> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.routiq.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# The Message Queue
> Check Robyn's drafts, approve them, or let her send on autopilot.
The **Message Queue** is where Robyn's messages wait before they go out. It holds three kinds:
* **Rebooking** drafts for patients who are [due back](/reengagement/whos-due-back);
* drafts from your [campaigns](/reengagement/campaigns);
* **Replies:** answers Robyn wrote to patients' texts that need your OK first. They're approved one at a time.
## Review or autopilot
The strip at the top says how the queue is running:
| It says | What happens | Button |
| - | - | - |
| "Review is on." | "Robyn writes, you approve, she sends", with how many a day and when. | **Turn on autopilot** |
| "Autopilot is on." | Robyn approves and sends on her own, and says when the next batch goes. | **Pause** (campaigns only) |
| "Paused." | "Nothing goes out until you resume." | **Resume** |
Autopilot only sends when your clinic is **Live** in Operating mode. On autopilot, a wording check reads Robyn's drafts first, and anything it holds waits for you: "The wording check held this one for you to read first."
## The tabs
| Tab | What's in it |
| - | - |
| Drafts | Messages waiting for your OK. |
| Queued | Approved messages and when they'll go, under "Going out" or "Sending now". |
| Sent | What went out, over the last 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days or all time. |
| Booked back | Patients who booked after a message. |
## Approving drafts
Click a draft to open it. The pane shows the message and three more views: **Journey**, **Score** and **Prompt**, which explain who the patient is and why Robyn chose them.
* **Send today** or **Send tomorrow** approves it. "Send today" only shows while a send would still land between 8am and 8pm.
* **Edit message** lets you change the words. Press **Save message**. Under the text you'll see the characters, SMS segments and credits it will use.
* **Quick adjustments** turn the booking link on or off. If your clinic has an [unsubscribe link](/patients/opt-outs#the-unsubscribe-link), it's added for you and can't be removed.
* **Other**, then **Skip this one**, takes the patient out. Pick a reason: "Not now", "Already rebooked with us", "Wrong person or number", "Too soon after their last visit" or "Something else".
To approve everything at once, press **Approve all**. "Nothing sends now. They move to Scheduled and start going out at" your send time, "a few seconds apart". You can also **Send all now**.
In **Queued**, press **Send now** to send one straight away, or **Take out of the queue** to stop it. When a message shows "Sending now — this one can't be recalled.", it's too late to stop.
## Add patients yourself
In the [Patient List](/patients/patient-list), tick the patients you want and press **Add to queue**. Up to 50 at a time. Robyn drafts them straight away: "drafted and waiting for you".
Robyn still skips anyone with no mobile, anyone who's opted out, anyone with a booking coming up, anyone texted in the last three days, and anyone this campaign has already written to.
## Settings for rebooking messages
Two panes in **Settings** shape rebooking messages. Only an owner or admin can change them.
* **Rebooking messages:** "How she writes to lapsed patients: the tone, the sign-off, and one brief per risk tier." Robyn writes from what she knows about each patient: their name, their usual treatment, who they saw and that they're due. You can add your booking link here too.
* **Rebooking schedule:** "When those messages go out, and how many in a day." The same controls open from **Automation settings** in the queue.
| Setting | What it does |
| - | - |
| Reengagement automation | Turns rebooking on or off. Turning it off closes the run for everyone already in it, and can't be undone. |
| Messages a day | "Robyn keeps this many messages drafted and ready, and up to this many go out each day." Up to 100; 20 to start. |
| Sends at | The time the day's messages start going, between 8am and 8pm. |
| On these days | Weekdays to start with. |
| Approve them for me | "Drafts skip your review and join the send queue on their own." This is autopilot. |
## Sending rules
These always apply to rebooking messages and campaigns:
* Messages only go out between 8am and 8pm, your clinic's time.
* They leave a few seconds apart.
* Nobody gets a new rebooking or campaign text within three days of the last one.
* Routiq sets a daily limit for your clinic. When it's reached, patients keep their place for tomorrow.
* Each campaign texts a patient once. There are no automatic follow-ups.
If a message can't go, it says why. For example: "Today's send limit is reached — they keep their place for tomorrow." or "No message credits left — top up to send this one." See the [Message Log](/reengagement/message-log) for every reason.
## When patients reply
A reply to a rebooking message goes to **Chat**, where Robyn or your team answers it. In the queue the row says "They replied. Answer them in Chat." with an **Open thread** link.
With no credits left, Robyn stops writing new drafts and approved messages can't go. Top up before you approve a batch. See [credits](/billing/subscription-and-credits).
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