AI Auto-Reply
Your AI agent responds to incoming texts instantly. When a conversation needs a human, it flags it so nothing falls through the cracks.
Available on Growth and Scale plans.
Overview
AI Auto-Reply is the engine behind your SMS agent. Any time a contact sends a message to one of your numbers, the agent reads it and sends a reply — automatically and immediately, any time of day.
The agent continues the conversation for as many exchanges as you have configured (see Creating an SMS Agent), or until one of the following happens: the contact opts out, the conversation reaches its max turns, or the agent decides the conversation needs a real person.
How It Works
Receiving a message
When a contact sends a text to your number, Volume Reach routes it to your configured SMS agent. The agent reads the full conversation history for that contact — not just the latest message — so its replies stay contextually relevant throughout the exchange.
Generating a reply
The agent uses the instructions in your system prompt to craft a response. It takes into account what the contact said, what has already been discussed in the conversation, and what goal you have set for the agent.
The reply is sent immediately. From the contact's perspective, it arrives just like any other text message.
Continuing the conversation
Each time the contact replies, the agent responds again. This continues until one of the ending conditions is met:
- Max turns reached. The agent has sent the maximum number of replies you configured. The conversation is placed in your inbox for optional human follow-up.
- Contact opts out. If a contact replies with STOP or any standard opt-out keyword, they are immediately removed from future messages and the conversation ends.
- Escalation. The agent determines that the conversation should be handed off to a human.
Escalation
Escalation happens when the agent encounters a situation outside its defined scope — a question it cannot answer, a concern that needs a human decision, or a contact who is clearly frustrated and needs a different kind of response.
When the agent escalates, it marks the conversation as Needs Human Attention in your Conversations inbox. Your team will see it highlighted in the Needs Attention filter tab so it does not get buried.
The agent does not reply any further after escalating. The conversation is fully handed off to your team.
Tips & Best Practices
- Check your Needs Attention tab regularly. Escalated conversations represent high-intent contacts. Responding promptly can make the difference between a closed deal and a lost lead.
- Write escalation triggers into your system prompt. You can instruct the agent to escalate in specific situations — for example, "If the contact asks to speak with a person, escalate immediately."
- Review the AI Activity Log. The AI Activity Log shows every message the agent sent. If you notice the agent giving unexpected responses, update your system prompt accordingly.
- Do not rely on auto-reply for sensitive topics. If your contacts are likely to raise complaints, legal questions, or sensitive personal matters, make sure your escalation instructions cover those scenarios and that your team monitors the Needs Attention inbox closely.
- Test with edge cases. In the SMS Agent Tester, try sending messages that your agent might struggle with — ambiguous questions, off-topic messages, short replies like "yes" or "no." This helps you catch gaps before they affect real contacts.