Who should read this article: Administrators
Send an SMS or WhatsApp message to a customer automatically, based on how their call or conversation ended.
Introduction
When a call or conversation ends, your team often needs to follow up: confirm a sale, send a link, or tell a customer you tried to reach them. Without Automations, you must do this by hand or build your own integration with Voiso webhooks.
An Automation is a type of workflow that does this for you. It waits for an event, such as a dialer call ending. It checks the details of that event, such as the wrap-up code or the disposition. If the details match the rules you set, it sends a message.
For example, you can:
- Send a WhatsApp confirmation when an agent sets the wrap-up code Sale.
- Send an SMS when a dialer call ends with the disposition No answer.
- Send a WhatsApp follow-up when a call reaches voicemail, but only if the dialer will not call the number again.
Where to find Automations
Automations are in Automation > Workflow studio.
The Workflow studio page has two tabs:
- Workflows — all your workflows in one list: Automations, Inbound call workflows, and Digital workflows. Use the type filter to show only one type.
- Automation templates — ready-made starting points for new Automations. Templates never run.
Inbound call workflows and Digital workflows were previously on the Inbound > Flows page. They now live in Automation > Workflow studio. They work the same way as before.
How an Automation works
Every Automation is built from nodes in the Workflow builder:
| Node | What it does |
|---|---|
| Trigger | The event that starts the Automation, and the campaigns or channels it covers. Every Automation has exactly one Trigger. |
| Conditions | The rules the event must match, for example wrapup_code equals Sale. |
| Send message | Sends an SMS or a WhatsApp message. |
| End | Ends the Automation. |
Triggers
| Trigger | When it fires | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Dialer call ended | A dialer campaign call ends. | The campaigns you select. |
| Conversation ended | A digital conversation ends, for example on WhatsApp or Telegram. | The channel types you select. |
Each trigger has its own set of variables that you can use in conditions and in the message text. Refer to Trigger node for the full list.
When an Automation runs
- An Automation runs only while its switch in the Controls column is ON.
- When an event happens, Voiso checks every Automation that is switched on. Every Automation whose rules match will run. One event can send more than one message if more than one Automation matches.
- Each Automation runs once per event.
Columns in the Workflows list
| Column | Values | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration | Configured / Not configured | An Automation is Configured when the Trigger node is connected to at least one other node. |
| Type | Automation / Inbound call / Digital | The type of workflow. |
| Trigger / Assignment | For example Dialer call ended and 3 campaigns | For an Automation, the trigger and what it covers. For other workflows, the numbers or channels assigned to them. |
| Status | Active / Inactive | Whether the workflow is running. An Automation is Active while its switch is ON. An Inbound call or Digital workflow is Active as soon as it is configured. |
| Controls | ON / OFF | Switch an Automation on or off. |
Rules for the switch:
- A new Automation is always OFF. You decide when it starts sending messages.
- You can only switch on an Automation that is Configured. If it is not, the switch is greyed out.
- If you save an Automation with no steps, Voiso warns you first, then switches it OFF. When you add steps again, it stays OFF until you switch it on.
- Inbound call workflows and Digital workflows cannot be switched on or off. They are ON as soon as they are configured, even without a number or channel of their own, for example when another workflow sends calls to them outside business hours.
- Users with view-only permission see the switches but cannot change them.
Error icon: all selected campaigns have ended
If an Automation covers only specific campaigns, and all of those campaigns are now Completed, Stopped, or in an Error state, a red error icon appears in the Trigger / Assignment column. The Automation stays ON, but it cannot run, because those campaigns will not make any more calls.
To fix this:
- Open the Automation in the Workflow builder and click the Trigger node.
- In the notice at the top of the settings, click Remove them to remove the campaigns that have ended.
- In Campaigns, select at least one campaign that can still make calls, for example an Active, Paused, or Draft campaign.
- Click Save workflow.
Important things to know
Messages are sent straight away, or not at all. Voiso acts on an event only within 60 seconds after it happens. If something delays it longer, the Automation does not run and no message is sent. This protects your customers from late messages that no longer make sense, for example a "we missed you" message after the dialer has already called them again.
- Personalise SMS messages. Add variables to the SMS text, such as the campaign name, the agent's name, or the call date, so each customer gets a message about their own call. WhatsApp messages use your approved message templates.
- Messages sent by an Automation do not start other Automations. When a conversation that an Automation opened ends, no Automation runs for it. This prevents message loops.
- Existing conversations. On digital channels, a customer can have only one active conversation. If the customer already has an open conversation, the Automation message is added to it. That conversation still belongs to the customer, so when it ends, it can start Automations as usual.
- Check what was sent. Every message an Automation sends is in the Call Detail Records (see below).
Finding messages sent by an Automation
Every message an Automation sends appears in Reporting > Call Detail Records. Open Extended Call Details for that message to see:
- Automation workflow — the name of the Automation that sent it. Click it to open the Automation.
- Related call — click View Call Details to open the call that started the Automation.
In the chat transcript, the name of the Automation appears next to the sender of the message. Click the name to open the Automation.
Permissions
Access to Workflow studio is set in the security access group, in the Automation section:
| Permission | What the user can do |
|---|---|
| View Workflows | Open Workflow studio and see all workflows and templates. Cannot change anything. |
| Edit Workflows | Create, edit, switch on or off, clone, and delete workflows and Automation templates. |
These permissions cover all three workflow types: Automations, Inbound call workflows, and Digital workflows. Users with neither permission do not see the Automation menu.