Visual Flow Builder

Overview

The Flow Builder is a visual drag-and-drop tool for creating multi-step DM automations on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Instead of relying solely on single-message replies, you can design entire conversation paths — ask questions, collect information, branch based on answers, book appointments, and more — all without writing a single line of code.

Think of it like building a choose-your-own-adventure for your DMs.

Two Ways to Build

Not every automation needs a canvas. When you click Create, you pick how you want to start:

• Simple reply — a form, not a canvas. Pick a trigger, write one reply, attach media, add up to 3 buttons, done. This is what replaced Quick Replies: everything a quick reply did, in about 30 seconds, and it still counts as a flow so you can open it on the canvas later and keep building.
• From a template — start with a ready-made flow and customize it.
• Start from scratch — the full canvas. Name, trigger, platform, then build.
• Generate with AI — describe the automation in plain English and let the AI build the node graph.

Creating a Flow

1. Navigate to Flows in your ChatGenius portal sidebar
2. Click Create and choose Start from scratch
3. Give your flow a name (e.g., "Welcome New Leads")
4. Choose a trigger type — this determines what starts the flow
5. Choose a platform — all platforms, or Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp only
6. The visual editor opens with your Trigger node already on the canvas
7. Drag nodes from the left palette onto the canvas
8. Connect them by clicking an output port (colored dot) and dragging to the next node's input
9. Click any node to configure it in the side panel
10. Click Save, then toggle the flow to Active

The WhatsApp platform option appears on the Professional plan and above, once a WhatsApp number is connected.

Templates

Ten pre-built templates are included to get you started quickly. Select a template when creating a new flow to start with a pre-configured canvas you can customize, or pick Blank Flow to start empty.

• Welcome Series — greet new contacts, delay, then follow up
• AI Qualifier — AI qualifies leads with natural conversation, then books or hands off
• Lead Capture — collect email and phone, mark as lead
• FAQ Bot — 3-topic menu with answer branches
• Appointment Booking — collect info, book a time slot
• Comment Promo — DM offer with discount code
• Story Engagement — thank story mentions, capture leads
• Follower Gate — require follow before promo with automatic recheck loop
• Google Review Request — ask happy customers for a review
• Ad to Checkout — welcome traffic from a Facebook or Instagram ad and send a Stripe link with attribution

Node Types

Nodes are the building blocks of your flow. Each one performs a specific action. Drag them from the palette on the left side of the editor.

Trigger

The starting point of every flow. Determines what action from a user kicks off this automation.

• When to use: Every flow must have exactly one Trigger node. It is added automatically when you create a flow.
• Key options: Choose a trigger type — DM keywords, comment trigger, ad click, story reply or mention, a shared reel or post, received media, or AI intent. See Trigger Types for all 13.
• Output: One green port — connect it to whatever should happen first.

Send Message

Sends a text message to the user. You can also attach an image, video, audio file, or PDF, and add up to 3 buttons.

• When to use: Whenever you need to say something — welcome messages, instructions, promotional text, follow-up info, or delivering a lead magnet as a PDF straight into the DM.
• Key options: Message text (supports variables like {name}), optional media attachment (JPEG, PNG, GIF, MP4, audio, or PDF), optional buttons (each becomes its own output port for branching), optional timeout (5–60 minutes) with a fallback path.
• Output: One green port if no buttons. Each button gets its own output. A red port appears if you enable a timeout fallback.

Collect Input

Asks the user a question and waits for their reply. Validates the response and saves it to a variable.

• When to use: When you need to gather information — email addresses, phone numbers, names, or any free-text answer.
• Key options: Question text, answer type (email, phone, name, text, or number), variable name to store the answer, and the message sent when the answer doesn't validate.
• Also save to a contact field (optional): pick one of your custom fields and the validated answer is saved to the contact permanently — visible in Contacts, the conversation panel, CSV exports, and your CRM sync. Variables only live for the flow run; a field lives on the contact.
• Output: Green port (valid response) and red port (still invalid after 2 retries).

Condition

Checks a condition and routes the conversation down different paths based on the result. You can add up to 4 rules — each rule gets its own output port, plus a default "none matched" port.

