How follow-up sequences work
What happens after a shopper replies: the three follow-up sequences, the switches that control them, and how to edit them.
Last reviewed November 7, 2026
When a follow-up starts
A follow-up starts when ACR sorts a shopper's reply as positive, undecided or negative. The steps left in the main sequence are cancelled and the matching follow-up takes over, with its first wait counted from that moment. A shopper who never replies, or a call that only reaches voicemail, stays on the main sequence.
- Positive: they intend to buy, accepted the offer, or asked for the link or code.
- Undecided: they are thinking about it, asked a question, or want more time.
- Negative: they are not interested, bought elsewhere, or the cart was a mistake.
Other replies skip follow-ups. An opt-out or a request for a person ends the run. A text or email ACR cannot read clearly marks the lead Review Required and pauses the run.
The switches and the recommended steps
Each follow-up has a switch in General settings. Its steps are on the Follow-ups step, both under Advanced.
| Sequence | Switch | Default | Recommended steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive reply | After a positive reply | On | A text after 2 hours, a call 1 day later, an email 1 day after that |
| Undecided | When a shopper is undecided | On | A call after 1 day, a text 1 day later, an email 2 days after that |
| Negative reply | After a negative reply | Off | An email after 3 days |
With a switch off, or with no steps in that sequence, a positive or negative reply ends the run and an undecided reply leaves the main sequence running.
Edit a follow-up
- Open Advanced > Follow-ups and turn off Recommended follow-ups.
- Under Sequence to show, pick the sequence. Negative reply is listed only when its switch is on.
- Press Add step and choose Follow-up call, Follow-up text, Follow-up email, Follow-up WhatsApp or End of campaign, with its wait.
- Save, then publish.
The limits on steps and days are the same as the main sequence, and each sequence has its own 30 steps and 60 days.
What a follow-up message knows
A follow-up the agent writes draws on the campaign brief, the shopper's cart and the conversation so far in this run: the messages sent and received and each call's summary, most recent last. It picks up from there and does not repeat what was already sent. A follow-up call gets the same conversation when it starts.
Two cases send a fixed text instead: a step with a message you set, which goes out as written, and a store with no writing AI set up, which sends ACR's standard copy.
A direct answer to a shopper's text or email is different: the agent reads the last 20 messages with that shopper before it writes back.
Rules while a follow-up runs
- Quiet hours, consent and Geo permissions apply as they do to any step.
- An order, an opt-out or a hand-off ends the run.
- Each new reply is sorted again, cancels the steps left, and starts the sequence that matches.
- Follow-up steps belong to the same run, so they add nothing to your run count.
A shopper can also ask on a call to be called back later, which adds a call at roughly that time. If the same call is sorted as positive or undecided with that follow-up on, the follow-up replaces the callback.