How do you handle users sending multiple messages in ManyChat without breaking your flow?

Hey ​@Felipe Chen 

Check out this video (sorry it’s in Spanish, I have to do more in English!):

This setup works only with the Default Reply…

And with our clients, we run AI from there and feed the entire info to the AI.

If you’re planning to use Data Collection blocks the setup is more complex (or impossible maybe?)

Let me know if this helps!

Best simple way: don’t react to the very first message right away.

What usually works better is:

1. Use a User Input / Data Collection step
2. Save the reply into a custom field
3. Add a short Smart Delay for a few seconds
4. Then continue the flow or send it to AI

Why: Manychat’s Data Collection block pauses and waits for the user’s reply, instead of rushing forward right after the first message. Manychat also says a Data Collection block can wait for a contact’s response for up to 30 minutes.

A practical setup is:

Ask question → save answer → short delay → process answer

If users often split their thought into 2–3 messages, you can:

• save the first message
• wait a few seconds
• then process it only after the pause

Also be careful not to stack too many delays and sequences together, because Manychat says mixed delays can make messages overlap or get messy.

So the short answer is:

Use Data Collection + a short Smart Delay as a buffer.
That is usually the cleanest way to stop fragmented messages from breaking the flow.

I agree with what you said, but how do you actually implement in the workflow: 1) I already have a Data Collection block, the first message sent is already saved to a custom field, not sure if that's changeable. 2) Smart Delay is added in the next step before the answer is given by AI integration.

Hey ​@Felipe Chen the proposal by ​@Devtrest sounds nice, but it’s just inaccurate. That’s just not how Data Collection blocks work in Manychat.

Here’s the full documentation:

https://help.manychat.com/hc/en-us/articles/18362925739932-Data-Collection-Block

I’ve been working with these automations for many years and the only reliable way to solve the ‘split message’ that I’ve found is by applying the ‘Queue’ connected to the Default Reply as mentioned on the video.

The other viable alternative is to train your audience with copy, and tell them ‘please reply in one message’. This helps alleviate the problem as some people will follow instructions, but it’s not 100% either.

Thanks, but my workflow is more complex than the default reply. It process the request and reroute the client to the correct department so I’m trying to figure out a smart way to capture fragmented answers without explicitly instructing the user to type in one message.

​@Felipe Chen got it! And yes, the Default Reply is still the way to handle these scenarios...

We have our whole AI and routing system connected to the Default Reply on our clients.

Our setup knows in which ‘state’ each user is in and routes the Default Reply trigger to exactly where it needs to go based on each user’s stage in our funnels. (We basically build a State Machine in Manychat)

It is a complicated setup, and we end up with a custom setup for each client.

But overall, our Default Reply trigger automation is by far the most complex automation we set up on our projects.

So we redesign our logic to work with the ‘catch all’ trigger (the Default Reply), we redesign our funnels so that we know where people are at any time, and if they ‘go off script’ and trigger the catch all, we route them back to the place they need to be to continue - with the complete context to continue without losing information.

It’s a much more complex setup than just having a fixed message on the Default Reply.

But it’s the only reliable way we’ve found to properly handle these scenarios where people go off-script or beyond Manychat’s ‘native’ capabilities.

Anyways, the ‘easy fix’ is using copy + instructions for the users. This will solve most cases and improve your conversion rates. If you need to cover 100% of the scenarios, you need the complex setup I mention here.

Hope this helps! Happy to discuss further if you’d like ;)

"Hey Gustavo, thanks for sharing. Quick question: In the scenario you explained in the video, you're able to send all the user's messages to ChatGPT. However, the great thing about using Custom Fields is that it allows you to easily set up follow-ups when someone doesn't respond. How would you handle a follow-up for someone who doesn't reply if you're using the Default Reply method?"

Hey ​@Victoria.Nutricion ! 👋

We handle this by orchestrating a combination of Rules, Tags, Conditions, and Smart Delays. Here is a breakdown of how the workflow operates:

• Track Engagement: First, we use rules and tags to detect when the bot sent the last message and the user has stopped responding.

• Set the Timing: Once that drop-off is detected, it triggers an automation with a Smart Delay. You can set this delay to a few minutes or a few hours, depending on what makes the most sense for your client.

• Send the Follow-Up: After the delay finishes, a re-engagement message is automatically sent to the user.

Customizing the Message:

You can do this the traditional way with a fixed message (e.g., "Hey, is there anything else we can help you with?"), but you can also combine it with AI for powerful context!

If you use AI, the bot can read the previous context. For example, if the user dropped off after saying, "I need to check this with my husband," the AI can generate a highly personalized follow-up like: "Hey, did you get a chance to check with your husband?"

By blending AI with Manychat's native tools, you get the same reliable follow-up sequences you're used to, but with a much higher level of personalization.