Keyword automations
A keyword automation answers a comment or DM the moment it contains a word you choose, with a public reply under the comment, a private DM, or both. Use it for questions you answer the same way every time, such as prices, opening hours or a sign-up link. Owners and admins create automations in Automations; everyone in the workspace can see them and their log.
Create an automation
- Open Automations and select New automation.
- Give it a Name, for example “Price list”.
- Enter Keywords, separated with commas, for example
price, prices, menu. - Choose How to match:
- Message contains the keyword: matches the whole word anywhere in the message. Upper and lower case do not matter, and “price” does not match “priceless”.
- Message is exactly the keyword: matches only when the message is the keyword alone, ignoring punctuation. Good for “INFO” campaigns.
- Choose Reply to: comments, DMs or both.
- Optional: limit it to some Channels, or to Only on these posts.
- Write the Public reply and the DM text. You can use
{name},{handle}and{brand}. - Select Save.
“Comment INFO and we will DM you”
- Publish the post from Voxpanda.
- Create an automation with the keyword
info, Message is exactly the keyword, and Reply to: Comments. - In Only on these posts, tick that post. You can also paste the ID of a post published outside Voxpanda.
- Set the public reply, for example “Check your DM, {name}”, and put the link in the DM text.
Test before it goes live
Try a message shows which automation would answer a message and the exact text it would send, with @sari as the sender. Nothing is sent.
Limits that protect your account
| Setting | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Once per person every | 24 hours | 0 to 720 hours |
| Max replies per 24 hours | 200 | 1 to 2,000 |
| Pause during the brand’s quiet hours | on | on or off |
A message skipped because of the daily limit or quiet hours goes to the normal AI reply flow. Each brand can have up to 50 automations; the first matching automation in the list answers.
What each platform allows
| Platform | Public reply | DM after a comment |
|---|---|---|
| yes | yes, private reply within 7 days | |
| Facebook Page | yes | yes, private reply within 7 days |
| Threads, TikTok, YouTube, X, Bluesky | yes | no |
| no, automations skip LinkedIn | no |
A DM rule answers a direct message only inside the platform’s messaging window, for example 24 hours after the customer’s last message on Instagram.
The run log
Run log lists the last 100 automated replies with the time, the automation, the sender, the keyword and the result: Sent, Partly sent, Failed or Skipped with the reason. In the inbox, these replies show Automation: and the automation name, and private replies carry a Private DM label.
Questions
Can Voxpanda send a DM to someone who comments?
Yes on Instagram and Facebook, through the private reply feature of the Meta API, within 7 days of the comment. On Threads, TikTok, YouTube, X and Bluesky only the public reply is sent.
Will the same person get the same reply many times?
No. By default each person is answered once every 24 hours per automation. You can change the window from 0 to 720 hours.
Does the AI reply too?
Not by default. A message answered by an automation skips the AI reply. Untick Do not let the AI reply as well if you want both.
Are complaints answered automatically?
No. Comments that contain one of your crisis keywords, and conversations a person has taken over, are never answered by an automation. LinkedIn is never answered automatically either.