Automation Flows

Set up rules-based message automation across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.

Overview

A flow is an automated sequence triggered by customer behavior (new conversation, specific keywords) that sends messages or performs actions via your connected channels.

Examples:

• Send a welcome message when a customer first messages you
• Trigger an OTP code when they text "verify"
• Auto-respond "We're closed" outside business hours

Visit /flows to list all flows.

Creating a Flow

1. Go to /flows → Create Flow
2. Choose a channel (WhatsApp, Instagram, or Messenger)
3. Optionally select a specific connection (business account) — if blank, uses your organization's default

Triggers

Choose what starts the flow:

New Conversation — Any inbound message from a new customer.

Keyword Trigger — Customer's message contains a word/phrase (e.g., "help", "verify", "refund").

Message Received — Any inbound message (from new or existing customers).

Custom Trigger — (Advanced) Defined by integrations or external systems.

Steps

Add one or more sequential steps that execute when the trigger matches:

Send Text Message — Send a freeform message to the customer.

Send Template — Send a pre-approved template (WhatsApp only; uses template variables if needed).

Send Media — Send an image, document, audio, or video.

Send Location — Share a map location.

Wait — Pause before the next step (e.g., wait 1 hour or 3 days) — useful for time-based sequences.

Assign to Agent — Route the conversation to a specific agent or based on availability.

Add Label — Automatically label the conversation (e.g., "automation").

Steps execute in order. If one fails, the flow stops (unless you configure retry logic).

Cooldowns

A cooldown prevents the same customer from triggering the same flow too often.

Example: If cooldown is 1 hour, a customer won't get the auto-response more than once per hour, even if they send multiple keywords.

Cooldowns are per conversation, so different conversations can trigger independently.

Default: No cooldown (every message can trigger). Set cooldown in the flow settings before creating steps.

Scoping

By default, a flow runs on all channels (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger) if you didn't pick a specific one during creation.

To limit to one channel, select it when creating the flow. Edit the flow later to change scoping.

Execution Log

Click on a flow to see the execution log — timestamp, trigger, customer phone/name, step results, and any errors.

Use this to verify flows are working or debug failed executions.

Testing Flows

Before deploying:

1. Create the flow with steps
2. Enable it (toggle to "Active")
3. Send a test message from your personal number matching the trigger
4. Check the execution log — does the expected step execute?

If not, review trigger keywords and connection status.

Pausing & Enabling

Click Pause on a flow to temporarily disable it. Paused flows don't trigger even if the condition matches. Resume later to re-enable.

Editing & Deleting

• Edit: Click the flow to adjust trigger, steps, cooldown, or channel scoping
• Delete: Flows can be deleted anytime; deletion doesn't affect past conversations

Troubleshooting

"Flow triggered but step didn't execute"

• Verify the connection (business account) is active at /channels/hub
• Check if a template status changed (e.g., from Approved to Rejected)
• Review execution log for error details

"Cooldown not working"

• Cooldowns apply per conversation per flow — different conversations trigger independently
• A cooldown timer resets if a step fails

"Wrong customers getting the message"

• Check trigger keywords for unintended matches (e.g., "no" matches "hello")
• Use word boundaries if available, or edit the trigger text