• When to use: When the next step depends on something — whether the user has provided an email, what platform they are on, their lead score, or a specific keyword in their message.
• Output: One colored port per rule, plus a default port for "none of the above."

Available condition types:

• Their message contains — check if the user's last message includes a specific keyword or phrase
• A saved answer equals — check if a variable collected earlier (e.g., {interest}) matches a specific value
• Platform is — branch based on whether the user is on Instagram or Facebook
• Conversation has tag — check if the conversation has been tagged with a specific label
• Is a follower — live check via whether the Instagram user follows your account (great for follower-gated promos)
• Has email — check if an email address has been collected for this contact
• Has phone — check if a phone number has been collected for this contact
• Lead score above — branch based on the user's lead score exceeding a threshold

Smart Delay

Pauses the flow for a set amount of time before continuing to the next step.

• When to use: When you want to space out messages naturally — for example, send a follow-up 30 minutes after the first message, or wait 2 hours before a reminder.
• Key options: Duration in seconds, minutes, or hours. Keep it under 24 hours — the editor warns you as you approach Meta's messaging window limit, and a delay that outlives the window may be cut short.
• Output: One green port — the flow continues after the delay.

Action

Performs a behind-the-scenes action without sending a message to the user.

• When to use: When you need to flag a hot lead, tag a contact for later segmentation, or hand the conversation to a human agent.
• Output: One green port — the flow continues immediately.

Available actions:

• Mark as Hot Lead — sets lead score to 100 and temperature to hot. All plans.
• Add Tag to Contact — applies a tag that stays with the contact after the flow ends. Professional plan and above.
• Hand Off to Human — assigns the conversation to a team member. Creator plan and above.
• Set Custom Field — silently saves a value to one of your custom fields on the contact. The value can be fixed text (great for attribution, e.g. interested_in: pricing on a comment-trigger flow) or a collected answer via {variable}. Yes/No fields take yes or no; date fields take YYYY-MM-DD. All plans.

AI Handoff

Exits the flow and hands the conversation over to your AI assistant. The AI takes over from that point with full knowledge of your business.

• When to use: When the conversation reaches a point where free-form AI responses would serve the user better than a scripted path — for example, after collecting basic info, let the AI handle detailed questions.
• Output: None — this ends the flow. The AI assistant picks up the conversation.

Go-To Flow

Jumps the user into a different flow. The current flow ends and the new one starts from its trigger.

• When to use: When you want to keep flows modular. For example, a "Welcome" flow might branch to a "Booking" flow or a "Product Info" flow depending on the user's choice.
• Key options: Select which flow to jump to from a dropdown of your active flows.
• Output: None — the current flow ends and the selected flow takes over.

Randomizer

Splits users randomly across 2–4 different paths based on percentages you set.

• When to use: A/B testing. Send 50% of users down one message path and 50% down another to see which converts better. Or split traffic across 3–4 variations.
• Key options: Number of paths (2–4) and percentage for each path (must total 100%).
• Output: One colored port per path (e.g., Path A, Path B, etc.).

Book Appointment

Guides the user through booking an appointment using your connected calendar. Shows available time slots and confirms the booking.

• When to use: When you want to let users schedule a meeting, consultation, or service directly inside the DM conversation.
• Key options: Service type selection. The node automatically pulls available slots from your calendar and handles conflicts.
• Output: Green port (appointment booked successfully) and red port (no available slots or user declined).

AI Step

Starts a mini AI conversation within your flow. The AI handles a bounded number of back-and-forth exchanges, then the flow resumes on a scripted path.

• When to use: When you want the AI to handle a specific part of the conversation — like answering detailed product questions or qualifying a lead with natural conversation — but still want to return to a scripted flow afterward.
• Key options: Instructions for the AI, maximum turns (1–10 exchanges), exit keyword the user can say to skip ahead, variables to extract from the conversation (e.g., budget or preferred date).
• Output: Green port (AI conversation completed or user said exit keyword) and red port (maximum turns reached without completion).

HTTP Request

Calls an external website or API during the flow. Use this to sync data with your CRM, trigger a Zapier/Make.com workflow, verify a payment, or pull information from an outside system.

