Start an automation from a conversation

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How do I start an automation from a conversation?

Introduction

Starting an automation from a conversation is a powerful feature available in ActiveCampaign that enhances your ability to engage with contacts created through chat interactions. This feature is instrumental in automating your follow-up processes, allowing you to seamlessly integrate new contacts into your marketing strategies. By utilizing the “Submits Form” automation trigger, you can effectively add contacts who interact with your chat widget into automations, ensuring that your messaging is timely and relevant.

This capability is important because it allows businesses to quickly react to inquiries or interests expressed by visitors during conversations, significantly improving customer experience and operational efficiency.

How to Access This Feature

To access the feature that allows you to start an automation from a conversation, you need to navigate to the Automations overview within your ActiveCampaign account. From there, you can initiate the process of creating a new automation dedicated to contacts captured from chat interactions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow the steps below to start an automation from a conversation:

1. From the Automations overview page, click the New Automation button.
2. Select Start from Scratch and then click Continue.
3. The Automation Trigger modal will open. Click Submits a Form and select Continue.
4. In the Form dropdown, select the Conversations Chat Form.
5. Click the Add Start button.

Once you have configured the trigger, you can build out your workflow by adding various automation actions. These actions can include sending follow-up messages, creating deals, or adding tags to the contacts.

Configuration Options and Settings

When setting up your automation from a conversation, you can configure several options to tailor the workflow to your needs:

• **Triggers**: Use the Submits a Form trigger to initiate the automation.
• **Forms**: The automation captures information through the Conversations Chat Form, which your visitors must complete to become contacts.
• **Actions**: You can add multiple actions to manage how contacts interact after entering the automation. This includes actions like sending a follow-up email, adding a tag such as Created from Chat, and more.

Additionally, ActiveCampaign offers prebuilt automations specifically for contacts created from Conversations. These prebuilt workflows can streamline your engagement efforts and are accessible from the automation recipe modal found when you click "New Automation."

Best Practices and Tips

To maximize the effectiveness of automating actions from conversation leads, consider the following best practices:

• **Timely Follow-ups**: Make sure to set up immediate follow-up messages after contact creation to nurture leads and maintain engagement.
• **Use Tags Strategically**: Utilize tagging to categorize contacts effectively. For instance, tagging contacts as "Created from Chat" can help further target your campaigns.
• **Combine Actions**: Integrate multiple actions in your automation workflow. For example, follow up with an email and create a deal in your pipeline concurrently.
• **Monitor Performance**: Regularly check the performance of your automations and make adjustments based on conversion rates and lead feedback.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while setting up automations from conversations, consider the following troubleshooting steps:

• Ensure that the Conversations Chat Form is properly configured and visible to users.
• Check that the email capture process is functioning correctly and that contacts are being created as expected.
• If automations are not triggering, verify that the right forms and actions are selected in your automation setup.

Common Use Cases with Examples

Here are several common use cases for starting automations from conversations along with examples:

• **Lead Qualification**: When a visitor submits their email, automatically add them to a qualification sequence to gather more information about their needs.
• **Sales Follow-ups**: If a potential customer shows interest in a product during a chat, add them to an automation that sends product details and special offers within 24 hours.
• **Event Registration**: After a user inquires about an upcoming event, you could start an automation that sends them a registration link and a calendar invite.
• **Customer Onboarding**: For contact information captured through chat for existing customers, initiate an onboarding series that introduces them to new features.

FAQ

1. What triggers an automation when starting from a conversation?

The automation is triggered when a visitor submits their email address through the Conversations Chat Form during a chat interaction.

2. Can I customize the message sent to contacts after they enter into the automation?

Yes, you can customize follow-up messages and other actions within the automation workflow.

3. Is there a limit on how many tags I can add to a contact automatically?

While there is no explicit limit on tags, it's advisable to use them strategically to avoid clutter and confusion.

4. What happens if a visitor does not submit their email?

If a visitor does not submit their email, they will not be captured as a contact and cannot be added to your automation.

5. Can I view analytics for automations started from conversations?

Yes, you can track the performance of your automations, including open and click-through rates, through the analytics section of your ActiveCampaign account.

6. Are there any specific plans that support automations from conversations?

This feature is available across various ActiveCampaign plans, including Starter, Plus, Pro, and Enterprise.

7. How can I find prebuilt automations for conversations?

You can access prebuilt automations specifically for contacts created from conversations in the automation recipe modal when creating a new automation.

For further details and resources, be sure to explore the documentation on [Creating an automation](https://help.activecampaign.com/hc/en-us/articles/218788687) and other related features. ```