

If Publish Rule is off when you save, you are asked "The automation rule is inactive. Would you like to publish the rule?". Choose Publish or Keep Inactive.

Use the +, − and reset buttons in the corner to zoom the editor in and out on long rules.

Test your rule​

  • For message rules, send the trigger message from a phone that is not connected to your business account, and watch the reply arrive in the Team Inbox.
  • Make sure the conversation is not Open with a team member, or turn on Override Human Agent.
  • If nothing happens, check that the rule is on and the conditions match. If you get two replies, another rule with the same trigger also matched: every matching rule runs, so make their conditions exclusive.

Plan modules​

Triggers and actions that need a module your plan does not include are listed with Needs the ... add-on and cannot be picked. For example Add Client Tags needs CRM Suite and Appointment Updates needs Bookings. See what each module adds.

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