FloatMessage
Live Chat6 min read

Configuring AI Auto-Reply for Customer Support

FloatMessage can automatically reply to visitor messages using Google Gemini AI. This means your chat widget can answer questions, provide information, and help visitors 24/7 - even when you're not available. This guide walks you through the full setup.

1

Open the AI Auto-Reply settings

In your Chat Settings, click the AI Auto-Reply tab. Toggle Enable AI on.

Chat Settings AI Auto-Reply tab showing Enable AI toggle, Gemini API key field, and agent instructions
The AI Auto-Reply tab in Chat Settings
Note: You need a Google Gemini API key to use this feature. You can get one for free at aistudio.google.com/apikey. Paste it into the Gemini API Key field.
2

Choose an agent template or write your own

Click Choose Pre Agent to browse preset instruction templates. These give your AI a specific personality and knowledge base - pick the one closest to your use case:

Agent Instruction Examples modal showing presets like Customer Support, Coupon/Promotion, Lead Generation, Product Recommendations, and more
Choose from preset agent templates to get started quickly

Available presets include:

  • Customer Support - answer questions about your product or service
  • Coupon / Promotion - share deals and discount codes
  • Lead Generation - qualify leads and collect contact info
  • Product Recommendations — suggest products based on visitor needs
  • Appointment Booking — help visitors schedule meetings
  • Onboarding Guide - walk new users through your product
  • And more - Restaurant, Real Estate, SaaS Trial Conversion, etc.
Tip: You can use a preset as a starting point and customize the instructions to match your specific business.
3

Customize your agent instructions

After choosing a template (or starting from scratch), fill in the Agent Instructions field. This tells the AI who it is, what it knows, and how it should respond.

AI Auto-Reply settings filled out with custom agent instructions, template variables, and max reply settings
Customize your agent's instructions, variables, and behavior

You can also configure:

  • Template Variables - dynamic values like {{businessName}}, {{supportEmail}}, {{discountCode}} that get injected into the instructions. Update them anytime without rewriting the full prompt.
  • Max AI Replies - limit how many automatic replies the AI sends per conversation before handing off to you.
  • Instruction Source - choose between static instructions or a webhook that provides dynamic context per visitor.

Click Save Settings when you're done.

4

See AI auto-reply in action

Open your website and send a message through the chat widget. The AI will respond automatically based on your instructions.

Live website showing the chat widget with an AI-generated auto-reply to a visitor message
AI auto-reply responding to a visitor on your live site
Tip: You can always jump into a conversation from the dashboard to take over from the AI. When you send a manual reply, the AI stops responding in that conversation.
Note: AI responses are powered by Google Gemini 2.0 Flash - fast, accurate, and free for most usage levels. Your API key usage is billed directly by Google, not FloatMessage.

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