• When to use: When your flow needs to talk to an external service — sending lead data to your CRM, checking inventory, triggering a webhook, or any integration with outside tools.
• Key options: URL (HTTPS only, supports variables), method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE), headers, request body (supports variables), timeout (3–30 seconds).
• Output: Green port (success response, 200–299) and red port (error or timeout).

Trigger Types

The trigger determines what starts your flow. There are 13 trigger types available — choose one when creating the flow.

DM Keywords

The flow starts when a user sends a DM containing specific keywords. Supports exact match and word-boundary match (so "pricing" matches in "what's your pricing?" but not in "repricing"). You can add multiple keywords to the same trigger.

Comment Trigger

Links to one of your existing comment triggers. When a user comments a keyword on your post and receives the auto-DM, tapping a button in that DM starts the flow. The flow takes over from the button tap — great for turning comment engagement into full conversations.

Ad Click

The flow starts when someone opens a conversation by clicking a Facebook or Instagram click-to-message ad. Because the flow fires on the very first message, you can greet ad traffic instantly instead of letting it sit unanswered.

Leave it set to any ad click to catch all campaigns, or enter a specific ad reference so each campaign gets its own flow. The Ad to Checkout template uses this trigger to welcome ad traffic and send a Stripe payment link with the campaign attached, so you can see which ad actually produced the sale.

Ad-click triggers also work on WhatsApp when your number is connected.

Story Reply

The flow starts when someone replies to one of your Instagram stories with a keyword you specify. Useful for "DM me PROMO for a discount" story CTAs.

Story Mention

The flow starts when someone mentions your business in their own Instagram story. No keywords needed — any mention triggers it automatically. Great for thanking people who share your brand.

Reel Shared in DMs

The flow starts when someone sends one of your reels to you in a DM. Useful for engaging with people who are sharing your content.

Post Shared in DMs

The flow starts when someone sends one of your Instagram posts to you in a DM. Similar to reel triggers but for static posts.

Collab Invite / Media

The flow starts when someone sends a collab invite or unsupported media attachment in a DM. Useful for auto-responding to collaboration requests.

Media Received

Four separate triggers fire when someone sends you a file instead of text. No keywords involved — the attachment type itself starts the flow.

• Image Received — someone sends a photo. Useful when customers send a screenshot of a product, a receipt, or a reference picture.
• Voice Message Received — someone sends a voice note.
• Video Received — someone sends a video clip.
• File Received — someone sends a document or other file.

A common use is acknowledging the upload right away — "Got your photo, one of our team will take a look" — then handing off to a human or your AI assistant, so nobody is left wondering whether their file arrived.

AI Intent Recognition

Instead of matching exact keywords, you describe what you want to detect in plain English — for example, "Person is asking about pricing" or "User wants to cancel their order." GPT-5 reads the user's message and determines if it matches your described intent.

This means "How much does it cost?", "What are your rates?", and "Can I get a price list?" all match an intent described as "asking about pricing." You can also add example phrases to improve accuracy.

AI Features

AI Flow Generator

Describe what you want in plain English — for example, "Create a flow that asks new followers what they're interested in, collects their email, and books a consultation" — and our AI generates the complete flow for you. You can then edit and refine it on the canvas.

Access it by clicking the AI Generate button in the editor toolbar.

AI Step Node

Drop an AI Step node into your flow to let the AI handle part of the conversation. You give it instructions and a turn limit, and it has a natural conversation with the user before handing back to your scripted flow. Great for qualification questions, detailed product Q&A, or anything that benefits from natural language.

AI Intent Triggers

Instead of guessing which keywords users might type, describe the meaning you want to detect. The AI understands context and phrasing variations automatically. At any point in your flow, you can also use an AI Handoff node to pass the conversation to your full AI assistant — the flow ends and the AI takes over with its complete knowledge of your business.

Commands & Shortcuts

The flow editor supports keyboard shortcuts, mouse actions, and toolbar commands to speed up your workflow.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Mouse Actions

Right-Click Context Menu

Right-clicking on a node shows: Copy, Paste, Duplicate (creates an instant copy next to the original), and Delete. Right-clicking on empty canvas shows Paste only.

Canvas Controls

Toolbar buttons and organizational tools for managing your canvas and flows.

