AI Replies helps you respond to your Google reviews faster. Connect your Google Business Profile, generate an AI‑written reply you can edit, and post it straight to Google. You can also turn on an optional grace‑period auto‑reply that posts a draft for you after a delay — unless you reply first.
Step 1 — Open AI Replies
In the sidebar, under AI, click Auto-Replies. Use the location switcher to pick the location you want to set up, then use the platform tabs (Google, Facebook, Instagram) to choose which one to configure.
Step 2 — Connect your Google Business Profile
- On the Google card, click Connect Google Business Profile.
- Sign in with Google and grant access when prompted.
- If your Google account manages more than one business location, choose the one that matches this SocialBizHub location.
Connecting here is what allows SocialBizHub to post replies to Google. (The basic Google connection on the Integrations page only imports reviews — it can't post replies.)
Step 3 — Choose your reply settings
On the same page you can set:
- Enable auto‑reply — off by default. When off, you generate and post replies manually.
- Auto‑post delay — how long to wait before an approved draft is posted automatically (for example, "4 hours"). Leaving this as Manual only means nothing is ever posted without you.
- Minimum rating — only auto‑reply to reviews at or above this star rating.
- Reply tone and Sign‑off — shape how replies read and how they're signed (for example, "The {Your Business} Team"). A live sample preview updates as you type.
Click Save reply settings when you're done.
Step 4 — Reply to reviews
Replies happen on the Manage Reviews page. For any Google review:
- Generate AI draft — creates a suggested reply in the text box. Use Regenerate to try again.
- Edit the wording however you like.
- Post to Google — publishes your reply to the review on Google.
If you've enabled auto‑reply with a delay, eligible new reviews show a live countdown ("Auto‑replies in 3h 59m unless you post first"). Posting manually before the timer ends cancels the automatic reply.
The "Needs reply" queue
When AI Replies is set up, Manage Reviews shows a Needs reply tab that gathers every Google review still waiting on you. Working from this tab keeps you at "inbox zero."
- Ignore — for reviews you don't plan to answer. They leave the queue and won't auto‑reply. You can always click Reply anyway to bring one back.
- Edit reply — already posted a reply? You can update it and overwrite the one on Google (handy for fixing a typo or following up).
What about reviews a customer edits later?
If a customer changes their review after you've already replied, SocialBizHub flags it as "Updated since your reply" and brings it back into your queue so you can decide how to respond. For your protection, SocialBizHub never auto‑replies to an edited review — those always wait for you.
Facebook & Instagram: comment keyword auto‑DM
If you've connected Facebook or Instagram in Content → Connections, a tab for that platform appears on the Auto‑Replies page. There you can set up a keyword → auto‑DM automation: when someone comments a word you choose (for example, BOOK) on any of your posts or reels, they instantly receive a direct message — perfect for sending a booking link or a PDF.
For each automation you set:
- Keywords — the words that trigger it (leave blank to reply to any comment).
- DM message — the message commenters receive, with an optional button (label + link, e.g. "Book now").
- Public reply (optional) — a visible comment reply like "Check your DMs!"
You can pause, edit, or delete automations any time, and each shows how many times it has triggered. (This just requires Facebook or Instagram to be connected in Content → Connections.)
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to turn on auto‑reply? No. The default is Manual only: you generate drafts and post them yourself. Auto‑reply is entirely opt‑in.
Can I reply to a review without generating a draft first? Yes — just type your reply and click Post to Google.
Does this work for Facebook or Instagram? Those platform tabs are marked Coming soon. Today, AI Replies covers Google.
Will my replies show up in my website widgets? Your replies appear in your SocialBizHub dashboard and on Google. The public review widgets show the guest's review (replies are not displayed in the widget).