Auto-Responders

Auto-Responders automatically reply to incoming SMS messages based on keyword matching, helping you provide instant responses to common questions even when you’re away.

Overview

Auto-Responders listen for specific keywords in incoming messages and send pre-configured responses automatically. This is useful for:

• Business hours: “Our hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm”
• Pricing inquiries: “View our menu at example.com/menu”
• Support requests: Route to help desk or provide FAQ answers
• After-hours: “Thanks for your message! We’ll reply during business hours”

Plan Requirements

Auto-Responders are available on Pro plans and above. Check your plan limits in Settings > Billing.

Creating an Auto-Responder

1. Navigate to Auto-Responders in the sidebar
2. Click Add Auto-Responder
3. Configure the settings (see below)
4. Click Save

Configuration Options

Field	Description
Name	Internal name to identify this auto-responder
Keywords	Comma-separated words/phrases to match
Match Type	How to match keywords (see Match Types below)
Response Message	The message to send back
Priority	Order of evaluation (lower = higher priority)
Active	Toggle to enable/disable

Match Types

Choose how keywords are matched against incoming messages:

Type	Description	Example
Exact Match	Message must be exactly the keyword	”hours” matches “hours”, not “business hours”
Contains	Message contains the keyword anywhere	”hours” matches “what are your hours”
Fuzzy	Tolerates minor typos and variations	”horus” or “hourss” matches “hours”
AI	Uses AI to understand intent (Pro+ only)	“when are you open” matches hours intent

AI Match Type

AI matching uses your monthly AI generation credits. Each match check counts toward your limit.

Personalization Variables

Use variables to personalize auto-responses:

Variable	Replaced With
{first_name}	Contact’s first name
{last_name}	Contact’s last name
{phone}	Contact’s phone number
{company}	Your organization name

Example:

Hi {first_name}! Thanks for reaching out to {company}.
Our hours are Mon-Fri 9am-5pm EST.
Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Priority and Ordering

When multiple auto-responders could match a message, TextFlow uses priority to determine which one fires:

• Lower numbers = higher priority (0 is highest)
• Only the first matching auto-responder sends a reply
• System keywords (STOP, HELP) always have highest priority

Example Priority Setup:

Priority	Name	Keywords	Purpose
0	Emergency	”urgent”, “emergency”	Route to on-call
10	Hours	”hours”, “open”, “close”	Business hours
20	Pricing	”price”, “cost”, “menu”	Pricing info
100	Catch-All	* (any)	After-hours greeting

Testing Auto-Responders

Before going live, test your auto-responders:

1. Click the Test button on the Auto-Responders page
2. Enter a sample incoming message
3. See which auto-responder would match
4. Verify the response message

Test Thoroughly

Test variations of your keywords to ensure the match type works as expected. Try typos with Fuzzy matching and natural language with AI matching.

Best Practices

Keep Responses Concise

SMS has a 160-character limit per segment. Longer messages:

• Cost more (multiple segments)
• May be split awkwardly
• Are less likely to be read fully

Include Opt-Out Information

Canadian CASL regulations require opt-out instructions. Include them in your responses:

Reply STOP to unsubscribe.

Set Appropriate Expectations

Let contacts know when they’ll receive a human response:

Thanks for your message! A team member will reply within 1 business hour.

Use Specific Keywords

Avoid overly generic keywords that might match unintended messages:

• ✅ Good: “hours”, “pricing”, “location”
• ❌ Avoid: “hi”, “hello”, “yes” (too common)

Monitor and Refine

Regularly review:

• Which auto-responders fire most often
• Messages that didn’t match any auto-responder
• Customer feedback on automated responses

Managing Auto-Responders

Edit an Auto-Responder

1. Find the auto-responder in the list
2. Click Edit
3. Make your changes
4. Click Save

Enable/Disable

Toggle the status switch in the list to quickly enable or disable an auto-responder without deleting it.

Delete an Auto-Responder

1. Find the auto-responder in the list
2. Click Delete
3. Confirm deletion

Deletion is Permanent

Deleted auto-responders cannot be recovered. Consider disabling instead if you might need it later.

Plan Limits

Auto-responders are subject to your plan limits:

Plan	Auto-Responders	AI Match Type
Starter	Not available	Not available
Pro	Up to 10	Included
Business	Unlimited	Included
Enterprise	Unlimited	Included

View your current usage at the top of the Auto-Responders page.

Troubleshooting

Auto-Responder Not Firing

Possible causes:

• Auto-responder is disabled
• Keywords don’t match (check match type)
• Higher-priority responder matched instead
• Contact has opted out

Solutions:

1. Verify the auto-responder is active (toggle is on)
2. Test with the Test modal
3. Check priority order
4. Verify contact’s opt-out status

Unexpected Matches

Possible causes:

• Match type too broad (“Contains” matching partial words)
• Generic keywords matching unintended messages
• AI matching being too lenient

Solutions:

1. Use “Exact Match” for precise control
2. Make keywords more specific
3. Adjust AI sensitivity in settings

Response Not Personalized

Possible causes:

• Variable name misspelled
• Contact doesn’t have that field populated

Solutions:

1. Check variable syntax: {first_name} not {{first_name}}
2. Provide fallback text for unknown contacts

Next Steps

• Messaging Overview - Learn about the messaging inbox
• Creating Campaigns - Send bulk SMS campaigns
• AI Assistant - Use AI to generate messages

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Auto-responders help you provide instant customer service 24/7. Set them up thoughtfully to enhance your customer experience!