Adding and removing the welcome reply for AI agents

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">The welcome reply is asystem replyfor messaging AI agents. It greets the customer when they reach out and sets the tone for the conversation.</p>
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<div class="note attention" id="topic_n54_kkf_p2c__note_e4y_nnr_2jc">
<span class="attentiontitle"></span> <span class="ph">The functionality described in this article is being rolled
out to all Suite and Support plans from May 11 through June 12, 2026. You may not
see this functionality in your account yet. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10487730059034" target="_blank">this announcement</a> for details.</span>
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<p class="p">The welcome reply is a <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749481882" target="_blank">system reply</a> for messaging AI agents. It greets the customer when
they reach out and sets the tone for the conversation. </p>
<p class="p">For Zendesk Chat, you must take an extra step to add a trigger reply action to trigger the
welcome reply. For Zendesk Chat with language detection, you must <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756692890" target="_blank">create a template block</a> as well.</p>
<div class="p">This article covers the following topics:<ul class="ul" id="topic_n54_kkf_p2c__ul_ob5_tkf_p2c">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_y1g_5kf_p2c">Adding the welcome reply</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_wkx_vkf_p2c">Removing the welcome reply</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
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<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_y1g_5kf_p2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Adding the welcome reply</h2>
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<p class="p">Add a welcome reply to greet customers when they reach out via messaging. </p>
<p class="p">For instructions, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749481882#topic_jhb_k4p_xfc" target="_blank">Editing system replies</a>. </p>
<p class="p">If you use Zendesk Chat, also perform the applicable steps below.</p>
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<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested2" id="topic_mqn_dtg_bgc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title3">Adding a conditional block before the welcome reply (Zendesk Chat only)</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">If you use Zendesk Chat with an expression-based AI agent, you need to create a
conditional block to ensure <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756692890" target="_blank">language detection</a> works seamlessly.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To set up a conditional block before the welcome reply for Zendesk Chat</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_mqn_dtg_bgc__ol_kt1_3tg_bgc">
<li class="li">In the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357749494810" target="_blank">dialogue builder</a>, click the plus (+) icon to
add a conditional block. <p class="p">The conditional block appears along with the first
condition block and the fallback block.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">In the conditional block, select the <code class="ph codeph">active_language</code> parameter. </li>
<li class="li">Create condition blocks for each language. </li>
<li class="li">For each condition block and the fallback block, click the plus (+) icon and select
<strong class="ph b">Link to</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">Select <strong class="ph b">Welcome reply</strong>.<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_mqn_dtg_bgc__image_ymc_q5g_bgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/aiaa_conditional_welcome_reply.png" width="800"></p>
</li>
</ol>
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<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested2" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title4">Adding a trigger reply action (Zendesk Chat only)</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">If you use Zendesk Chat, after you set up the welcome reply, you also need to add a
trigger reply action to trigger the welcome reply.</p>
<div class="p" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__p_q3p_s5g_bgc">
<strong class="ph b">To add the trigger reply action for Zendesk Chat</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__ol_v4v_s5g_bgc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In the AI agents workspace, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756913178#topic_t25_qvj_tdc" target="_blank">select the AI agent</a> you want to work
with.</span></li>
<li class="li"><span class="ph">Click <img class="image" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__d9e307" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ai_agents_settings_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Settings</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Events and actions</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click the options menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__image_yzj_whh_bgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/options_menu_icon_verticle_sm.png">) next to the Add action button and select <strong class="ph b">Trigger reply
on event</strong>.<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__image_m4s_lxg_bgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/aiaa_trigger_reply_on_event.png" width="250"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Complete the following fields:<ul class="ul" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__ul_cdb_nxg_bgc">
<li class="li">For Select event, select <strong class="ph b">Conversation started</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">For Select reply, select the welcome reply you want to use.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>.<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_fl5_q5g_bgc__image_bd1_wxg_bgc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/aiaa_activate_reply_on_event.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
</ol>
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<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested1" id="topic_wkx_vkf_p2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title5">Removing the welcome reply</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can remove the welcome reply if needed. </p>
<p class="p">If you created a trigger reply action for Zendesk Chat, you can remove that too. It’s
recommended to remove the trigger reply action first.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To remove the trigger reply action for Zendesk</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_wkx_vkf_p2c__ol_ps4_zxg_bgc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In the AI agents workspace, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756913178#topic_t25_qvj_tdc" target="_blank">select the AI agent</a> you want to work
with.</span></li>
<li class="li"><span class="ph">Click <img class="image" id="topic_wkx_vkf_p2c__d9e307" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ai_agents_settings_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Settings</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Events and actions</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click the delete icon (x) next to the trigger reply action you want to remove.</li>
</ol>
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<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To remove the welcome reply</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_wkx_vkf_p2c__ol_o5c_dyg_bgc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In the AI agents workspace, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8357756913178#topic_t25_qvj_tdc" target="_blank">select the AI agent</a> you want to work
with.</span></li>
<li class="li"><span class="ph">Click <img class="image" id="topic_wkx_vkf_p2c__d9e127" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ai_agents_content_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Content</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Use cases</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Select the Welcome reply. </li>
<li class="li">Select the language version of the reply you want to edit and click <strong class="ph b">Edit
dialogue</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">Delete all blocks from the dialogue except the first AI agent message block. </li>
<li class="li">Delete all content from the AI agent message block. </li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong> or <strong class="ph b">Publish</strong>. </li>
</ol>
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