Toolbar

Zoom Controls

Floating zoom bar in the bottom-right corner with zoom in (+), zoom out (-), reset (100%), and zoom-to-fit buttons. The current zoom percentage is displayed in real time.

Flow Folders

Organize your flows into colored folder groups from the flow list view. Pick from 8 colors to categorize your flows by topic, client, or campaign. Folders are collapsible, and their state is remembered between sessions. Deleting a folder moves its flows to "Uncategorized" — no data is lost.

Import & Export

Every flow can be exported to a file from its row in the flow list, and imported back with the Import button at the top of the list. Use it to move a flow between accounts, keep a backup before a big rewrite, or reuse a proven automation for a new campaign.

Imported flows always arrive as a draft named "(Imported)", so you can review the trigger and platform before anything goes live. Drafts don't count against your active-flow limit.

Testing Flows

Before going live, test your flow to make sure everything works as expected.

1. Click the Test button in the editor toolbar
2. A simulation panel opens on the right side
3. The flow runs step by step — you see bot messages appear and can type responses or tap buttons
4. Action nodes show as info pills so you can see what would happen behind the scenes
5. The currently executing node highlights on the canvas

Flow Analytics

Track how your flows are performing with built-in analytics. Click the chart icon in the editor toolbar while viewing a flow.

Metrics

• Total sessions — how many times the flow has been started
• Completions — how many users reached the end of the flow
• Completion rate — percentage of users who completed the flow
• Average duration — how long it takes users to get through the flow

Drop-Off Heatmap

The canvas itself becomes a heatmap showing where users are dropping off. Each node glows with a color indicating its pass-through rate.

Filter analytics by time period: 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or all time.

Variables

Variables let you personalize messages with information you have collected. Use them by typing the variable name in curly braces inside any message text.

Built-in Variables

Custom Variables

When you use a Collect Input node, the answer is saved to whatever variable name you specify (e.g., {budget}, {preferred_date}). The AI Step node can also extract variables from the conversation. These custom variables are available in all subsequent nodes within the same flow.

Example message: "Thanks {name}! We'll send appointment details to {email}."

Plan Limits

FAQ

Do I have to use the canvas?

No. Pick Simple reply when you create an automation and you get a plain form instead — trigger, one reply, optional media, up to 3 buttons. It's the replacement for Quick Replies. It saves as a normal flow, so you can open it on the canvas whenever you want to add more steps.

Which channels do flows work on?

Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. You can scope each flow to one platform or let it run on all of them. WhatsApp requires the Professional plan or above and a connected WhatsApp number. Telegram and SMS are not supported by flows — those messages are handled by your AI assistant instead.

Can I use both the AI assistant and flows?

Yes. They work together. When a user sends a message, flows are checked first. If a flow trigger matches, the flow runs. If not, the message goes to your AI assistant (if enabled). You get the best of both worlds.

What happens if a user stops responding mid-flow?

You can set a timeout on any Send Message node. If the user doesn't respond within the time you set (5–60 minutes), the flow automatically follows a fallback path — maybe a gentle reminder, or it can end the flow gracefully.

Are flows active 24/7?

Yes, but they operate within Meta's 24-hour messaging window. You can only send messages to a user within 24 hours of their last message to you. Each time the user sends a new message, the 24-hour clock resets. Smart Delay nodes respect this limit automatically.

Can I duplicate a flow?

Yes. From the flow list, use the Duplicate action to create an editable copy of any flow.

What's the difference between AI Handoff and AI Step?

AI Handoff ends the flow completely and passes the conversation to your AI assistant permanently. AI Step runs a short AI conversation (up to 10 exchanges) and then returns to the scripted flow. Use AI Step when you want AI for one part of the conversation; use AI Handoff when you want the AI to take over entirely.

Can I use flows I built on one account on another?

Yes. Export the flow from its row in the flow list, then use the Import button on the other account. The flow arrives as a draft so you can check the trigger and platform before activating it.

How do I know if my flow is working well?

Check the Flow Analytics (chart icon in the editor). The completion rate and drop-off heatmap show you exactly where users are engaging and where they are leaving. Aim for iterating on red-glowing nodes to improve your completion rate.