How to create and use routine time-based rules in Wati

Summary

Routine time-based rules let you automate actions on a schedule without waiting for a customer to send a message. Wati checks contacts against your filters at the scheduled time and performs the configured actions for contacts that match.

You can use routine rules to follow up with inactive contacts, send satisfaction surveys after conversations are resolved, welcome new contacts, or flag conversations that remain open for too long.

Routine rules are available under the Time Based Rules tab on the Rules page. This guide explains how to create, configure, and manage these rules.

Instructions

Before you start

Keep the following points in mind before creating a routine time-based rule:

• Account time zone: All scheduled times follow your Wati account's time zone. You can see the time zone in the trigger panel.

• Rule precedence: Time-based rules do not follow rule precedence. You cannot change their execution order.

How to create a routine time-based rule

Follow these steps to create a routine rule:

• Go to Automations > Rules.

• Click Create Rules.

• Under Time based triggers, select Run on a routine.

• Under Trigger details, select the Channel you want the rule to use. The rule sends messages using the phone number associated with this channel.

• Under Repeats, choose how often the rule should run:

  • Hourly: Runs at the beginning of every hour.

  • Daily: Runs once a day at the time you specify.

  • Weekly: Runs on the days you select, at the time you specify.

• Keep Runs once per match enabled if you want Wati to process each contact only once for the same filter match. Learn more in the Runs once per match section.

• Add at least 1 filter block. Each filter block must include a time-based condition, such as Time Since Last Incoming Message. You can add more conditions to the same filter block to further narrow down the contacts.

• Select the action Wati should perform when a contact matches the configured filters.

• Save the rule and turn it on to start running it on the selected schedule.

Your rule will appear under the Time Based Rules tab on the Rules page. Event-based rules remain under the Event Based Rules tab.

How does Runs once per match work?

The Runs once per match setting prevents the same contact from receiving repeated actions every time a routine rule runs while they continue to match the filters.

When this setting is enabled:

• First match: The rule runs when a contact matches the filters for the first time.

• Cooldown: The rule does not run again for that contact while the contact continues to match the same filters.

• Reset: The rule can run again for that contact only when a filter value changes.

For example, if an hourly rule sends a follow-up message to contacts who have not replied in 24 hours, Runs once per match prevents the same contact from receiving that message every hour.

How to configure filters for routine rules

Routine rules use time-based conditions to identify contacts based on how much time has passed since a specific date or event.

To configure these conditions, select Time relative to a date or event when adding a filter.

Keep the following rules in mind:

• Set a time range using Between: Enter the start and end values for the time range. The start value must be lower than the end value. You can choose minutes, hours, or days as the unit.

• Use each time variable only once: You can add the same time variable only once within a rule.

• Contacts without the required event are excluded: Wati skips contacts that don't have the event needed to evaluate a time-based filter.

• Combine filter conditions: Use And and Or Continue If to combine multiple conditions and specify which contacts should match the rule.

Examples of routine time-based rules

You can use routine rules to automate follow-ups and other actions based on how much time has passed since a specific event. Here are some common use cases:

1. Follow up after a contact is updated

• Schedule: Daily

• Filter: Time Since Contact Updated is between 7 and 8 days.

• Action: Send a template message.

2. Identify contacts who have stopped responding

• Schedule: Hourly

• Filter: Time Since Last Incoming Message is between 24 and 25 hours.

• Action: Update a contact attribute, such as Lead temperature = Warm.

3. Send an upsell message after a conversation is resolved

• Schedule: Daily

• Filters: Time Since Conversation Resolved is between 7 and 8 days, and a contact attribute matches a condition, such as Plan = Starter.

• Action: Start a Sequence or send a template message.

4. Message customers before the WhatsApp 24-hour customer service window closes

• Schedule: Hourly

• Filter: Time Remaining in WhatsApp 24-hr CSW is between 1 and 2 hours.

• Action: Send a template message.

5. Collect feedback after a conversation is resolved

• Schedule: Hourly

• Filter: Time Since Conversation Resolved is between 1 and 2 hours.

• Action: Send a satisfaction survey message.

6. Welcome new contacts

• Schedule: Hourly

• Filters: Time Since Contact Created is between 1 and 2 hours, and a contact attribute exists, such as Plan.

• Action: Send a template message.

7. Flag conversations that remain open for too long

• Schedule: Hourly

• Filters: Chat status = Open, and Time Since Conversation Opened is between 4 and 5 hours.

• Action: Update a contact attribute to flag the conversation or assign it to a team.

8. Send a one-time follow-up to flagged contacts

• Schedule: Daily

• Filters: Time Since Contact Updated is between 1 and 7 days, and Follow up = Yes.

• Action: Start a chatbot that sends a template message, then update the Follow up attribute to No.

Usage and limitations of routine rules

Keep these points in mind when using routine time-based rules:

• Automation usage: Scanning contacts against filters is free. Only actions executed for matching contacts count toward your automation usage.

• No remaining automation usage: If your account has no automation usage left, the rule is skipped for that run.

• Editing active rules: If you edit a rule that is already active, Wati uses the latest saved version for subsequent runs.

• One channel per rule: Each routine rule can use only 1 channel.

How does rule precedence work for routine rules?

Rule precedence does not apply to routine time-based rules. These rules run independently according to their configured schedules and cannot be reordered.

If 2 routine time-based rules match the same contact during the same run, both rules will execute.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Troubleshooting routine time-based rules

1. Why didn't my routine time-based rule send messages to some contacts?

Some actions in routine time-based rules require an open 24-hour WhatsApp customer service window. The following actions work only when the 24-hour window is open:

• Send message

• Send catalog

• Start chatbot

• Start Astra AI Agent

To send messages to contacts outside the 24-hour customer service window, use Send template message instead.

Managing routine time-based rules

2. Where can I find my routine time-based rules?

Go to Automations > Rules and open the Time Based Rules tab. Routine time-based rules appear under this tab, while event-based rules appear under the Event Based Rules tab.

3. Can I change the execution order of routine time-based rules?

No. Routine time-based rules cannot be reordered because rule precedence applies only to event-based rules. Routine time-based rules run independently according to their configured schedules.

4. Can I use multiple phone numbers in one routine time-based rule?

No. Each routine time-based rule supports only 1 channel. The rule sends messages using the phone number associated with the selected channel.

Automation usage and limits

5. Does scanning contacts against routine time-based rules count toward automation usage?

No. Scanning contacts and checking whether they match the configured filters is free. Only actions executed for contacts that match the filters count toward your automation usage.