Guide: Add ice breakers
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-starts/add-ice-breakers
Topic: Flow starts
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: Up to four questions over the empty chat, each starting its own way.
Context: Ice breakers are the questions Instagram and Messenger show above an empty chat, before a person types. A tap sends the question as their message, and in the flow each question has its own way out, so "What are your prices?" can lead to the price list and "Can I talk to someone?" to your team.

Before you start:
1. Up to 4 questions, each up to 80 characters.
2. Saving a live conversation-start flow writes them to Instagram or Messenger; pausing it clears them.
3. Instagram does not show ice breakers on desktop.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Open a flow and pick the start.
Where: Automation, then New automation and Start from a blank canvas; the window Start automation when… lists the Triggers. The conversation start reads Ice breakers and first messages. To change the start of a flow you already have, click its first card and press Change beside Starts with.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-starts.en.webp (Start automation when…: every start of the page.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-starts-more-phone.en.webp (The end of the list of starts on a phone.)
You should see: The start lands as the first card, and the panel on the right, Trigger, opens its settings.

Step 2 of 4: Add the questions.
Where: Trigger panel, Ice breakers: Add a question, up to four. Each is up to 80 characters, and two may not say the same thing.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome.en.webp (Ice breakers: the questions and Add a question.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Each question becomes a way out of the start card.

Step 3 of 4: Wire each question to its answer.
Where: Drag from each question's way to the step that answers it, or use Next steps in the panel. A question with no wire ends the flow there.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome.en.webp (Each question has its own way out of the start card. The ring is on the first, wired to its answer.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome-more-phone.en.webp (Next steps on a phone: each way out of the start and the step it leads to.)
You should see: Every question leads somewhere.

Step 4 of 4: Save and switch it live.
Where: On the bar at the top right, turn the Live switch on, then press Save. Saving a live flow writes the questions to the platform.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow.en.webp (The Live switch, on, at the top right of the bar. Shown on another flow, Tasting bookings.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-phone.en.webp (The Live switch on a phone, under the row of tools.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow.en.webp (Save, at the right end of the bar. It is grey here because this flow has nothing new to save.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-flow-phone.en.webp (Save on a phone.)
You should see: Open an empty chat with your page in the app: the questions are above it.

If something is off:
Problem: The questions do not show
Fix: Instagram does not show ice breakers on desktop; check in the app. The flow must be live: pausing it clears them.
Problem: Instagram refused the ice breakers
Fix: The message names what Meta refused. Fix it (reconnect the page if it asks), then save again.
Problem: A question is refused at 81 characters
Fix: Meta refuses more than 80 characters. Shorten it.

Common questions:
Question: How many ice breakers can a page have?
Answer: Four, on Instagram and on Messenger, each up to 80 characters.
Question: Do ice breakers replace the Get Started button on Messenger?
Answer: Yes. On Messenger, ice breakers set this way take precedence over the Get Started button.
Question: Why does my link start need ice breakers?
Answer: On Instagram, a brand-new person's link open carries the link's name only while the page shows ice breakers.

Related guides:
- Greet the first message: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-starts/greet-the-first-message
- Start a flow from a link or QR code: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-starts/start-a-flow-from-a-link-or-qr-code
- Greet first messages, with questions to tap: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/greet-first-messages-with-questions-to-tap

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-starts/add-ice-breakers.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt