On Kanal, an automation always starts with a trigger. It is the event that tells the system: "Now is the time to send this message".
Here is a breakdown of the triggers available in your interface, grouped by category.
These triggers react to interactions or messages sent on the app.
Inbound Message: This trigger "listens" to incoming messages. You can set up Kanal to reply to a specific keyword (e.g. "PROMO") or to any message, to act as a welcome message.
Whatsapp Template: This trigger fires as soon as a specific template is sent to a customer (through a campaign or another flow).
How it works: Kanal identifies the template's "reference node" at the moment it is sent. This lets you immediately trigger a logical next step, such as adding a tag or starting a countdown for a follow-up.
These triggers are synced in real time with your online store's activity.
Post Purchase: Fires as soon as a customer completes their payment on your store. It is the ideal starting point for order confirmations and thank-you messages.
Abandoned Cart: This trigger targets customers who started checkout but did not finish it. It is the number one tool to recover revenue.
Shipment Update: This is the logistics tracking trigger. It fires at each key step of the package's journey:
Shipped (Fulfillment created)
In transit
Out for delivery
Delivered
Ready for Pickup: Essential for pickup point deliveries.
💡 Focus on "Ready for Pickup": Kanal detects the status change directly in your Shopify order view. As soon as the carrier confirms the package has arrived at the pickup point, the message is sent.
Incoming Webhook: This trigger lets you connect Kanal to external tools (Zapier, Make, third-party CRM). It is the way to automate messages based on events outside Shopify or WhatsApp.
If you want to... | Use the trigger... |
Follow up with a customer who did not finish checkout | Abandoned Cart |
Confirm an order | Post Purchase |
Notify customers their package is at the pickup point | Shipment Update |
React when a specific message is sent | Whatsapp Template |
Reply to a keyword (e.g. "MENU") | Inbound Message |
Connect an external tool | Incoming Webhook |
Active status: Make sure your automation's toggle is set to "Active" in your list.
Shopify data: For delivery triggers (Shipment Update), the tracking number must be present in Shopify for the event to be passed to Kanal.
Variables: Remember to use variables (first name, order number) to personalize your messages based on the chosen trigger.
