Follow-up
Build bounded re-engagement journeys with Workflow waits, messages, and stop rules
Follow-up#
Automated follow-up belongs in Agent Studio → Workflows. A Workflow can wait, send a message, try again, and stop. Customers only follow a Workflow after you publish it. A draft, or a Workflow you never start, does not message anyone.
CRM does not send that journey for you. In CRM, a next step records the obligation — who owes what, to whom, and by what date or condition. Sending a reminder does not complete that obligation.
For one message to many people, or a rule that sends when contacts later match a filter, use Broadcasts instead.
Build a follow-up Workflow#
| Part | What to set |
|---|---|
| Start | A specific condition, such as a matching message, a closed conversation, or no reply yet. A catch-all start should not take a message another Workflow is waiting for |
| Wait | An explicit delay, up to 7 days. You can cancel the wait if the customer or a teammate replies first |
| Message | Copy grounded in this customer's context, not a generic blast |
| Limit | A bounded number of attempts, and a stop when they reply or the outcome is done |
| Proof | Check Activity for what was actually sent. A sent message is evidence of an attempt, not proof the commitment is complete |
Use a narrow start, such as an unfinished inquiry, an appointment reminder, a quote check-in, or missing documents. Near-miss conversations should not enter the Workflow.
A Customer has not replied start runs only for a conversation no other Workflow currently owns, and only inside the channel's send window. An in-flow Wait is different: it nudges someone who is already inside that Workflow.
CRM next step versus Workflow#
| Need | Put it in |
|---|---|
| "Our team must send the proposal by Friday" | CRM → Work, as a next step |
| "The customer will send documents after approval" | CRM → Work, as a next step |
| "Wait two days, send this reminder, and stop after a reply" | Agent Studio → Workflows |
| "Handle refund requests using these business rules" | Agent Studio → Procedures |
| "Tell everyone about a closure today" | Outbound → Broadcasts |
Channel limits#
| Situation | What is allowed |
|---|---|
| The customer messaged within the last 24 hours | The Workflow can send the reminder |
| WhatsApp or Messenger, after 24 hours | Meta requires a pre-approved template, and only for something the customer already started, such as a pending payment, booking, or order |
| Instagram, after 24 hours | A later template reminder is not available |
| The template is missing or not approved | That later reminder stays blocked |
A generic "still interested?" message does not qualify as that kind of template. Use Broadcasts for the template library.
Related pages#
- CRM — customers, Work, and next steps
- Workflows — fixed paths, waits, and stop conditions
- Procedures — adaptive multi-step guidance
- Activity — what was actually sent or received