SMS Automation: Triggers, Actions, and Workflows
Automate with AI4 min readUpdated 2026-03-12
SMS Automation: Triggers, Actions, and Workflows
SMS automation lets you define rules that execute automatically when specific events happen in your SMS inbox. When a customer texts a keyword, sends a message to a specific number, or triggers any defined condition, JustCall runs the actions you configured.
Available on: Team plan and above (advanced workflows on Pro Plus)
How Automation Works
Each automation rule has three parts:
- Trigger — the event that starts the automation.
- Condition (optional) — a filter that narrows when the rule applies.
- Action — what JustCall does when the trigger fires and conditions are met.
Available Triggers
| Trigger | What starts it |
|---|---|
| Incoming SMS | Any inbound text message |
| Keyword match | Inbound message contains a specific word or phrase |
| New conversation | First message from an unknown number |
| Missed SMS | Inbound message received when no agent is available |
| Opt-out received | Customer replies STOP |
| Conversation closed | An agent closes a conversation |
| Conversation reopened | A customer texts a closed conversation |
Available Actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto-reply | Send an immediate text response |
| Assign conversation | Route to a specific agent or round-robin group |
| Tag contact | Add a tag to the contact in JustCall or your connected CRM |
| Create task | Create a follow-up task in your CRM or helpdesk |
| Send webhook | POST event data to an external URL |
| Notify team | Send a Slack, email, or in-app notification |
| Move to folder | Organize the conversation into a label or folder |
| Update custom field | Set a contact property based on the message content |
Setting Up an Automation Rule
- Go to Settings → Automation → SMS Rules.
- Click New Rule.
- Select a trigger from the dropdown.
- (Optional) Add conditions:
- Specific JustCall number
- Message contains keyword
- Contact tag matches
- Time of day / business hours
- Choose one or more actions.
- Name the rule and click Save.
Rules execute in order. If multiple rules match the same event, they all fire (unless you configure "stop processing" on a rule).
Example Automations
After-hours auto-reply
- Trigger: Incoming SMS
- Condition: Outside business hours
- Action: Auto-reply: "Thanks for texting! We're closed now but will reply first thing tomorrow. For urgent issues, call 512-555-0100."
Lead qualification
- Trigger: Keyword match — "pricing" or "demo"
- Condition: New conversation (first-time contact)
- Action: Tag contact as "Sales Lead" → Assign to sales round-robin → Notify #sales Slack channel
Appointment confirmation
- Trigger: Keyword match — "C" or "CONFIRM"
- Condition: Contact has tag "pending-appointment"
- Action: Auto-reply: "Confirmed! We'll see you at your scheduled time." → Update custom field "appointment_status" = "confirmed" → Remove tag "pending-appointment"
Automation vs SMS Bot
| SMS Automation | SMS Bot | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Trigger → condition → action builder | Keyword → response mapping |
| Actions | Multiple (reply, assign, tag, webhook, etc.) | Reply only (text, media, or webhook) |
| Conditions | Business hours, contact tags, number, keyword | Keyword only |
| Best for | Complex workflows with multiple steps | Simple keyword-based auto-replies |
Use SMS Bot for straightforward FAQ-style responses. Use automation rules when you need to combine responses with other actions (tagging, routing, CRM updates).
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