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Setting Up New Triggers, Filters and Actions for Facebook Messenger Automation

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Summary

In this article, you’ll learn how to use the new triggers, filters, and actions to set up automated messaging rules. We’ll guide you through creating custom workflows, like welcome messages and out-of-office replies, using simple steps. By the end, you’ll know how to streamline your messaging process, ensure timely responses, and enhance customer interactions with ease.

Instructions

New Triggers

Triggers are events that set off a rule. Here’s how the new triggers work:

Trigger

How it Works

Common Use Cases

New Messenger Message is Received

This trigger activates a rule every time you receive a new message from a contact on Messenger.

1. Set up automated responses for incoming messages.2. Send welcome messages or provide information when a new message is received.3. Set rules based on keywords in the message.

New Filters

Filters help narrow down when a rule should apply, based on specific conditions. You can mix and match filters to create highly customized rules.

Filter

Operator

Common Use Cases

Contact

Exists / Does not exist

Check whether the message is from a brand-new contact or an existing one.

Contact initiates a new chat

N/A

Use this filter for a welcome message or an introductory response when a contact sends the first message in a new chat.

Timestamp

Is within / Is not within Working Hours

Set up a rule to send an out-of-office message if a message arrives outside your business hours.

Incoming message matches the keyword(s)

Contains, Exactly matches, Fuzzy matches

Set up automated responses when a contact mentions a certain product name or service.

New Actions

Once your rule is triggered and the filters are applied, it’s time to decide what happens next. Here are the new actions you can take:

Action

Supported Type

Common Use Cases

Send a Messenger message

Text, Image, Video

Send a quick message to acknowledge the incoming message or provide helpful information.

Start a Chatbot

Use a chatbot to guide customers through FAQs or troubleshoot issues.

Next Steps: Create Your Own Rules

With these new triggers, filters, and actions, you can create highly customized rules that automate many of your messaging tasks. Here’s an example of how to set up two common rules:

Out-of-Office Message Rule

  1. Trigger: New Messenger message is received.

  2. Filter: Timestamp is not within working hours.

  3. Action: Send a Messenger message with an out-of-office response.

Welcome Message Rule

  1. Trigger: New Messenger message is received.

  2. Filter: Contact initiates a new chat.

  3. Action: Send a Messenger message with a welcome greeting. By combining different triggers, filters, and actions, you can create automated workflows that make managing your messages much easier.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Questions

  1. What are the triggers in messaging automation? → Triggers are events that set off a rule in your messaging platform. For example, a trigger could be receiving a new message on Messenger. When the trigger happens, it activates a rule to perform an action, like sending a message.

  2. How do filters work in automation rules? → Filters help you narrow down when a rule should apply. They allow you to set conditions like whether a message is from a new or existing contact, whether it arrives during working hours, or if it contains specific keywords. Filters give you more control over how rules are triggered.

  3. What are actions, and how do they relate to triggers and filters? → Actions are what happens after a rule is triggered and filtered. For instance, after a trigger (like receiving a new message) and filters (like checking if it’s a new contact), you might choose an action such as sending a text or starting a chatbot interaction.

Using Triggers

  1. How do I set up a trigger for incoming Messenger messages? → You can set a trigger for when a new message is received in Messenger. This will automatically activate a rule each time you receive a new message from a contact, allowing you to set up customized responses or workflows.

  2. Can I trigger a rule only for the first message in a new chat? → Yes, you can use the "Contact initiates a new chat" filter to trigger a rule only for the first message in a new conversation. Subsequent messages within the same chat will not trigger the rule.

Working with Filters

  1. How can I filter messages from new or existing contacts? → Use the “Exists / Does not exist” filter to check if the incoming message is from a brand-new contact or an existing one. This helps you set up specific responses based on the contact's history.

  2. Can I create rules based on business hours? → Yes, you can use the "Is within / Is not within Working Hours" filter to create rules that only apply when messages are sent during or outside of your business hours. This is useful for setting up automated out-of-office replies.

  3. How do I filter messages based on specific keywords? → Use the “Incoming message matches keyword(s)” filter to detect certain words or phrases in the message. This helps trigger specific responses when a customer mentions a product, service, or topic.

Setting Up Actions

  1. What types of actions can I set after a trigger? → After a trigger is activated, you can choose from actions like sending a text, image, or video message or starting a chatbot. This allows you to respond to customers quickly and effectively, or engage them in deeper interactions using a chatbot.

  2. How do I send an automated welcome message to new contacts? → You can set up a rule with the “Contact initiates a new chat” filter, then choose an action to send a welcome message. This ensures that new contacts receive a greeting as soon as they reach out to you.

Advanced Usage

  1. Can I combine multiple filters to create complex rules? → Yes, you can combine multiple filters to create more specific and customized rules. For example, you could trigger a rule when a message contains a certain keyword and arrives outside of business hours, allowing you to create highly tailored automation.

  2. What should I do if my rules aren't working as expected? → Double-check the triggers, filters, and actions you’ve set up. Ensure that the filters are correctly applied and that the trigger conditions are met. If you’re still having trouble, try testing your rule with different conditions to identify where the issue might be.

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