Ostira didn't reply to a lead

Ostira holds back a reply when it can't send one or when you should look first. Open the lead's conversation in Conversations. The status at the top and any banner or draft card tell you which case below applies.

"Ostira paused — plan limit reached"

Your free plan's 10 AI replies for this month are used up. Messages Ostira wrote count, including its drafts you send. The lead's messages and the ones you write yourself don't. Ostira didn't answer and nothing was sent to the lead. You also get an email that starts "Ostira paused:".

• Reply to the lead yourself from the conversation.
• Or select Upgrade plan to go to Billing. After you upgrade, select Hand back to Ostira on each paused conversation so Ostira picks it up again.

The count starts over on the 1st of each month. See When you reach a free-plan limit.

"Draft from Ostira · paused because …"

Ostira stopped and left a suggested reply for you. The card says why: the lead asked for you, sounds frustrated, Ostira wasn't sure how to answer, the message mentions financing or an offer, or Ostira's reply needs a Fair Housing fix.

1. On the draft card, select Send draft, Edit or Dismiss.
2. When you want Ostira to carry on, select Hand back to Ostira.

See Review Ostira's suggested drafts.

"Ostira paused · needs you" with no draft

Either you selected Take over, or Ostira paused so you can read the lead's reply first, for example because it might mean they want to stop hearing from you.

Reply yourself, or select Hand back to Ostira. After a hand back, Ostira answers the lead's next message, not the ones you already handled. See Take over a conversation and hand it back.

"Qualified · handed to you" or "Gone cold"

Ostira's part is done. "Qualified · handed to you" means Ostira has its four answers and passed the lead to you. "Gone cold" means the lead didn't answer two follow-ups. Ostira doesn't write again in either case, so reply yourself. See When Ostira hands a lead to you.

The contact is marked Do Not Contact

Ostira never messages a Do Not Contact contact. Their replies are kept, but Ostira doesn't answer them. This is set when you turn on Do Not Contact, or when the lead unsubscribes, texts STOP, or asks in their own words to stop. If the lead asked to stop, leave it on. See Do Not Contact and unsubscribes.

The lead was imported or added with + Add Contact

Ostira starts a conversation only with leads that come in through New lead or a connected portal. Contacts you import from a CSV file or add on Contacts don't get a first message. The same goes for a new lead whose email or phone matched an existing contact. To reach these contacts, enroll them in a campaign.

The lead says they never got a text

When a contact has an email address, Ostira replies by email, even if the lead texted. It texts only when there's no email. Ask the lead to check their email, or select Take over and reply yourself. Your reply goes by text if the lead's last message was a text.

The lead wrote from another number or address

Ostira matches a reply to a lead by the phone number or email on their contact. A message from a different number or address isn't matched, so Ostira can't answer it. Update the contact's phone or email in the contact panel and select Save changes.

The contact has no email or phone

Ostira has nowhere to send a reply. Add an email or phone number in the contact panel and select Save changes.