Start with the question that is still open
A customer asks whether a bag will fit a 15-inch laptop, receives a question about the laptop’s dimensions, then goes quiet. A generic “Ready to order?” skips the uncertainty that stopped the conversation. A useful follow-up makes the missing detail easy to provide.
This guide uses a fictional bag-shop example. It shows how to prepare an AnswerAct follow-up for connected Facebook or Instagram pages without assuming that silence means purchase intent. Your aim is one helpful next step. If the customer has already decided, needs a person, or has nothing more to add, a follow-up should not invent urgency.
Separate reply timing from follow-up
Smart wait gives someone time to finish several incoming messages before the agent answers. A follow-up is a later message with its own delay, delivery sources and content. Adjusting one is not a substitute for configuring the other.
In Follow-up messages, choose Add bot, give it a specific name and select the intended pages. “Bag dimensions follow-up” is easier to maintain than “Bot 2.” The delay uses HH:MM, from 00:00 to 24:00. AnswerAct checks the standard 24-hour window from the latest inbound message; a configured delay does not guarantee that a message will be eligible when processing reaches it. Leave practical room before that boundary.
Choose a fixed message or an AI follow-up
Use a fixed message when the same wording remains useful for every eligible recipient. Do not put “send the laptop dimensions” into a page-wide fixed message if that page also receives unrelated enquiries. A safer fixed message might invite the customer to continue their earlier question without naming a product.
Choose AI when the wording should depend on the recent conversation and business information. Select an available model, reply language and suitable instructions. AI generation uses the customer’s AI balance, including prompt generation when requested. Fixed delivery has no AI-generation charge, but account and subscription eligibility still apply. Review the displayed policy before enabling either mode.
Connect the right page context
For an active AI follow-up, select the page’s current active message agent and one readable business data source, such as products or services, for each selected page. The business information section is not permission to read every source in your account. AnswerAct uses the selected source and a bounded recent conversation context.
If the agent or data source changes, reopen the follow-up and select a valid pairing. If no agent appears, check the page assignment and whether the message agent is active. If no source appears, check that an appropriate source is enabled and readable for that agent. Keep product measurements current; do not instruct the model to infer stock or dimensions that the source does not provide.
Write one useful next step
For the fictional bag enquiry, an instruction could be: “Write one concise follow-up about the customer’s unresolved question. Use only the selected business information. Ask for a missing detail if it is needed. Do not invent availability, discounts, completed orders or deadlines.”
A suitable example would be: “If you’re still checking the fit, send your laptop’s width and height so we can compare them with the bag’s listed dimensions.” This is an illustrative reply, not a promise of identical output. A customer asking about delivery should receive a different next step. Test both conversations to see whether your instructions preserve that distinction.
Check timing, overlap and the final message
Before enabling several bots, review Allow overlap with other follow-up bots. When disabled, an earlier successful follow-up can make the same customer ineligible for another bot. Turning it on is not permission to send without limits; the channel window and other eligibility checks remain.
Use a controlled conversation to check the page, selected source, delay, language and final message. Include a customer who replies again before the follow-up and a conversation deliberately paused for human handling. Review what actually reaches the channel. A saved configuration or a generated prompt is not proof of delivery. Change one setting at a time if the result differs from your intended workflow.
Common questions
Does the follow-up read my whole catalogue?
No. The selected source is provided within bounded context. Keep the relevant information clear and avoid instructions that assume every record is present.
Can I schedule an unrestricted message for tomorrow?
No. The delay setting does not override the standard messaging window or account eligibility. Use the policy shown in the follow-up screen.
Use the AnswerAct operating guide
Start with one page and one follow-up purpose. Use the operating guide to check page linking, agent setup and the surrounding account settings before expanding the workflow.