Waiting for a reply

Continue the automation when the lead replies to the message.

Continue The Automation After A Lead Reply

Check the Send to field: the step waits for the selected recipient's reply.

Enable Wait for a reply when the automation should wait for the next incoming message in the recipient's dialog after sending. A separate Reply output appears on the step. Connect it to the next step in the branch that should run after the lead replies.

In Save reply to variable, choose a scope and name. Run keeps the text only in this run; Lead and Dialog save it using the selected data source, and Project stores it as a shared project value. In a Background automation, Lead and Dialog are available for this step only in recipient-data mode. The picker shows only string variables and lets you create a compatible variable when you have the required permission.

Message Step. Highlighted elements: 1. Send to field; 2. Wait for a reply; 3. Save reply to variable — 1 / 2
1. Send to field · 2. Wait for a reply · 3. Save reply to variable

Continuing the process

The incoming message text is written to the selected variable before the Reply branch continues. The default is Run · answer; later steps can insert it as {{run.answer}}.

Waiting for a reply does not hold the main branch after the message is sent. The next incoming message starts the separate Reply branch when it arrives.

Reply attachments

To capture reply files, select a separate variable in Save reply attachments to a variable: a Run attachment variable or a Lead, Dialog, or Project array. Before the Reply branch continues, the entire attachment list is saved, including replies without text. If there are no attachments, an empty list is written. Lead and Dialog use the same data source as the reply text. Leaving the field empty means no separate attachment variable is saved.

For example, send "Please attach the contract as a PDF", save reply attachments to run.documents, and connect Reply to a PDF format check. Yes continues processing; No can ask the lead to attach the required file.

To prevent the assigned agent from replying in parallel to a message already accepted by this branch, configure letting an automation handle the event.