> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wapnotify.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Flows & automation overview

> What flows are, the available trigger types, and common use cases for automating WhatsApp responses.

Flows let you automate responses to WhatsApp messages without manual agent involvement. A flow is a sequence of actions (send a message, assign a conversation, etc.) that runs automatically when a trigger condition is met.

## Trigger types

| Trigger           | When it fires                                                  |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Keyword**       | A contact sends a message containing a specific word or phrase |
| **First inbound** | A contact messages your number for the very first time         |
| **Manual**        | An agent triggers the flow manually from within a conversation |

### Keyword trigger

Keyword triggers match against the contact's message text. Four match modes are available:

| Mode         | How it matches                                        |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Exact**    | The message is exactly the keyword (case-insensitive) |
| **Contains** | The message contains the keyword anywhere             |
| **Fuzzy**    | The message approximately matches (handles typos)     |
| **Regex**    | Full regular expression match                         |

Example: a keyword trigger for `pricing` (contains) fires when a contact sends "What's your pricing?" or "Can you share pricing info?".

### First inbound trigger

Fires once per contact — the first time they ever message your number. Use it to send an automatic welcome message and set expectations about response times.

### Manual trigger

Agents can trigger a flow from within a conversation. Use this for structured workflows like sending a multi-step onboarding sequence or a feedback survey.

## Flow statuses

| Status        | Meaning                           |
| ------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **Draft**     | Being built — not active          |
| **Published** | Active and running                |
| **Inactive**  | Was published but manually paused |

Only one flow run can be active per contact at any time. If a contact is already in a flow, a new trigger for the same contact is ignored until the current run completes.

## Common use cases

* **Welcome message** — greet new contacts automatically with a first inbound trigger
* **FAQ auto-reply** — answer common questions like "What are your hours?" with a keyword trigger
* **Lead qualification** — send a sequence of questions to gather information before routing to an agent
* **Out-of-hours notice** — reply automatically outside business hours to set expectations