Automate SMS Replies with SMS Bot

Message customers5 min readUpdated 2026-03-10

Automate SMS Replies with SMS Bot

Need to answer the same questions over and over? SMS Bot auto-responds to incoming messages using keyword-based rules you define. When a customer texts a keyword, the bot replies instantly without any human involvement. You set the rules; the bot handles the rest.

Available on: Pro Plus plan and above

How SMS Bot Differs from AI Smart Replies and AI Rephrasing

SMS Bot, AI Smart Replies, and AI Rephrasing each handle a different part of your SMS workflow. Here is what each one does and when to use it.

	SMS Bot	AI Smart Replies	AI Rephrasing & Tone Analysis
What it does	Auto-responds to incoming messages using keyword rules you define	Generates 2-3 response suggestions from conversation history for you to review	Analyzes and rewrites a message you have already drafted
Who sends the reply	The bot sends automatically. No human involved.	You review, edit, and send.	You review, edit, and send.
What triggers it	A customer texts a keyword you configured	You open a conversation in the inbox	You click the rephrasing tool on your draft
Best for	FAQs, after-hours responses, account lookups, menu-driven flows	Clearing your reply queue quickly with contextual drafts	Adjusting tone before sending important messages
Personalization	Rule-based. Same response for every customer who texts the keyword (unless using webhook).	AI-generated. Different suggestions based on conversation context.	AI-generated. Adjusts your specific draft.
Plan requirement	Pro Plus and above	All plans	AI add-on

Use SMS Bot when the answer is the same every time and does not need a human. Use AI Smart Replies when the response depends on conversation context and you want a fast first draft. Use AI Rephrasing when you have already written your reply and want to adjust its tone.

For details on Smart Replies, see Using AI Smart Reply Suggestions. For rephrasing, see Improve Your SMS Tone with AI Rephrasing and Nudge Alerts.

What SMS Bot Can Do

SMS Bot supports three types of automated replies. Choose the type that matches how you want to respond.

Static text replies

A customer texts a keyword. The bot sends a fixed response.

Example: A customer texts "hours." The bot replies: "We're open Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm EST. Call us at (555) 123-4567 during business hours."

Use static replies for questions with a single, consistent answer: business hours, office location, return policy, pricing.

A customer texts a keyword. The bot replies with numbered options. The customer picks a number, and the bot sends the corresponding response.

Example: A customer texts "help." The bot replies:

Please enter any of the digits:

Account Details

Account Balance

Address

The customer replies "1," and the bot sends account detail instructions.

Use menu-based replies when a single keyword could mean several things and you want to narrow down what the customer needs.

Dynamic webhook replies

A customer texts a keyword. The bot sends the keyword and the customer's phone number to your server via webhook. Your server responds with personalized data, and the bot delivers it.

Example: A customer texts "balance." The bot calls your server with the customer's phone number, your server looks up their account, and the bot replies: "Your current balance is $1,247.50."

Use webhook replies when the response needs live data from your systems: account balances, order status, appointment details.

Set Up an SMS Bot

Go to SMS/MMS and click Create Bot.
Name your bot and click Proceed.
Assign a JustCall phone number to the bot. The bot responds to messages sent to this number.
Add your keyword rules:
- Enter one or more keywords (separate multiple keywords with commas).
- Choose a reply type: static text, menu, or webhook.
- Enter the response content.
Click Save.

The bot starts responding to incoming messages on the assigned number immediately after you save.

Webhook configuration

For dynamic replies, you need to provide:

URL — the endpoint on your server that processes the request
Method — GET or POST
Parameters — the data your server needs (customer phone number is sent automatically)

Your server must return the response text that the bot will send to the customer.

Tips

Start with your most common questions. Look at your SMS inbox for the questions your team answers most often. Set up static text replies for those first. You can add menu-based and webhook replies later.

Use multiple keywords per rule. Separate keywords with commas so customers can trigger the same response with different words. For example: "hours, schedule, open, when" can all trigger your business hours response.

Test before going live. Text the keyword to your bot's number from a personal phone to verify the response looks right before customers see it.

Combine with your inbox workflow. SMS Bot handles the repetitive questions automatically. Use the SMS Inbox for conversations that need a human touch. Filter by Unread to focus on messages the bot did not handle.