---
title: "Auto-replies for email, SMS and calls"
description: "Turn on Answer calls, Reply to texts and Reply to emails in AI Receptionist > Receptionist. Auto-replies work on every paid plan."
canonical: "https://www.buildy.ai/docs/marketing/auto-replies"
last_updated: "2026-10-26"
---

# Auto-replies for email, SMS and calls

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

1. Open **AI Receptionist** from **Dashboard**, or **Tools** on a phone.
2. Click **AI Receptionist**.
3. 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](/docs/agents/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](/docs/domains-email).

## What the AI says

It uses your [Business Profile](/docs/marketing/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](/docs/billing/plans).

### The AI answered something wrong

Fix the fact in your [Business Profile](/docs/marketing/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.

## Related

- [AI Receptionist](/docs/agents/ai-receptionist)
- [Business Phone Number](/docs/agents/business-phone-number)
- [Set up your Business Profile](/docs/marketing/business-profile)
- [Domain & Email](/docs/domains-email)