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Using keywords to create auto replies
Using keywords to create auto replies

How to create auto replies to messages sent to a bot

Melita Gandham avatar
Written by Melita Gandham
Updated over a week ago

Keywords are messages that are set-up to automatically respond to a predetermined word or phrase that a user might type in. These could be messages the user has been instructed to type by the bot in order to collect or trigger certain information, or messages that a user is free typing for another reason - for example, asking the bot a question.

How it works

How to create a keyword

If you want to create a new keyword, simply add them in the top green section with each keyword separated by a comma. Select whether the rules are “Is” or “Contains” and then the message they should link to. Then click the dark blue ‘Save’ button.

The difference between "is" and "contains"

Responses that are recognised will receive the relevant reply message as set up in the keywords section of the platform. You can specify is or contains and you can use a comma to separate multiple keywords. This is the difference between "is" and "contains":

“is” – “hello”
will respond to “hello” but it won’t respond to “hello there”

“contains” – “hello”
will respond to “hello” AND it will respond to “hello there”

We have set up an example in the screenshot below:

The word “idea” is set to an “Is” which means the message “I have an idea - Q1” will be triggered if a user types in “idea” but not if they type in “I have an idea”.

The keyword “start” is set as a “Contains” rule which means the “Welcome Message” will trigger if the word “start” is used at all in a response - eg. “Start, “Let’s start”, “I want to start” and “Start idea submission process” would all trigger the Welcome Message.

Pushing the changes live

Once you've created your keyword(s), please remember to push the changes live by clicking the button in the orange bar.

Deleting your keywords

To delete a keyword simply click on the red ‘Delete’ button. Or click on the light blue ‘Edit’ button to add/remove words or change the messages they link to.

Monitoring keywords

Messages that your bot receives that do not match any keywords are shown in the Ignored Messages section of the platform. Any unrecognised messages will be sent the Default Reply, if you have set it up. It's important to keep an eye on ignored messages so you can see what your users are typing into your bot, and therefore change/improve it if necessary. For example, it will be useful to see queries sent to an FAQ bot - if certain queries are typed in more often that others, it's worth adding extra content into your bot to make it more useful to users.

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