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    Setting up an automation

    All CollectionsAutomationsSetting up an automation

    Setting up an automation

    This guide walks you through creating an automation and explains every setting available.

    Creating an automation

    You can create an automation in two ways:

    1. From a template: Click "Create from template" and choose a pre-built automation to customize
    2. From scratch: Click "Create automation" to build a custom automation with your own settings

    Both methods open the automation editor where you configure all the options below.

    Basic settings

    Automation Name

    A required identifier for your automation. Choose something descriptive that helps you remember its purpose.

    Examples:

    • "Product inquiry handler"
    • "Weekend support responder"
    • "Influencer outreach"

    Description

    An optional internal note explaining what this automation does. This is only visible to your team and helps document the automation's purpose.

    When to Trigger

    This is the core of your automation. Describe in plain language when this automation should activate. The AI evaluates this condition for every incoming comment.

    Writing effective triggers:

    The best triggers are detailed and specific. Include examples of what should and should not trigger the automation to help the AI understand exactly what you want.

    Example 1 - Lead capture:

    Trigger when someone expresses interest in purchasing, trying, or learning
more about the product. This includes comments like "How do I buy this?",
"Where can I get one?", "I want this!", "Take my money", or asking about
pricing and availability.

Do NOT trigger for general compliments like "This looks cool" or "Nice!"
unless they also express buying intent.

    Example 2 - Customer support:

    Trigger when someone reports a problem or issue with their order, delivery,
or product quality. Examples: "My order never arrived", "This came damaged",
"Wrong item received", "Still waiting for shipping update".

Do NOT trigger for general questions about shipping times before purchase,
or for comments that are clearly jokes.

    Example 3 - Influencer outreach:

    Trigger when the commenter identifies themselves as a content creator,
influencer, blogger, or someone with an audience. Look for phrases like
"I'm a creator", "I have X followers", "I'd love to feature this",
"collab?", or mentions of their YouTube/TikTok/blog.

Do NOT trigger just because someone posts frequently or has a verified badge -
they need to explicitly mention creator/influencer intent.

    Selecting agents

    Apply to Agents

    Choose which agents this automation applies to. You can:

    • Select individual agents: Toggle specific agents on or off
    • Select all: Use the "Select all" switch to apply to every agent

    Automations only trigger for comments received by the selected agents. This lets you create different automations for different business units or page types.

    Platform and publishing options

    Active Platforms

    Control which platforms this automation runs on:

    • Facebook: Toggle to enable/disable for Facebook pages
    • Instagram: Toggle to enable/disable for Instagram accounts

    You can enable one or both platforms. At least one platform must be selected.

    Publishing

    Controls how replies and DMs from this automation are handled:

    | Option | Behavior | |--------|----------| | Follow agent setting | Uses each agent's auto-publish configuration | | Draft only | All responses require manual approval before publishing | | Auto-publish | Responses are published immediately without approval |

    Note: The publishing setting applies to both the public reply and any direct messages. Automations don't use confidence thresholds like regular agent replies.

    Conversation guard

    Skip if conversation exists

    When enabled, this automation won't run if the commenter already has an existing DM thread with your page.

    Use cases:

    • Prevent sending duplicate welcome messages
    • Avoid re-sending offers to existing leads
    • Focus outreach on new contacts only

    Actions overview

    Every automation needs at least one action. You can configure both:

    1. Reply to comment: Posts a public response visible to everyone
    2. Send direct message: Sends a private message to the commenter

    When both are enabled, the reply is posted first, then the DM is sent.

    Reply configuration

    Enable/disable toggle

    When the "Reply to comment" toggle is OFF, no public reply is generated. This is useful when you only want to send a DM without a public response.

    Important: When disabled, this overrides the agent's default reply behavior for comments matching this automation.

    AI instructions

    Provide natural-language guidance for how the AI should craft the public reply.

    Example instructions:

    If the user asks about pricing, outline our current plans briefly.
If they share positive feedback, thank them warmly and invite them
to try our new feature.
Always be helpful and professional.

    Tips:

    • Reference what the user might say in their comment
    • Describe the tone and approach to use
    • Include key information points to cover

    DM configuration

    Direct messages let you follow up privately. ReplyZen offers two modes for structuring your DM flow.

    Single message mode

    Sends one message directly to the commenter.

    Message instructions

    Describe what the AI should say in the private message.

    Example:

    Thank them for their interest and share the link to our
product catalog. Invite them to reply if they have questions.

    Include button with link (optional)

    Add a clickable button to your message. Choose between:

    Fixed link:

    • Set a specific button label (e.g., "View catalog")
    • Set a specific URL (e.g., https://example.com/catalog)

    AI generated:

    • Provide instructions for the AI to dynamically choose the label and URL

    Example AI instructions for dynamic button:

    If the user is asking about pricing, use "View pricing" and link
to the pricing page. If they want a demo, use "Book a demo" and
link to the booking form.

    Opening + follow-up mode

    A two-step sequence that builds engagement before delivering your main content. This is the recommended approach when including links.

    Why use the consent flow?

    Meta monitors DM patterns. The opening + follow-up flow:

    • Shows Meta a genuine back-and-forth conversation
    • Gets stronger intent signals from interested users
    • Stays compliant with Meta's promotional content policies

    Opening message instructions

    Describe how to greet the user and introduce the offer. Mention that they can tap a button to receive more information.

    Example:

    Thank them for their comment and let them know we have detailed
information available. Mention they can tap the button below to
receive it.

    Trigger button label

    The text on the button users tap to receive the follow-up. Keep it action-oriented.

    Examples:

    • "Send me the link"
    • "Get the details"
    • "Yes, I'm interested"

    Follow-up message instructions

    Describe what to send after the user taps the trigger button.

    Example:

    Deliver the promised information with the link. Thank them for
their interest and invite them to reply with any questions.

    Include button with link in follow-up (optional)

    Same options as single message mode:

    Fixed link: Specific label and URL for every follow-up

    AI generated: Dynamic selection based on context

    Tips and best practices

    Start simple

    Begin with one action (reply or DM) and add complexity as needed. It's easier to troubleshoot a focused automation.

    Test your trigger condition

    Write specific trigger conditions that clearly match your intended scenarios. Overly broad triggers may activate unexpectedly.

    Use the consent flow for links

    When sending promotional links via DM, the opening + follow-up mode protects your page's reputation and improves engagement rates.

    Combine with agent settings

    Remember that automations override agent behavior when they trigger. Your agents still handle all comments that don't match any automation.

    Monitor and iterate

    Review your automation performance in the comments view. Adjust trigger conditions and instructions based on real results.

    Common questions

    "Can multiple automations trigger on the same comment?"

    Yes. When multiple automations match a comment, their instructions are combined and the AI creates one unified response. See How automations work for details.

    "What happens if no action is enabled?"

    You must enable at least one action (reply or DM). The editor will show an error if you try to save without any actions.

    "Can I edit an automation after creating it?"

    Yes. Click on any automation in your list to open the editor and make changes. Updates take effect immediately for new incoming comments.

    "How do I delete an automation?"

    Open the automation in edit mode and click the "Delete" button. This action cannot be undone.

    "Why isn't my automation triggering?"

    Check these common issues:

    • Is the automation assigned to the correct agents?
    • Is the platform (Facebook/Instagram) enabled?
    • Is "Skip if conversation exists" blocking repeat contacts?
    • Is the trigger condition specific enough to match the comments?