---
title: "Setting Up the Reply Agent"
description: "Set up your AI review reply agent — configure brand voice, response length, tone preferences, and approval workflows for every location."
---

Reply Agent Setup helps your team configure automated review-response workflows inside the Localith [ai google review reply tool](/ai-reviews-reply-agent/).

## Overview

Use this guide when you are setting up review-reply automation for the first time or restructuring how replies should move through Localith.

The goal is to get a usable response workflow live quickly while keeping the right level of control for your brand. Depending on your setup, that can mean a standard auto-responder flow, a more dynamic AI-driven flow, or a mix of automation plus approval.

## Before you start

Before you configure the reply agent, make sure:

- your Google Business Profiles are already connected in Localith
- you know which locations should use the same reply logic
- your team has decided which cases can move automatically and which should stay in approval
- you know whether you want a standard template-style automation or an AI-driven workflow

If you need the approval logic after setup, continue with [Approval Rules](/docs/ai-review-reply/approval-rules/).

## Standard auto-responder setup

The support flow we have today starts from the automations area for responses.

1. Open **Responses** in Localith.
2. Go to **Automations** and click **Create automation**.
3. Choose the Google accounts and locations you want the automation to cover.
4. Select the review conditions the automation should respond to.
5. Choose **Default message** if you want a more standard auto-responder flow.
6. Add the message content and save the automation.
7. Review the automation after it starts running and adjust the rules if needed.

![Responses Automations view with create automation action](/images/docs/ai-review-reply/reply-agent-setup--automation-view.jpg)

## Set up the AI-driven reply flow

If you want replies to adapt more closely to the review itself, configure the workflow to use the AI option instead of a fixed message.

1. Start the same automation setup flow in **Responses > Automations**.
2. Choose the accounts and locations you want to include.
3. Define the review conditions the automation should watch.
4. Choose **AI Agent** instead of **Default message**.
5. Configure the supporting settings your team uses for tone, language, and approval.
6. Save the automation and review its behavior on a limited set of locations before scaling it.

This path is best when your team wants faster, more context-aware drafts instead of identical reply templates.

![AI Agent option selected in the review automation flow](/images/docs/ai-review-reply/reply-agent-setup--ai-agent-option.jpg)

## Decide what should stay in approval

Setup is not only about turning automation on. It is also where you decide how much human review your team still needs.

As a practical rule:

- routine, low-risk reviews can move faster
- sensitive complaints or edge cases should still route to approval
- tone, brand, and escalation expectations should be clear before you scale to more locations

If you need more control, use [Approval Rules](/docs/ai-review-reply/approval-rules/) after the initial setup is complete.

## Pause, update, or refine the setup later

After the automation is live, treat the first setup as a starting point rather than the final version.

- revisit the covered locations if teams need different rules
- adjust the review conditions if too many reviews are being handled the same way
- refine the tone and escalation logic when the workflow grows

## Tips and best practices

- Start with a limited location group before you scale the reply workflow widely.
- Decide early which review scenarios should never post automatically without human review.
- Keep the owner of the workflow clear so automation changes do not happen without oversight.
- Pair Reply Agent Setup with Approval Rules and Tone & Language Settings so the workflow stays controlled as volume grows.

## Limits or edge cases

- A response workflow still needs owner review when brand, legal, or customer-service sensitivity is high.
- Different brands or client accounts may need different automation logic.
- The safest rollout is usually a smaller pilot before you expand the automation to every location.

## Common questions

**Q: What is the difference between Default message and AI Agent?**

Default message is the simpler automation path. AI Agent is the more dynamic path for context-aware response generation.

**Q: Can I change the setup later?**

Yes. You can revisit locations, conditions, and automation settings as your workflow matures.

**Q: Should I automate every review immediately?**

Most teams start smaller and keep at least some categories of reviews inside a manual approval path.