Greet the first message
Everyone who writes for the first time gets your opening.
On this page
Before you start
- Instagram and Messenger.
- One per page.
- A matching keyword answers first.
Open a flow and pick the start.
New automationStart from a blank canvasStart automation when…
You will see The start card, its settings open.
Switch on First message.
TriggerFirst message
You will see A First message way appears.
Wire the greeting.
First messageMessage
You will see The greeting, wired.
Save and switch it live.
Top barLiveSave
You will see Live on your page.
If something is off
- It says another flow already starts conversations on this page
- One per page.
- Someone's first message got a keyword answer instead
- A keyword answers first.
- A regular customer never got the greeting
- First message ever only.
Common questions
What counts as a first message?
The first time a person ever writes to your page, whatever they say. It runs once per person.
Can the same flow greet and show ice breakers?
Yes. The conversation start holds both: the first-message switch and up to four ice breakers, each with its own way.
What if the first message contains one of my keywords?
The keyword automation answers it. Only one automatic answer goes to one message, and keywords go before the greeting.
For agents: plain text of this guide · all guides
For agents
Guide: Greet the first message
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-starts/greet-the-first-message
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: Everyone who writes for the first time gets your opening.
Context: The conversation start, Someone starts a conversation, runs once per person: the first time they ever write to you, whatever they say. It is the place for a welcome, a menu of buttons, or a question. The same start also carries the ice breakers, the questions people can tap before they type.
Before you start
1. Instagram and Facebook both.
2. One conversation-start flow per page: it owns the page's ice breakers.
3. A keyword automation that matches the first message answers it instead.
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 (Someone starts a conversation). 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: Switch on First message.
Where: Trigger panel, First message: the switch under that label. It runs once per person, the first time they ever write to you, whatever they say.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome.en.webp (The First message switch, on.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The start card shows a way out named First message.
Step 3 of 4: Wire the greeting.
Where: From the way First message, drag to a Message (or click Add a step under Next steps in the panel). Buttons and quick replies on it can each lead their own way.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/dm-start-welcome.en.webp (The way First message on the start card, wired to the greeting.)
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: The greeting card sits after the start.
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.
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: Saved. It's live on your page.
If something is off
Problem: It says another flow already starts conversations on this page
Fix: A page has one set of ice breakers, so one conversation-start flow. Archive the other one first.
Problem: Someone's first message got a keyword answer instead
Fix: One message gets one automatic answer, and a matching keyword automation goes before the greeting.
Problem: A regular customer never got the greeting
Fix: It runs only the first time a person ever writes to your page.
Common questions
Question: What counts as a first message?
Answer: The first time a person ever writes to your page, whatever they say. It runs once per person.
Question: Can the same flow greet and show ice breakers?
Answer: Yes. The conversation start holds both: the first-message switch and up to four ice breakers, each with its own way.
Question: What if the first message contains one of my keywords?
Answer: The keyword automation answers it. Only one automatic answer goes to one message, and keywords go before the greeting.
Related guides
Add ice breakers: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-starts/add-ice-breakers
Send a message with buttons and quick replies: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/flow-steps/send-a-message-with-buttons-and-quick-replies
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/greet-the-first-message.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt