Automations and rules: which runs first
You know why a comment was hidden instead of answered, or answered instead of hidden.
On this page
Before you start
- Moderation runs first.
- An automation acts on what survives.
- The agent handles the rest.
Check the moderation rules first.
The pageModeration
You will see The rules that decide first.
Then read the automations.
The pageAutomation
You will see One automation acts, and the row records which.
Leave the rest to the agent.
SettingsAI agentsDo not reply to
You will see At most one reply per comment.
If something is off
- A comment was hidden and never answered
- A moderation rule caught it first; the label names it.
- Two replies went out
- Exclude the automation keywords on the agent.
- Nothing acted at all
- Nothing matched, or the page is paused.
Common questions
How can I tell which automation replied to a comment?
The comment row records it. One automation acts per comment, and its row in the inbox shows which one acted.
Can two automations both reply to one comment?
No. The first automation whose trigger matches acts and the others do not, so each comment gets at most one automated reply. Keep the words of different automations distinct.
What happens to comments that no rule or automation matches?
The AI agent handles the rest, within its audience setting. Moderation decides first, an automation acts on what survives when its words match, and the agent takes what is left.
For agents: plain text of this guide · all guides
For agents
Guide: Automations and rules: which runs first
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/automations-and-rules-which-runs-first
Topic: Keyword automations
Time: about 2 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: You know why a comment was hidden instead of answered, or answered instead of hidden.
Context: Three things can act on one comment: moderation rules, keyword automations and an AI agent. Moderation decides first, because there is no sense replying to something you are about to hide.
Before you start
1. Moderation rules run first: a comment they hide or delete is not answered.
2. An automation acts on what survives, when its words match.
3. The agent handles the rest, within its audience setting.
Steps
Step 1 of 3: Check the moderation rules first.
Where: The page Moderation tab. If a rule hides or deletes a comment, no reply is sent to it, whatever your automations say.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation.en.webp (The moderation rules run first.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/moderation-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The rules that decide before anything else acts.
Step 2 of 3: Then read the automations.
Where: The Automation tab. The first automation whose trigger matches acts, and the others do not.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-list.en.webp (Then the automations.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: One automation acts per comment, and the row records which.
Step 3 of 3: Leave the rest to the agent.
Where: Settings, AI agents. Add your automation keywords to the agent Do not reply to, so a comment never gets two answers.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/settings/agents (Open AI agents)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-detail.en.webp (The agent takes what is left.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/agent-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Each comment gets at most one reply, from the tool that should handle it.
If something is off
Problem: A comment was hidden and never answered
Fix: A moderation rule caught it first. The label on the row names the rule.
Problem: Two replies went out
Fix: An automation and an agent both matched. Exclude the automation keywords on the agent.
Problem: Nothing acted at all
Fix: Nothing matched, or the page is paused. Check the switches on both tabs and on the page itself.
Common questions
Question: How can I tell which automation replied to a comment?
Answer: The comment row records it. One automation acts per comment, and its row in the inbox shows which one acted.
Question: Can two automations both reply to one comment?
Answer: No. The first automation whose trigger matches acts and the others do not, so each comment gets at most one automated reply. Keep the words of different automations distinct.
Question: What happens to comments that no rule or automation matches?
Answer: The AI agent handles the rest, within its audience setting. Moderation decides first, an automation acts on what survives when its words match, and the agent takes what is left.
Related guides
Agents and keyword automations: which one for what: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/ai-agents/agents-and-keyword-automations-which-one-for-what
Which rule caught a comment: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/moderation-rules/which-rule-caught-a-comment
Create an automation: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/create-an-automation
Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/automations-and-rules-which-runs-first.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt