Keyword rules

Keyword rules are lightweight automations that respond when a message matches a pattern. They are useful when you want a fast, deterministic reply without building a full workflow.

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Management overview

From the keyword rules list you can see the associated bot, the specific pattern (e.g. “refund”, “pricing”), and the toggle for enabled/disabled state at a glance. Use this view to turn rules on or off and confirm which bot handles each pattern.

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What a rule includes

Each rule is tied to a bot and includes:

• a pattern
• a match type
• a response
• an enabled or disabled state

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Rule configuration

The creation drawer (or edit form) lets you set up a rule in one place:

• Select the target bot — Choose which bot will run this rule so the right agent responds when the pattern matches.
• Define the pattern and match type — Enter the trigger phrase (e.g. “refund”, “pricing”) and choose Contains, Exact, or Regex so BoundBot knows how to match incoming messages.
• Set the response message — Enter the text the user will receive when the rule fires. Keep it short and actionable.

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Match types

BoundBot supports:

• Contains
• Exact
• Regex

On the Free plan, only Contains is available. Paid tiers unlock Exact and Regex.

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When to use keyword rules

Use keyword rules when:

• the same phrase appears often
• the reply should always be the same
• you want a simple first layer before AI reasoning

Good examples:

• office hours
• refund policy
• shipping cutoff
• emergency contact instructions

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When not to use them

Do not use keyword rules when you need:

• follow-up questions
• branching logic
• API calls
• lead capture
• event-driven automation

For those cases, move to Workflows.

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Rule design tips

• Keep patterns narrow enough to avoid false positives.
• Write short response text with one clear next step.
• Disable or delete rules that overlap with each other.
• Test rules against real customer phrasing, not idealized examples.

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