Business texting · Autessa Phone & Texting
AI text replies
Autessa Phone & Texting lets you choose who answers each number's texts. An AI agent can reply, keeping one ongoing conversation per sender, or texts can go to the shared inbox with an optional auto-reply. Keyword replies, separate text hours and closed dates work in either mode.
The problem it solves
Texts deserve fast answers, not a full-time texter
People text because they want a quick answer. Having someone watch the inbox all day is expensive, and an unanswered text feels worse than a missed call. AI text replies answer instantly, the inbox keeps people in the loop, and keyword replies handle the common questions with no AI at all.
What you get
- Open-hours texts can be answered by a chosen AI agent, or by the agent connected to the number.
- Or texts can wait in the inbox with no AI, with an auto-reply sent at most once every N hours (24 by default, 0 for every text, up to 720).
- Closed hours can follow the call flow's hours or use separate text hours and closed dates.
- Keyword replies match the whole message, ignoring case, and are checked first in every mode.
- STOP, START and HELP are always handled first and cannot be overridden.
- A sender can text CLEAR to start a fresh conversation with the agent.
- Agents and scripts can also send texts with the Send SMS tool, up to 1,600 characters to US recipients.
How it works
How does ai text replies work?
Open Who answers texts
On the number page, open the text flow for that number.
Choose open-hours handling
Pick an AI agent, or no AI with the inbox and an optional auto-reply and its rate limit.
Set closed hours
Use the same hours as calls, or separate text hours with their own closed dates and a different handler.
Add keyword replies
Add whole-message keywords like HOURS or ADDRESS with fixed answers. They are checked before anything else.
Every option
Who answers texts
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open hours | AI agent (a chosen agent or the number's agent), or no AI: saved to the inbox. |
| Auto-reply | With no AI, an optional reply sent at most once every N hours: default 24, 0 for every text, max 720. |
| Closed hours | "Same as calls", or separate text hours with closed dates. |
| Keyword replies | Whole-message, case-insensitive matches checked first in every mode. |
| STOP, START, HELP | Always handled first; cannot be overridden. |
| CLEAR | A sender can text CLEAR to start a fresh conversation with the agent. |
| Default | A number with a directly connected agent has that agent answer; otherwise texts go to the inbox with no reply. |
| Send SMS tool | Agents and scripts send up to 1,600 characters to US recipients from a chosen number, with clear error codes such as CONSENT_REQUIRED or OPTED_OUT. |
Full reference: Phone Numbers guide on docs.autessa.com
Permissions
Who can do what?
| Who | Can |
|---|---|
| Person with write access to the number | Change who answers texts, the auto-reply, keyword replies and text hours. |
| Team member in the inbox | Read every text and reply as the business, including in threads the AI started. |
| AI agent | Reply to texts with one ongoing conversation per sender. |
AI on the line
What AI agents do here
The AI agent reads each incoming text in the context of the whole conversation with that sender and replies, using the same tools it has elsewhere. Its replies are labeled AI in the shared inbox.
Connected
How it connects to everything else
FAQ
Questions about ai text replies
Can an AI agent reply to business texts?
Yes. Choose an AI agent in the number's Who answers texts settings and it replies to each sender, keeping one ongoing conversation per person.
Can texts go to people instead?
Yes. Choose no AI and texts wait in the shared inbox, with an optional auto-reply sent at most once every 24 hours by default.
What are keyword replies?
Fixed answers for whole-message keywords such as HOURS. They are case-insensitive and checked before the AI or inbox.
Can I override STOP?
No. STOP, START and HELP are always handled first on every number.
100% customizable, code and all
Make Autessa Phone & Texting fully your own.
Use it out of the box, then change anything. Ask Autobot, Autessa’s AI builder, for a new field, screen, report, workflow or agent and it builds it into your copy of the app. Or open the code and edit it yourself. Nothing is locked: the app, its data and its code are yours.
Start free and make it yours