Keywords — message routing

What it is

Keywords let you control which messages trigger the automatic reply and, optionally, assign the lead to a specific AI based on what they write. Configuration lives in Keyword settings.

The lead's first message is matched against your keywords. Match → routed to the configured AI.

Two operating modes

Mode	Behavior
Reply to all messages (default)	The AI replies to every incoming message.
Reply only to keywords	The AI only replies if the lead’s first message matches a configured keyword. The rest of the leads stay in manual mode.

How matching works

Matching is case-insensitive. Only the lead’s first message is evaluated, not the following ones.

Match types

Each keyword has a Match type:

Type	How it matches	Example
Exact match	The message must be exactly this keyword.	INFO only matches a message whose content is INFO.
Contains	The message must contain this keyword somewhere.	price matches “What’s the price?”.

How to configure it

1. In Manage keywords, press Add keyword and type the term.
2. In Select match type, choose Exact match or Contains.
3. (Optional) In Select AI, assign the keyword to a specific AI. If you leave it on Default, the business’s usual AI is used.
4. (Optional) Enable Update AI: if a message contains this keyword, the lead’s AI is switched to the configured AI for all of their future messages.

Link keywords to AIs

Each keyword can be associated with a different AI. When a message matches and Update AI is enabled, that lead starts talking to the chosen AI for the rest of the conversation. It’s the basis for routing inquiries to specialized flows.

Use case

Sales AI + support AI. Assign words like “buy”, “price” or “info” to the sales AI, and “help”, “issue” or “invoice” to support. Enable Update AI in each one so leads are automatically routed from the first relevant message.

Important

Make sure your AI instructions are prepared to respond to the keywords you configure. If the AI has no context for how to reply, it can decide to stay silent even if the keyword matches.

Best practices

• Start with a few well-chosen keywords: the more you add, the easier it is for them to overlap.
• Use Exact match for campaigns with closed codes (INFO, DEMO, PROMO20) and Contains for conversational topics (price, hours, address).
• If you enable Reply only to keywords, keep in mind that any lead whose first message doesn’t match will be in manual mode and you’ll have to handle it yourself.
• Review keywords periodically: remove the ones that aren’t used and adjust those that generate too many false positives.