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Stop double-texting: pausing automation when a lead replies or opts out

Pause SAMI and your workflows the moment a lead replies or opts out, so automation never talks over a live conversation.

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Nothing erodes trust faster than an automated text landing in the middle of a real conversation. The moment a lead replies — or asks you to stop — your cadence should step aside and let the human take over.

Pause the cadence the instant a lead replies

The cleanest way to avoid talking over a live conversation is to react to inbound messages. In Workflows, build a workflow that uses the SMS Received trigger, then add a Control SAMI Workflow step to pause outreach for that contact.

  1. Start from the SMS Received trigger

    Create a new workflow in Workflows and choose SMS Received as the trigger so it runs the moment a lead texts back.

  2. Pause SAMI with Control SAMI Workflow

    Add a Control SAMI Workflow step (under Flow Control) to pause SAMI's automated messaging for that contact, handing the thread to a person.

  3. Stop any queued outreach

    Add Cancel All SAMI Outreach to clear scheduled texts and calls that were already lined up, so nothing fires after the reply.

  4. Unenroll from competing cadences

    Add an Unenroll from Workflow step to pull the contact out of the nurture cadence that was running, preventing a follow-up from overlapping the live chat.

Watch the conversation land in your Inbox. Pausing automation on a reply means an agent picks up a warm thread instead of an annoyed one.

Honor opt-outs across every channel

A reply is a pause; an opt-out is a hard stop. When a lead says "stop" or asks not to be contacted, SAMI's OPT_OUT outcome already applies Do-not-contact on all channels, which suppresses SMS, calls, and email for that contact. You can mirror this in your own workflows.

  • Use Do Not Contact Until to pause outreach until a specific date when a lead asks you to "circle back next spring."
  • For a permanent opt-out, rely on the Do-not-contact on all channels action so no workflow — current or future — can message that person.
  • Review and tune these post-call rules on your SAMI Bots so transfers, follow-ups, and opt-outs behave consistently.

Opting a contact out is a compliance requirement, not a preference. Once Do-not-contact on all channels is set, leave it in place unless the lead re-engages and clearly re-consents.

Keep your nurture cadences clean

A little hygiene prevents most double-texts. When you wire up a new cadence, pair the SMS Received trigger with the pause-and-unenroll pattern above, and confirm your SAMI Bots cancel enrollment on transfers and opt-outs. Spot-check live threads from the Inbox so a human always owns the conversation once a lead is talking back.

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Last updated 2026-06-21

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