Creating a Keyword Trigger that Starts a Flow

A keyword is the first word in a message and can be used to initiate a flow. For example, you can set a trigger using the keyword "JOIN" to start a flow that registers contacts for your service.

To create a new keyword trigger:

1. Navigate to the Triggers tab, then click the + New Trigger box. 

2. Click the "Start a flow based on keywords in an incoming message" option.

3. Enter your keyword(s) you want, then select the flow you want it to trigger. You can add multiple keywords, including misspellings, to a single trigger.

4. Choose when to trigger. These options allow you to select whether you want to start the flow when the message starts with the keyword or contains only the keyword.

5. Select the flow to start.
6. Optional: The channel this trigger will operate on. If you choose none, then any channel you have added to your workspace will allow the keyword to start the flow.
7. Optional: You can choose the group(s) to which your keyword trigger will apply. You can both include and/or exclude. If you leave this field empty, your keyword trigger will apply to anyone who sends it.
8. Click the "New Trigger" box to save.

The following example shows how to set up a trigger that will start the 'Coupon Group' flow when members of the 'New Registrations' group (but who are not members of the 'Completed Registration' group!) send a message starting with the keywords promo, promotion, or the misspelling prmo if messaging us via the LeahNyaruka Telegram channel integrated into the workspace.

Once created, that trigger will appear in our list of active triggers or the 'Message' folder for triggers:

Exclude the Open Tickets Group

When using the ticketing system, make sure to exclude the smart group 'Open Tickets' from other triggers.

When a ticket is open, incoming messages from your contacts may be interpreted as a keyword trigger or as a message that does not match any keywords, which could unintentionally launch the contact into a flow.
The Open Tickets smart group automatically adds a contact when a ticket is opened, causing the contact to be ignored by these other triggers while they are communicating with an agent through the ticket. Once the ticket is closed, the contact is automatically removed from the group, allowing their future messages to trigger flows normally, including keyword-based or unmatched-message triggers.

Updated on: 24/08/2026