Step by step guide to setting up automated lead qualification in Manychat

If you’re drowning in unqualified leads or wasting hours sorting through Messenger chats, this guide is for you. We’ll walk through setting up an automated lead qualification system in Manychat that actually works, saves you time, and doesn’t require you to be a coder. This isn’t a silver bullet, but it’ll do the boring stuff so you can focus on the leads that matter.

Let’s get started.

Why bother automating lead qualification?

If you’re reading this, odds are you’re tired of:

  • Chasing people who’ll never buy
  • Manually copying info from Messenger into your CRM (yikes)
  • Forgetting to follow up because you’re human

Automating lead qualification in Manychat can help by:

  • Asking the right questions up front
  • Sorting leads instantly based on their answers
  • Saving your sanity and time

But let’s be real: bots aren’t mind readers. Automated qualification works best for simple, clear questions — not for subtle “is this person really ready to buy?” moments. Use automation to sort out the obvious “nos” and “maybes,” then focus your energy on the real conversations.

What you’ll need before you start

  • A Manychat Pro account (the free version is too limited for lead flows)
  • A Facebook page connected to Manychat
  • An idea of your ideal lead (what makes someone a good fit?)
  • 30–90 minutes to get hands-on

Optional (but helpful):

  • Access to your CRM (for integration)
  • A list of qualifying questions you already use

Step 1: Map out your lead qualification questions

Don’t just copy a list from some template. Think about what you actually need to know to spot a good lead. Usually, this means:

  • Budget (“What’s your budget for X?”)
  • Need (“What’s your main challenge with Y?”)
  • Timeline (“When do you want to start?”)
  • Authority (“Are you the decision maker?”)

Pro tip: Keep it short. Every extra question means more drop-off. The sweet spot is 3–5 questions.

Write your questions down. Decide which answers mean “qualified,” “maybe,” or “not a fit.” This is your cheat sheet for the next steps.

Step 2: Set up a new Flow in Manychat

  1. Log in to Manychat and go to the “Automation” tab.
  2. Click “+ New Flow.”
  3. Name it something you’ll recognize, like “Lead Qualification – Messenger.”
  4. Set your trigger. For most people, “Keyword” or “Facebook Ad JSON” works best, but you can also trigger via a button or menu.

Don’t worry about making it perfect. You can tweak the flow as you test.

Step 3: Build your question sequence

Now, you’ll add your qualification questions as a series of messages.

  1. Add a message block for your welcome message.
  2. Example: “Hey! Quick questions so I can make sure we’re a fit. It’ll only take a minute.”
  3. Add a Question block for each qualifying question.
  4. Use “Quick Replies” or buttons for answers. This keeps things tidy and easy to track.
  5. Example: “What’s your budget for this project?” with buttons: “<$500”, “$500–$2000”, “$2000+”

Each answer gets saved to a “Custom User Field.” Create a new field for each answer (e.g., budget, timeline, etc.).

What works: Making questions feel friendly and low-pressure. What doesn’t: Open-ended text questions. People go off the rails, typos abound, and bots get confused.

Step 4: Add logic to sort your leads

This is where the magic (well, basic automation) happens.

  1. After your last question, add a “Condition” block.
  2. Set up rules based on your user fields.
  3. Example: If budget is “$2000+” AND timeline is “Within 1 month,” mark as “Hot Lead.”
  4. If answers don’t fit, mark as “Not Qualified” or “Nurture.”

Create paths for each outcome:

  • Qualified: Send a “Congrats, you’re a great fit!” message. Offer to book a call, show your calendar, or pass to a human.
  • Maybe: Ask a follow-up or tag for later.
  • Not a fit: Be polite. Thank them and point them to resources, or just end the flow.

Pro tip: Use tags (like Qualified Lead) so you can filter or trigger actions later.

Step 5: Notify your team (or yourself) about new leads

Bots are great, but humans close deals. Set up notifications so you know when the bot finds a good lead.

  • Use the “Notify Admin” action in Manychat to ping you on Messenger or email.
  • Include key info: name, answers, contact details.

If you’re using a CRM, connect it via Manychat’s native integrations or with Zapier. Push qualified leads right into your pipeline.

What to ignore: Overcomplicated CRM setups. Start simple: email or Messenger notifications are fine until you’re getting more than a handful of leads per day.

Step 6: Test your flow (and break it on purpose)

Before you set it live, run through your flow as a user. Try:

  • Giving weird or unexpected answers
  • Skipping questions
  • Typing instead of clicking buttons

See where things break or get awkward. Fix those spots. If you’re not a perfectionist, that’s fine — just make sure nobody gets stuck or feels like they’re talking to a robot from 1999.

Pro tip: Ask a friend or teammate to run through it. They’ll spot things you missed.

Step 7: Launch and watch what happens

Once you’re happy, set your flow live. Connect it to your ad, page, or website widget.

  • Tell people what to expect (“Answer a few quick questions to see if we’re a fit!”)
  • Check your Manychat dashboard after a day or two. See how many people drop off at each question.
  • Tweak your flow based on real-world feedback.

What to skip (for now)

It’s tempting to chase every shiny feature, but here’s what you probably don’t need:

  • AI-powered scoring: Most small teams don’t need it, and it’s rarely accurate without tons of data.
  • Long, branching flows: Simpler is better. Complicated bots just confuse people.
  • Collecting unnecessary data: If you’re not going to use it, don’t ask.

Focus on getting the basics right. Later, you can add fancy stuff if you actually need it.

Pro tips for better lead qualification bots

  • Personalize answers: Use the user’s first name, but don’t overdo it (“Hey, {first_name}, let’s get started!” is plenty).
  • Keep it human: Sound like you, not like a bot. Reread your messages out loud.
  • Make it easy to exit: Don’t trap people in endless questions. Add a “Not right now” option.
  • Respect privacy: Only ask for info you genuinely need. Don’t ask for phone numbers unless you need them.

The bottom line: Start simple, iterate fast

You don’t need a fancy, AI-powered bot to qualify leads. A simple Manychat flow that asks the right questions, sorts leads, and tells you who to follow up with is more than enough for most small businesses.

Set up your first basic flow. Watch how people use it. Improve it based on real data — not hype. You’ll save hours, cut the noise, and actually talk to leads that matter.

Ready to stop wasting time? Go build your flow.