Freshdesk Omnil enables you to automate customer replies across email, chat, social media, and messaging channels with a single action—sending a reply.
This action helps you acknowledge customers instantly on the right channel, reduce manual work, and maintain consistent response behavior across all your supported channels.

What the “Send a Reply” action does

When you add 'Send a reply' as an Action to an automation rule, you can choose the channel through which you want the response to be sent. Each channel behaves differently based on the ticket’s source and the customer’s available contact details.

The action appears under all three automation types. You can also add multiple Send a reply actions inside the same rule—e.g., reply on Web Chat and send an email.

How Replies Behave by Channel

Below is the exact behavior for each channel supported in the dropdown.

1. Email

When it works:

• If the contact has an email address.
  
  

Notes:

• The email is sent regardless of the ticket’s source channel.
  
  
• Email responses support formatting, placeholders, and CSAT insertion.
  
  

2. Web Chat

When it works:

• Only if the ticket source is Web Chat.
  
  

Notes:

• Sends an automated chat reply in the same conversation.
  
  
• Supported formatting: links + optional CSAT.
  
  

3. WhatsApp

When it works:

• Only if the ticket source is WhatsApp.
  
  
• Contact must be within the 24-hour messaging window (Meta restriction).
  
  

Notes:

• Supports links + CSAT insertion.
  
  
• Auto-response fails if last user message is older than 24 hours.
  
  

5. Facebook Message (DM)

When it works:

• If the ticket source is Facebook message or Facebook comment.
  
  

Notes:

• Sends a message from your Facebook Page.
  
  
• A new message (DM) ticket is created with the agent as the actor (handled by the Facebook integration).
  
  
• A message is not initiated if an existing message conversation with the user is already active.

6. Instagram Message (DM)

When it works:

• If the ticket source is Instagram message or Instagram Comment.
  
  

Notes:

• Sends a message from your Instagram Page.
  
  
• A new message ticket is created with the agent as the actor (handled by the Instagram integration).
  
  
• A message is not initiated if an existing message conversation with the user is already active.
  
  

7. Facebook Comment

When it works:

• Only for parent comments on Facebook posts.
  
  

Notes:

• Automations reply only to parent comments to avoid messy reply chains.
  
  
• Child comments never trigger auto-replies.
  
  

8. Instagram Comment

When it works:

• Only for parent comments on Instagram posts.
  
  

Notes:

• Similar restrictions to Facebook comments.
  
  
• Ideal for acknowledging comments and initiating follow-up messages.
  
  

Formatting Options by Channel

Rules You Can Set Up

Here are common patterns supported today:

1. Always reply on the original channel

Example:

• Email → send email
  
  
• Web Chat → send Web Chat reply
  
  

2. Always send an email (universal acknowledgement)

• Send an email regardless of source, as long as customer has an email.
  
  

3. Mixed strategy

• Reply on the original social channel and send an email copy.
  Useful when brands want a DM + email confirmation.
  
  

4. Multi-channel auto-replies in the same rule

You can add multiple actions:

• Send reply → Facebook DM
  
  
• Send reply → Facebook Comment

5. Auto-reply across channels with a single rule
If you want to send automatic replies on multiple channels (email, Web Chat, WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.) using one automation rule, add multiple Send a reply actions inside the same rule. Each action will only execute if the ticket source matches the chosen channel.

Example inside one rule:

• Send reply → Email
  
  
• Send reply → Web Chat
  
  
• Send reply → WhatsApp
  
  

6. Send email only for email tickets (channel-specific replies)
If you want email auto-responses to trigger only when the customer contacts you via email and avoid sending emails for WhatsApp or Web Chat, even when the customer has an email address, create separate rules for each channel:

Rule 1:

• Condition: Source is Email
  
  
• Action: Send reply → Email
  
  

Rule 2:

• Condition: Source is WhatsApp
  
  
• Action: Send reply → WhatsApp
  
  

Rule 3 (optional):

• Condition: Source is Web Chat
  
  
• Action: Send reply → Web Chat
  
  

This ensures responses stay channel-appropriate and don’t spill over into email unless explicitly intended.

Important Behaviors & Safeguards

1. Replies only send if the channel supports it for that ticket

Example:

• Ticket source = Facebook message
  
  
• Action = "Send reply → Instagram message"
  → No reply is sent.
  
  

2. Duplicate message protections

If a message conversation already exists with the customer:

• Auto message reply is prevented
  
  
• Avoids creating duplicate message tickets
  
  

3. Child comments never receive auto-replies

Auto-replies only work for parent comments.

4. SMS and email can be universal

They can send even if the source differs, as long as the contact detail exists.

What Admins See in the UI

Agents can see

• All automated replies (except email) in the ticket as:
  “Automation rule sent a reply.”
  
  

Admins can

• Add unlimited “Send a reply” actions per rule
  
  
• Switch between channels while drafting (content not saved until rule is saved)
  
  
• Choose different content per channel
  
  
• Use this action across all automation types
  
  

Analytics behavior

• Automated replies do not count toward agent SLA or response metrics.
  
  

When to Use This Action

This action is ideal for:

• Immediate acknowledgements across chat or messaging channels
  
  
• Auto messages for Instagram/Facebook comments
  
  
• Universal “Thanks for reaching out” emails across all sources
  
  
• Auto-responses on Web Chat when agents are busy
  
  

Multi-channel confirmation (e.g., message + email)