Generative review response uses AI to draft responses to customer reviews. When you open a review to respond, a response is generated automatically based on the review content and any instructions you have configured. You can edit the response before posting or ask the AI to make specific adjustments. Generative response can also be used in workflow rules to automate the process at scale.
Add Instructions
Instructions tell the AI model how to write responses for your account. They are optional — the system can generate responses without them using the entity name, primary category, and review content — but adding instructions improves consistency and helps responses match your brand voice.
Instructions are configured at the account level and apply to all reviews in your account.
To add instructions:
- Navigate to Reviews > Configuration > Generative Response.
- Click into the Instructions box and enter your instructions in natural language. There is a 5,000 character limit.
- Click Save.
Instructions can cover any combination of the following:
- Tone and formality, for example: "Respond in a polite and professional tone"
- Greeting and sign-off preferences, for example: "Address the reviewer by their first name if provided"
- Length preferences, for example: "Keep responses to two or three sentences"
- Language preferences, for example: "Respond in the same language as the review"
- Content guidance based on review type, for example: "If the review mentions a complaint, acknowledge it specifically before offering a resolution"
- Entity-specific content using embedded fields, for example: "For negative reviews, invite the customer to reach out to [[c_supportEmail]]." Click the Embed Field button below the instructions box to browse and insert fields.
You can also include example responses to guide the model — provide a sample review and a sample response that demonstrates the tone and structure you want.
Test Instructions with the Response Playground
The Response Playground on the right side of the instructions screen lets you test how your instructions affect generated responses before saving.
A test review is shown at the top — this is pulled at random from your account. Click Run to generate a response. To test different scenarios, click the shuffle button to swap in a positive or negative review, click the pencil icon to edit the test review manually, or change the response language using the language dropdown.
After making changes to your instructions, click Run again to see the updated output. When you are satisfied, click Publish to save your instructions.
Respond Manually Using Generative Response
When you open a review to respond, a generated response appears automatically in the text box. You can use it as-is, edit it directly, or use the AI-generated button to make specific adjustments.
To respond using generative response:
- Navigate to Reviews > Response or Reviews > Monitoring and click Respond next to a review.
- Review the generated response in the text box.
- (Optional) Edit the response using one of the following:
- Click into the text box and edit directly
- Click the AI-generated button and type a custom instruction in the query box, for example: "Make this shorter" or "Change the tone to be more empathetic"
- Click the AI-generated button and hover over the text box to select a preset action: reword, fix spelling and grammar, increase length, decrease length, simplify, translate, or change tone
- Click Reply to post.
Use Generative Response in Workflow Rules
Generative reply workflow rules automatically generate a response when a matching review comes in and create an approval task for a designated user to review before it posts. You can also configure rules to post automatically without human approval.
For steps on setting up generative reply workflow rules, see Create Workflow Rules for Review Response.