# Create a simple auto-responder

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2F83uKhPSEFsa1FqrOptjP%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=1922139f-4528-4e4a-a09f-c7519154b869" alt=""><figcaption><p>Click the image to see the flow in more detail</p></figcaption></figure>

## How it works

1. **Conversation created**: The flow is triggered when an incoming message is received from a customer.
2. **Send plain text message to conversation**: The flow immediately responds to the incoming message with a predefined plain text message, acknowledging receipt and providing a response to the customer.

## How to use the flow

### What you’ll need

* At least one installed [channel](https://docs.bird.com/applications/channels/channels)
* The plain text message you want to send as an auto-response

### How to set up

**Trigger**

1. Go to **Flows** > **Template library** and locate and select the 'Simple Auto-Responder' flow.
2. Click Save to my library in the top right-hand corner.
3. The trigger is automatically configured for WhatsApp, but you can change the trigger to a channel of your choice

**Send plain text message to conversation**

1. Within the flow, locate the 'Send plain text message to conversation' action.
2. In the ‘Configuration’ > ‘Message content’ field, enter the plain text message you want to send as an auto-response. For example: "Thanks for getting in touch! We’ve got your inquiry and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible."

Click **Publish flow** to start automatically responding to incoming messages with the predefined plain text message.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.bird.com/applications/automation/flows/how-to/create-a-simple-auto-responder.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.