Triggers are the starting point of rule-based automation in Wati. They define when an automation rule should run based on specific events in your account.

This guide explains what triggers are, the types of triggers currently supported in Wati, and how they help automate tasks such as sending messages, responding to customers, or starting workflows automatically.

A trigger is an event that starts an automation rule in Wati.

When a trigger occurs, Wati checks the rule’s conditions (filters). If the conditions are met, Wati performs the defined action automatically.

Triggers help you automate responses and workflows without manual intervention.

For example, a trigger can occur when:

Every automation rule in Wati begins with a trigger.

Below are the triggers currently available in Wati and how they work.

How it works

This trigger runs whenever Wati receives a new incoming WhatsApp message from a customer.

It is commonly used to automate responses when customers start a conversation.

Common use cases

You can combine this trigger with filters to respond only to specific keywords or message conditions.

How it works

This trigger runs whenever Wati receives a new incoming Instagram message from a customer.

It allows you to automate responses and workflows for conversations that start on Instagram.

Common use cases

You can combine this trigger with filters to ensure that specific actions are triggered only when certain conditions are met.

How it works

This trigger runs when a new attribute is added to a contact in Wati.

An attribute can be added in several ways:

Some integrations also add attributes automatically. For example, Click-to-WhatsApp (CTWA) ads may add attributes such as:

Common use cases

How it works

This trigger runs whenever the value of an existing contact attribute changes.

Attribute values can change in different ways:

Common use cases

Example:

If an operator updates a customer attribute from regular to VIP, a rule can automatically send a special VIP message template.

Additionally, Wati also provides pending triggers related to AI Support Agent and customer response scenarios, including:

These triggers help automate workflows when the AI Support Agent cannot fully resolve a conversation or when a customer becomes inactive, allowing you to escalate chats, follow up, or route conversations to the appropriate team.

Every automation rule in Wati follows the same structure:

Example workflow:

This structure allows you to automate responses while keeping full control over when actions should run.

A trigger is an event that starts an automation rule in Wati. When the trigger occurs, Wati checks the rule’s filters to see whether the defined conditions are met. If the conditions are satisfied, Wati performs the configured action automatically.

Triggers are used to start automation rules automatically based on specific events in a Wati account. This allows businesses to automate responses, messages, and workflows without manual intervention.

Triggers can occur when specific events happen in Wati, such as receiving a new WhatsApp message, receiving a new Instagram message, adding a new attribute to a contact, or changing the value of an existing contact attribute.

Automation rules in Wati follow a three-step structure. A trigger starts the rule, a filter checks whether specific conditions are met, and an action performs the automated task if the filter conditions are satisfied.

The New WhatsApp message is received trigger runs whenever Wati receives a new incoming WhatsApp message from a customer. Businesses commonly use this trigger to automatically respond to messages, send welcome messages, send out-of-office replies, or start chatbot workflows.

The New Instagram message is received trigger runs whenever Wati receives a new incoming Instagram message from a customer. This trigger allows businesses to automate responses, send welcome messages, respond to common questions using keyword filters, start chatbot flows, or route Instagram conversations to the appropriate team.

The New attribute is added to a contact trigger runs when a new attribute is added to a contact in Wati. Attributes can be added manually from the Team Inbox or Contact page, through the API using the updateContactAttributes endpoint, or automatically through integrations.

The Attribute value changed for a contact trigger runs whenever the value of an existing contact attribute changes. Attribute values can be updated manually in the Team Inbox, updated from the Contact page, or updated through the API using the updateContactAttributes endpoint.

An example automation rule works as follows: when a new WhatsApp message is received, Wati checks whether the message contains the word pricing. If the message contains the keyword, Wati automatically sends a template message that provides pricing information.

Wati provides additional triggers related to AI Support Agent and customer response scenarios. These include triggers for situations such as the AI Support Agent being unable to answer a query, detecting that a customer wants to speak with a human, detecting that a chat is resolved, the AI Support Agent not receiving a response, or a WhatsApp customer not responding. These triggers help automate follow-ups, escalate conversations, or route chats to the appropriate team.

Triggers can be combined with filters to run automation only when specific conditions are met. For example, when a new WhatsApp message is received, a filter can check whether the message contains a specific keyword. If the condition is met, Wati can automatically send a template message or start a workflow.

Yes. Wati may introduce additional triggers in future updates, allowing businesses to automate more workflows and scenarios.