Guide: Tone, delay, mention and archive
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/tone-delay-mention-and-archive
Topic: AI agents
Time: about 3 minutes
Who can do it: Owner, Administrator or Manager
Author: https://anantgupta.xyz (Anant Gupta, founder of CommentWatchDog)
Start in the app: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/agents
Result when done: Replies land the way a person would send them: not instantly, not identically, and out of your inbox afterwards.
Context: Four small settings decide how a reply feels from the outside. Tone sets the register. Delay stops it looking automated. Mention decides whether the person is tagged. Archive after replying keeps your inbox honest.

Before you start:
1. A reply that arrives one second after the comment reads as a machine.
2. Mentioning notifies the person, which is useful for questions and intrusive for praise.
3. Archiving after replying is what keeps the inbox a list of what still needs you.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Pick the tone.
Where: Tone of voice on the agent: Helpful, Professional, Conversational, Casual or Funny.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/agents (Open AI agents)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone.en.webp (Tone of voice.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The register of every generated reply changes.

Step 2 of 4: Set a delay.
Where: Delay: No delay, Random up to ten minutes, or a Fixed number of minutes. Random is the most human, because two replies never arrive with the same spacing.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone.en.webp (Delay.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Replies arrive spread out, which reads as someone working through the comments.

Step 3 of 4: Decide about the mention.
Where: Start replies with a mention tags the commenter so they are notified. It suits questions; for praise it can feel like being singled out.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone.en.webp (Start replies with a mention.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Replies begin with the person name, and they get a notification.

Step 4 of 4: Archive after replying.
Where: The last switch. An answered comment leaves the Inbox for the Archive, with the reply attached.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone.en.webp (Archive after replying.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-tone-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Your inbox holds what still needs a person, and nothing else.

If something is off:
Problem: Replies feel robotic
Fix: Set a random delay, vary the persona, and turn the mention off for praise.
Problem: People complain about notifications
Fix: Turn off Start replies with a mention.
Problem: My inbox is full of answered comments
Fix: Turn on Archive after replying; the Archive keeps them.
Problem: A delayed reply never arrived
Fix: Check the row: Meta may have refused it, in which case the words are kept for you.

Common questions:
Question: Which tone of voice options does the AI agent have?
Answer: Helpful, Professional, Conversational, Casual or Funny. Tone is a broad register; the persona carries the detail of how the agent sounds.
Question: How long can the AI agent wait before it replies?
Answer: No delay, Random up to ten minutes, or a Fixed number of minutes. Random reads as the most human, because two replies never arrive with the same spacing.
Question: Does the commenter get a notification when the agent replies?
Answer: Only if Start replies with a mention is on. Then the reply begins with the person's name and tags them, so they are notified. With it off, replies do not tag them.
Question: Where does a comment go after the agent has answered it?
Answer: With Archive after replying on, an answered comment leaves the Inbox for the Archive with the reply attached, so the inbox holds only what still needs a person. With it off, it stays in the Inbox.

Related guides:
- Draft mode or auto mode: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/draft-mode-or-auto-mode
- Write the persona: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/write-the-persona
- Archive and unarchive: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/inbox/archive-and-unarchive

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/tone-delay-mention-and-archive.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt