Fix the problems and go live

For agents

Guide: Fix the problems and go live

This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-builder/fix-the-problems-and-go-live

Topic: Flow builder

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/inbox

Result when done: Your draft has no open problems and runs for real.

Context: A paused flow can be saved with problems in it, so you can stop halfway and come back. Going live is stricter: the flow must have nothing left to fix, the page's connection must allow what the flow does, and no other live automation may answer the same comments or messages. The canvas counts what is left and takes you to each one.

Before you start

1. Paused flows save themselves as a draft while you work; Save keeps a version you can go back to.

2. A draft never saved is deleted after 14 days without changes. A flow you saved is never touched.

3. Going live checks the flow, the page's permissions and clashes with your other automations.

Steps

Step 1 of 5: Save it as a draft.

Where: Save, the green button at the top right, with the Live switch beside it off. A paused flow saves with its problems in it, and it also saves itself as a draft while you work.

Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-issues.en.webp (Save, on a paused flow that still has a thing to fix.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-ready-phone.en.webp (Save on a phone, with the Live switch off (Paused) beside it.)

You should see: The toast says Saved as a draft. Switch it on when it's ready.

Step 2 of 5: Read what is left to fix.

Where: The pill at the top right of the canvas: Ready to go live, or the count, such as 1 thing to fix. The step it means is outlined in red, marked Fix, and says what is missing on the card itself. A step nothing leads to says Not reached from the start.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-open.en.webp (The count on the pill; the step it means is marked Fix, with the reason on the card.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-open-phone.en.webp (The count on a phone; the step it means is marked Fix, with the reason on the card.)

You should see: Every problem is a sentence in plain words, such as A link button needs an address starting with https://.

Step 3 of 5: Go to each one.

Where: Press the pill: it selects the first step with a problem and opens its panel on the right, where you fill in what is missing. Press the pill again for the next one. Clicking a step marked Fix does the same.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-fix.en.webp (The step's panel, open on what is missing.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-fix-phone.en.webp (The step's sheet on a phone, open on what is missing.)

You should see: The pill counts down; at zero it reads Ready to go live.

Step 4 of 5: Switch Live on.

Where: The Live switch on the bar, left of Save. Switching it on saves the flow and puts it live in one go. If something is still open, the toast says Fix 1 thing before going live and the canvas takes you there. If Meta did not give the page the permission the flow needs, it asks you to reconnect the page. If another live automation answers the same comments or messages, it names it and offers Let this flow answer first.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-ready.en.webp (The Live switch, still off, on a flow that is ready.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-template-ready-phone.en.webp (The Live switch on a phone, still off.)

You should see: The toast says Saved. It's live on your page.

Step 5 of 5: Pause it when you need to.

Where: Click the Live switch off, here or on the flow's row in the Automation list. Comments and messages that match in the meantime are skipped, not queued. Nothing is deleted, and switching it on again starts from the next one.

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow.en.webp (The same switch on a live flow: click it off to pause.)

Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-phone.en.webp (The same switch on a phone.)

You should see: The status reads Paused; the flow and its numbers stay.

If something is off

Problem: The button reads Fix 2 things to save

Fix: You tried to save the flow live with problems in it. Switch Live off to keep it as a draft, or fix them first.

Problem: Reconnect this page to go live

Fix: The page's connection lacks a permission the flow uses, usually messages. Reconnect the page and allow it.

Problem: This would answer the same comments or messages as another automation

Fix: Two live automations cannot both answer the same thing. Press Let this flow answer first, or pause the other one.

Common questions

Question: Will my draft be deleted?

Answer: Only an autosaved draft that was never saved, never ran and was untouched for 14 days. A flow you saved yourself is never deleted.

Question: What happens to someone in the middle of a flow when I change it?

Answer: Their run keeps the version it started on, so an edit never lands in the middle of a conversation. The next person gets the new version.

Question: Do paused flows queue up comments to answer later?

Answer: No. While a flow is paused, matching comments and messages are skipped, never queued.

Related guides

Build your first flow: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-builder/build-your-first-flow

Add, connect and remove steps: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-builder/add-connect-and-remove-steps

The Automation list: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/the-automation-list

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-builder/fix-the-problems-and-go-live.md

All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt