My automation never starts

You built the automation, set the keyword, someone sent you exactly that word — and nothing happened. There is no run on the Logs tab either. When no run is ever created, the problem is not inside the flow but in something that stops the flow from starting. This guide rules out the possible blockers, starting with the most common.

💡 Tip: If runs do appear in the logs but the flow is cut short, this is not your guide. In that case see my automation stopped — loop protection.

You may be seeing one of these situations:

• The automation never triggers and there are no logs.
• It works for some people and not for others.
• It ran once and never again.
• Another automation steps in and runs instead.

A concrete example: a café builds a flow that sends the menu to anyone who writes "menu", and it does nothing. There are no runs in the log. The cause is that the flow was edited once more after it was built and never republished: the card says Unpublished changes and the version running live is still the first one, whose trigger was empty. The moment Publish is pressed, the flow starts working.

Make sure the automation is live

This is the most common cause and takes seconds to check.

1. Open the Automations list.
2. Look at the status badge next to the automation: Draft, Live or Off.
3. If it is Draft, open it and press Publish at the top right. The panel may also be telling you to publish first.
4. If it is Off, choose Turn on from the Actions menu in the list.
5. If the card shows Unpublished changes, you have edited the flow but not published it; the old version is still the one running live. Press Publish.
6. If publishing says a number of issues must be fixed, the flow has gaps; open the warning list and clear every item.

Check the trigger settings

If the flow is live and still does not fire, the trigger is not matching the event.

1. Open the automation and tap the start node on the Flow tab.
2. Confirm the trigger type matches the incoming event. A Keyword trigger only works on messages; it does not answer comments. A Post comment trigger does not work on DMs.
3. On a keyword trigger, check the match mode: exact, word, starts with, contains. With exact selected, a word written inside a sentence does not match.
4. Look at the excluded words list. If one of those words appears in the person's message, the trigger never fires.
5. On a comment trigger, check the scope: is one specific post selected, or all posts? Is the source posts only, or live videos only?
6. On a comment trigger, replies to comments do not start the flow by default. Turn the box on if you also want comments under your own reply to trigger it.
7. If you set a tag (ref) on a link or ad trigger, the incoming link must carry exactly that tag.

Re-entry rule and running sessions

If the automation ran once and then went quiet, the re-entry rule is the reason.

1. Open the automation and go to the Settings tab.
2. Look at Can the same person enter again? The values are Every time, Only once, Once a day and Once per chosen period.
3. With Only once, the flow never runs again for that person. For your own testing, use a different test contact or set the rule to Every time temporarily.
4. Check A new keyword can interrupt this automation. When it is off, keywords are ignored while the person is waiting to reply in another flow.
5. If the conversation was handed over to an agent, automations pause in that conversation. Look for the paused badge above the conversation in the inbox.

Channel, plan and portfolio blockers

Even a flawless flow is stopped by a closed gate outside it.

• The channel is not connected. If the connection shows Needs reconnecting, no events arrive; see my account says it needs reconnecting.
• The channel is disabled on the plan. If you see that the channel is disabled on this portfolio's plan, triggers do not run on it.
• The trigger type is disabled on the plan. Some triggers (mention, link/ad, date and time) depend on the plan. The card shows a Plan lock warning and runs stop at a step.
• The portfolio is scheduled for deletion. Every account is closed in that case; see the portfolio is locked.
• Messages may not be arriving at all. If there are no new conversations in the inbox either, work through messages are not arriving first.

Verify with the simulator

You can see whether the trigger matches your text without sending a real message.

1. Open the automation and go to the Test tab.
2. Pick a Channel.
3. Press Start flow and type exactly what the person would write.
4. Watch which step the flow stops at.
5. No message goes to the real channel, and contact details change only inside this test.

If it works in the simulator but not live, the problem is not the flow but one of the gates above.

Other known issues and limits

• When several automations match the same event, the narrowest wins. A comment trigger tied to one specific post beats an "all posts" trigger; an exact keyword match beats a "contains" match. See my automation replies to the wrong person.
• The default reply trigger only runs when no other trigger matches.
• Business hours can postpone a run started outside working hours; the log shows it as deferred.
• An automation in the trash does not run. Deleting one turns it off and stops its running sessions.
• The comment trigger is Instagram only. WhatsApp has no comments.

If you have followed every step and the problem continues, contact our Support team.