Guide: Create an automation
This page: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/create-an-automation
Topic: Keyword automations
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: A phrase you answer every day is answered without you, in your own words.
Context: An automation is a rule for replies: when a comment matches, reply or archive. It belongs to a page, it uses the wording you wrote, and it runs beside your moderation rules and your agent. Keyword automations are included from Lite, with private-message replies from Starter.

Before you start:
1. Automations belong to a page, like moderation rules.
2. They match words rather than meaning, so they are predictable.
3. Replies never count towards your comment allowance.

Steps:
Step 1 of 4: Open the Automation tab on a page.
Where: Left sidebar, under Pages, click the page, then Automation. On a phone, the page, then Automation in the row under the title.
Link: https://app.commentwatchdog.com/en/inbox (Open the app)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-list.en.webp (The Automation tab of a page.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The automations already on that page, each with its trigger, its action and a switch.

Step 2 of 4: Press Create automation and name it.
Where: The button at the top. Name it for what it does, such as Price question auto-reply, so your team can read the list later.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-editor.en.webp (The editor: Name first.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-editor-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The editor, with the trigger at the top and the reply at the bottom.

Step 3 of 4: Set the trigger and the words.
Where: When a comment, then the trigger. For contains keywords, add each word with Enter. Keep them specific: price beats pricing information, and refund beats money.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-editor.en.webp (When a comment… and the keywords.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-editor-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: Your keywords appear as chips; a comment containing one of them matches.

Step 4 of 4: Write the reply and save.
Where: Then, choose Reply, and write at least one reply. Save. The automation is live from the next comment.
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-editor-reply.en.webp (The reply, then Save.)
Screenshot: https://commentwatchdog.com/media/shots/automation-editor-reply-phone.en.webp (The same on a phone.)
You should see: The automation is listed with its trigger and action, and starts working on the next matching comment.

If something is off:
Problem: It never triggers
Fix: The words are too specific, or the automation is off. Check the switch and use the words customers actually type.
Problem: It triggers too often
Fix: Use exactly a keyword instead of contains, or make the words longer.
Problem: I want it on all my pages
Fix: Automations belong to a page. Create the same one on each page that needs it.
Problem: It replied to something odd
Fix: Word matching has no judgement. Narrow the words, or use an AI agent for anything that needs understanding.

Common questions:
Question: Which plans include keyword automations?
Answer: Lite replies in public; Starter and every plan above it also reply by private message. Mini has no automations. Mini and Lite are offered in selected countries.
Question: Who on my team can create a keyword automation?
Answer: Only an Owner, Administrator or Manager. A Moderator acts on comments, hiding, deleting, replying and archiving, and does not create automations.
Question: Do automated replies use up my comment credits?
Answer: No. Replies never count towards your comment allowance. A credit is counted once when the comment arrives for live moderation, and a comment is never billed twice.
Question: Will an automation reply to comments posted before I created it?
Answer: No. An automation is live from the next comment after you save it, so it acts on new matching comments only and leaves older ones untouched.
Question: Can I switch an automation off without deleting it?
Answer: Yes. Each automation in the page Automation tab is listed with its trigger, its action and a switch; turn the switch off and it stops acting until you turn it back on.

Related guides:
- Triggers: contains, exactly, emoji only, mention only: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/triggers-contains-exactly-emoji-only-mention-only
- Reply variations and AI rewrite: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/reply-variations-and-ai-rewrite
- Start from a recipe: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/start-from-a-recipe

Plain text of this guide: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/keyword-automations/create-an-automation.md
All guides for assistants: https://commentwatchdog.com/help/llms.txt