SMS & Phone
How to Build After-Hours SMS Bots in GoHighLevel
By Marnix Geerkens. Published 2022-04-27. Updated 2026-06-02.
GoHighLevel workflows let you send automatic SMS replies to web chat messages that arrive outside business hours. Set up a Customer Replied trigger filtered to the chat widget channel, add an if-else condition that checks for evening or Sunday hours, and send a default text to anyone who falls into that window. Contacts who ask about specific topics can receive a follow-up message 30 seconds later.
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Summary. This tutorial covers building an after-hours auto-reply system for web chat contacts in GoHighLevel. A workflow fires on the first chat widget message, checks whether the current time falls outside business hours or on Sunday, and immediately texts the contact with a helpful response. A second workflow layered on top can detect keywords like 'demo' and send a more targeted follow-up message half a minute later.
What you will learn
- Why web chat messages convert to SMS conversations after the first reply
- How to use the Customer Replied trigger filtered to the chat widget channel
- How to build an if-else condition that detects evenings, mornings, and Sundays
- How to add a keyword filter so high-intent messages get a tailored response
- How to use a wait step to sequence two outbound messages naturally
Steps
Create a new workflow
Inside your sub-account, open Automation and add a new workflow. Name it something like 'After-Hours Web Chat Reply' so it is easy to find later.
Add the Customer Replied trigger
Select Customer Replied as the trigger and add a filter for Reply Channel equals Chat Widget. This ensures the workflow fires only on the first inbound chat, not on every subsequent SMS reply.
Build the if-else time condition
Add an If/Else action. Create three segments: Current Day of Week is Sunday, Current Hour is on or after your after-hours cutoff (adjusted for time zone), and Current Hour is before your morning open time. If any segment is true, the contact goes down the Yes path.
Send the default after-hours SMS
On the Yes path, add an SMS action with a friendly message letting the contact know the team is unavailable and when they can expect a reply.
Create a second workflow for keyword detection
Duplicate or create a new workflow with the same trigger but add an extra filter for Contains Phrase and enter a keyword like 'demo'. This workflow also uses the same if-else time check.
Add a wait step before the keyword reply
Place a Wait step of 30 seconds at the start of the keyword workflow's Yes path. This gives the first workflow time to deliver the default message before the more specific one arrives.
Send the targeted follow-up
After the wait, add a second SMS action that references the keyword topic, for example pointing the contact toward a demo link or resource. Activate both workflows.
Tips
- GoHighLevel tracks the contact's time zone on the account level, so confirm which time zone your account uses before setting hour thresholds.
- Build keyword workflows for any phrase you see repeatedly in web chats, such as 'pricing' or 'support'. Each one is its own lightweight workflow.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does the workflow only fire once per contact?
The chat widget channel filter matches only the first inbound message. Subsequent replies come through the SMS channel, so the trigger does not re-fire.
Can I run both workflows at the same time for the same contact?
Yes. Both workflows share the same trigger and run in parallel, which is why the keyword workflow needs a short wait.
What happens to contacts who chat during business hours?
They go down the No path of the if-else condition and no automatic reply is sent, so a team member handles them normally.
How many keyword workflows can I create?
There is no practical limit. Add one per high-frequency phrase you want to address automatically.