On the canvas you draw an automation: a message with buttons, and a different path for each button. Example for Corner Bistro: “Hi! How can we help?” with Menu, Book a table and Talk to us.
- Open Automation, press New automation, then Visual at the top of the editor.
- On an empty canvas, Start from offers ready-made flows. Pick Welcome + menu, or build your own.
- Select the When step and pick the moment, for example A new customer writes.
- Drag Message with buttons from Messages onto the canvas, or tap it and it joins the step you selected. Write the text and up to three buttons with Add a button.
- Choose Wait for the answer: 1, 2, 6, 12 or 24 hours.
- Drag from each button’s dot to the step it starts — Send a message, The AI answers, Hand to the team. Something else (any other answer) and No answer (time is up) have dots too; both are optional.
- Press Test to watch the customer’s side of the first path. Nothing is sent.
- When the bar under the canvas says Ready to save — every step is connected, choose the channels and press Save automation.
Good to know
- Buttons appear as reply buttons on WhatsApp, quick replies on Instagram and Messenger, and a keyboard on Telegram. Each says up to 20 characters.
- A flow only goes forward; a line back to an earlier step is refused. Up to 30 steps.
- An automation with buttons, Otherwise or an A/B split opens only on the canvas.
- Blocks marked Soon can’t be added yet.
- The canvas works in a phone’s browser too; in the MirageCHAT app, visual flows open read-only. The full guide with pictures: miragechat.io/help/build-an-automation/