# Set the rules for a whole automation

> Settings in the SkedX Flow builder’s top bar holds the rules for the whole automation; every step follows them unless it says otherwise, and they save as you change them. Who enters: each contact every time it starts, once ever, or once every 30 days; and if they enter again while still in it, start again, carry on where they are, or ignore the new start. When it runs: only during set hours (their local time or yours), and outside them wait or skip. Stop words: the opt-out words, shared across SkedX. When a person replies in the inbox: keep running (the default), or pause 24 h, 1 h, until the chat is closed, or for typed messages only (button taps still answered). Replies: a button from an earlier message tapped later runs that step again or is ignored; typed instead of tapped asks again then hands to your team, or takes the closest button; no reply reminds after a time and gives up. WhatsApp’s 24-hour window: send an approved template first, wait for their next message, or skip. If a step fails: retry 3× over an hour or not, then tell the owner, the team or nobody; and pause the automation after 10 failures in a row.

Product: SkedX Flow · Topic: Automation · Verified in the live product on 2026-10-24

So that one place decides how the whole automation behaves — who gets it, when, and what happens when something does not go to plan.

## Step 1: Who enters, and when it runs

Click **Settings** in the top bar. Choose how often **Each contact** enters and what happens **if they enter again while it is still running**. Turn on **Only during set hours** to keep it to your hours. The **stop words** opt a person out of every automation. Choose what happens **when a person replies in the inbox**.

## Step 2: Replies, the 24-hour window, and failed steps

Scroll down. Under **Replies**: a button from an earlier message, tapped later; a typed answer instead of a tap — the default for new questions; and when to remind someone who has not replied. Under **WhatsApp’s 24-hour window**, choose what happens after 24 hours of silence. Under **If a step fails**, choose whether it retries 3× over an hour, and keep **Pause after 10 failures in a row** on so a broken step stops before it reaches everyone.

## Common questions

### Do I have to save?

No — every change saves at once, for the whole automation.

### Can one step do something different?

Yes. A step’s own setting wins — for example a question can have its own reminder time.

### Are opt-outs per automation?

No. Someone who opts out never enters any automation, and opt-outs are shared across SkedX.

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## Related guides
- Build an automation step by step in SkedX Flow: https://skode.ai/help/flow/automation/build-an-automation-step-by-step-in-skode-flow/
- Set up a message step and its buttons: https://skode.ai/help/flow/automation/set-up-a-message-step-and-its-buttons/
- Pause an automation in a chat when someone on your team replies: https://skode.ai/help/flow/automation/automations-pause-when-your-team-replies/
- Build a SkedX CRM automation step by step: https://skode.ai/help/automate/getting-started/build-a-crm-automation-by-hand/
- See where customers stop in an automation: https://skode.ai/help/flow/automation/see-where-customers-stop-in-an-automation/
- See the orders and revenue an automation brings, and where buyers came from: https://skode.ai/help/flow/automation/see-orders-and-revenue-from-an-automation/

Source: https://skode.ai/help/flow/automation/set-the-rules-for-a-whole-automation/