When it is used
Next to the field there is an “Always open with this message” switch, and it is on by default: every brand-new conversation starts with your message, sent word-for-word as its own separate message. If the contact opened with a clear question, the agent answers it right after the welcome, so the greeting never gets in the way of an answer. Contacts who are replying to a campaign you sent do not get the welcome again. If you switch it off, the message is only sent when a conversation opens with a greeting or an unclear message (“hi”, “hello”, “info?”). A clear question (“how much is a cleaning?”) is answered directly with no opener. A good first message is short, names your business, and invites the person to say what they need. For example:Hi! Welcome to Acme 👋 How can we help you today? You have up to 2000 characters, but a sentence or two works best.
Personalization variables
You can drop contact variables into the first message so it greets people by name, such as the contact’s first name ({{contact.first_name}}). When a contact has that detail on file, it fills in. When they do not, the variable is omitted, so write the sentence so it still reads naturally without it.
Keep personalization light. One familiar touch (the first name) feels warm. Several variables in the opener feel like a mail merge.