Set automated send limits

Send limits stop your automations from messaging a recipient in a loop, for example when a workflow keeps answering a customer's auto-reply. One set of limits applies across the automations in your workspace.

Automations is in Early access. Your workspace permissions determine which actions you can perform.

What counts toward the limit

Automations counts automated SMS, WhatsApp, and Apple Messages sends for each sender and recipient pair. A send counts when Automations accepts it for sending, even if the channel later fails to deliver it. Sends from different automations to the same pair share one count, and each channel keeps its own count. For Apple Messages, the sender is your Apple Messages for Business account and the recipient is the customer.

Messages your team sends from the dashboard and messages your application sends through the API don't count. Previews don't send, so they don't count either.

Defaults and ranges

The 10-minute window rolls: each send counts for 10 minutes after Automations accepts it. Until you save limits, your workspace uses these defaults. Saved limits stay as you set them, even when the defaults change.

If a busy conversation reaches the limit, raise Messages per 10 minutes. A lower limit stops a runaway workflow sooner.

Change the limits

1. Open Automations and select Settings.
2. Under Send limits, set Messages per 10 minutes and Cooldown in minutes.
3. Select Save changes.

Changing the limits requires Automations write access. The new values apply from the next send.

When a pair reaches the limit

When a send would go over Messages per 10 minutes, Automations blocks it and starts a cooldown for that sender and recipient pair:

• The send step fails with E10022, and the run follows the step's failure path if you connected one.
• The blocked message isn't retried.
• Incoming messages from the recipient still arrive.

When the cooldown ends, sends resume if the pair has fewer than Messages per 10 minutes counted sends in the past 10 minutes. Otherwise, the next send starts a new cooldown. Sends attempted during a cooldown don't extend it.

Saving new limits doesn't shorten a cooldown in progress, and you can't end a cooldown early.

Fix a blocked send

1. Open the failed run in Runs and expand the send step. Its Result shows E10022 and when the cooldown ends.
2. Check whether an auto-reply on the recipient's side, or another of your automations, is answering your messages. Add a trigger filter or condition that stops the workflow from replying to it.
3. If the pair is in a busy conversation, raise Messages per 10 minutes.
4. If the message still needs to go out, send it again after the cooldown ends.

Next steps

• Send messages in an automation.
• Wait for a reply.
• Troubleshoot an automation.
• Read the E10022 error reference.