Auto-replies for email, SMS and calls
Turn on Answer calls, Reply to texts and Reply to emails in AI Receptionist > Receptionist. Auto-replies work on every paid plan.
Your AI Receptionist can answer for you. It answers calls to your Business Phone Number, replies when a customer texts that number, and replies when a customer answers one of your marketing emails. Each channel has its own switch. Auto-replies work on every paid plan.
Turn on auto-replies
- Open AI Receptionist from Dashboard, or Tools on a phone.
- Click AI Receptionist.
- In the Calls and replies card, turn on the channels you want:
- Answer calls: answers calls to your Business Phone Number.
- Reply to texts: replies when a customer texts your Business Phone Number. When this is off, texts are saved but not answered.
- Reply to emails: replies when a customer answers a follow-up or broadcast email. Replies to emails you sent by hand are not answered.
Changes apply right away. You can turn a switch off at any time.
Copy a person on email replies
Under Reply to emails, enter an address in Copy a person on replies (optional). Choose Every AI email reply, or When the AI decides a person should help. For the second choice, describe when a person should help. Click Save reply copy settings.
These settings are in AI Receptionist > Receptionist. From Domain & Email > Email inbox, click Manage AI replies to get there.
Turning off Reply to emails pauses copies and keeps the saved address. To remove it, clear the address and click Save reply copy settings. This does not change the reply switch.
What each channel needs
- Calls: a Business Phone Number. Calls use your calls and texts balance.
- Texts: a Business Phone Number with texting turned on. In the US, texting starts after the one-time carrier registration.
- Emails: an email inbox on your own domain. See Domain & Email.
What the AI says
It uses your Business Profile, the current conversation, and the contact's active follow-ups. On the Max and Agency plans, it also uses the full customer history across calls, texts, email and chat.
To change what it knows, edit your Business Profile. To change the tone, describe the writing style in your business info guide.
Common problems
"AI auto-reply requires a paid plan. Upgrade to turn it on."
Auto-replies need a paid plan. Click your profile picture, then Profile Settings > Billing & Upgrades, and pick a plan. See Plans.
The AI answered something wrong
Fix the fact in your Business Profile and click Save. New replies use the change. Write any claims or promises it must avoid in the guide.
The AI promised to transfer the call or have someone call back
Open your business info guide and check when a person should help. Write when to transfer and when to take a message, and for whom. Then check Transfer calls to in Settings > Calls on the AI Receptionist page.
Texts come in but the AI does not answer
Check that Reply to texts is on and that texting is active on your Business Phone Number.