The autoresponder creates an automatic reply sent from your WhatsApp to users who message you. Unlike a traditional chatbot that is based on keywords or an AI assistant that reads and responds to each message, the autoresponder only works the first time someone messages you. In fact, the autoresponder will activate even if you have an AI running or if the user’s first message contains a keyword tied to another item. You can set up the autoresponder to reactivate after a certain number of minutes have passed since the user last replied, restarting the conversation.
An autoresponder can be a very useful addition to your chatbot. You can use it to display a menu of options, send shortcut buttons to start an important process in your funnel (like scheduling an appointment), or simply provide instructions to your customers on how to interact with the chatbot, significantly improving their experience.
In this tutorial, we’ll explore the different ways to build one.
How to create an automatic text response
Here’s a video with the basic process for all you visual and audio learners. If you prefer the written version, then keep reading.
💡PRO TIP: Play the video and select automatic subtitles to your preferred language via ‘ ‘. Click here to learn how.
Go to the Autoresponder. Enter the app, and on the left sidebar, click on WhatsApp. Then, select Autoresponder on the inside menu.
Select a WhatsApp account. Indicate where you want to place your automatic response.
Indicate the scope of the auto response. Should it be sent to individuals, groups or both?
Write the automatic message. Place it on the caption box. You can optionally add some media too, for example, an image.
💡 PRO TIP: You can personalize the message with your customer’s name using the command [wa_name]. Check this article to learn more about this and other shortcuts.
Indicate after how many minutes the message must be resubmitted. In other words, how much time after the last message of an user must the conversation be considered “new” so the auto response is triggered again?
Specify the contacts that shouldn’t receive the auto response. Place the numbers of the contacts with whom you have regular conversations in the Except contacts box. You can also return later to add more.
Make sure the Status is set as Enabled and save. Click on the Submit button to apply the changes.
Done! Your text auto response is now on.
How to add buttons and lists to your auto response
If you are using the Official Meta API connection with your WhatsApp account, you can add buttons and lists to make your automatic response more dynamic. Let’s see how.
Create a Button template. Go to WhatsApp > Button template, and click on the Add new button.
Name your template. This will help you identify it for using it on other places.
Write the text message part of your automatic response. You can place it on the Main Description box. You can add a footer as well on the corresponding field.
Click on Add new button. Then, on the Display text box, write the content of the button. It must be max 20 characters long. Whatever text you place here will be returned as a text message from the user. You can use this to trigger a response from your chatbot and continue the conversation. Check this article to learn more.
Optionally, add more buttons. You can have up to three buttons per template. When done, Submit to Save.
Now, go back to the Autoresponse section. Once again, select the account.
This time, instead of writing a new text response there, click on Buttons. Select the template you created from the list.
Set up the rest of the Autoresponder options. Configure the Scope, Status, Resubmission time and excepted contacts as before and Submit.
The process is the same for adding List Menus, only that this time you would create a List template instead of a button one and select it from the List Messages section inside the Autoresponder settings. Check this article to learn more about creating lists for your chatbot.
With this, you are all set to create amazing auto responses to engage your customers. If you have additional doubts, you can hire an expert to help you here.
