Overview
Some automation flows in Spur can be triggered manually from the chat inbox, while others cannot. Understanding the difference helps you know which flows work for testing and which require real customer events.
Flow Types: Keyword vs Event-Based
Keyword Flows (Can Be Triggered from Chat)
These flows start when someone types a specific word or phrase:
How they work: Customer says "track order" → flow begins
What they need: Just the keyword trigger
Testing: Can be triggered from inbox because no external data is required
Event-Based Flows (Cannot Be Triggered from Chat)
These flows start when a specific action happens outside of messaging:
Examples: Shipping updates, abandoned checkout, order placed
What they need: Real event data like product details, customer behavior, shipping status
Testing: Cannot be manually triggered because the actual event must occur
Example: Why Abandoned Cart Flows Can't Be Triggered Manually
When someone abandons their shopping cart, the flow receives specific data:
Which products were in the cart
Cart value and quantities
Product images and links
Customer's shopping session details
The Problem with Manual Triggering: If you try to manually trigger an abandoned cart flow from chat, the system would need to know:
Which products did they "abandon"?
What was the cart value?
Which product links to send?
When did this "abandonment" happen?
Since no actual cart abandonment occurred, this data doesnt exist.
How to Test Event-Based Flows
Abandoned Cart: Add items to cart and leave the site
Order Confirmation: Place a real test order
Shipping Updates: Process an actual shipment
Flows You CAN Test from Chat
These keyword-based flows work perfectly from the inbox:
Welcome messages
FAQ responses
Product catalog browsing
Order tracking (when triggered by "track order" keyword)
Support menus
Best Practices
For Testing Event Flows: Create the actual conditions that trigger them rather than trying to force them from chat.
For Testing Keyword Flows: Use the chat inbox to quickly test responses and flow logic.
For Training: Explain to your team which flows need real events vs those that can be manually triggered.
The key difference is whether the flow needs external data from a real customer action or just responds to what someone typed in chat.