---
title: "Which Automation Replies to a Message or Comment"
description: "When several automations could react to the same comment or message, Chatfuel picks exactly one."
canonical_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/which-automation-replies-to-a-message-or-comment
markdown_url: https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/which-automation-replies-to-a-message-or-comment.md
last_updated: 2026-08-12
lang: en
site: https://chatfuel.com/docs
llms_txt: https://chatfuel.com/llms.txt
---

# Which Automation Replies to a Message or Comment

When several automations could react to the same comment or message, Chatfuel picks exactly one.

When several [automations](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/automations) could react to the same comment or message, Chatfuel picks exactly one. Here is the order it checks.

## The priority order [#the-priority-order]

Within a source, the winner is decided top-down:

1. **Custom automations targeted at the specific content** — rules tied to [that exact post, ad, or story](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-set-up-automation-for-specific-posts-or-ads). A rule aimed at the post always beats a general rule, even if the general rule's keyword is a closer match.
2. **General custom automations** — rules on the whole source, not tied to specific content.
3. **The base automation** — the source's permanent catch-all.

Within steps 1 and 2, keyword precision breaks ties: a rule matching the **exact** text beats a rule matching **contains**, which beats a catch-all rule that reacts to any comment. If two rules still tie, the older one wins.

Automations that are turned off never compete — they're skipped entirely.

## A worked example [#a-worked-example]

Say you have three rules on Instagram post & reel comments:

* *"Price"* — replies when a comment contains "price", on any post
* *"Launch post"* — replies to any comment, but only on your launch post
* The base automation — answers everything else

A comment "what's the price?" under the launch post gets answered by *"Launch post"* — it targets that specific post, so it outranks the keyword rule. The same comment under any other post gets *"Price"*. A comment "love this!" under a regular post falls through to the base automation.

## Two things that surprise people [#two-things-that-surprise-people]

* **Turning off the base doesn't silence the source.** If an enabled custom rule matches, it still replies even while the base is off. The base is only the fallback for whatever nothing else caught. If you turn off the base *and* have no enabled customs, the source goes fully quiet.
* **Main bot is the master switch.** If [Main bot](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/automations) is off, nothing replies anywhere — no source, no custom rule, regardless of their own toggles.

## Not sure which rule will fire? [#not-sure-which-rule-will-fire]

Ask the [AI Co-Worker](/docs/ai-features/what-the-ai-co-worker-can-do-for-you): *"Which automation will answer a comment saying 'how much' on my latest reel?"* — it checks your rules and names the winner. You can also open the rule in **Fuely AI** → **Automations** and [try it in the Test chat](https://chatfuel.com/docs/ai-features/how-to-test-your-automation).