Last updated: 6 October 2026
TL;DR
- You steer the AI in Repmanager with the AI guidelines: five blocks (brand voice, review handling, per-rating behavior, contact details and advanced instructions), for the whole organisation or per location.
- Set the fixed choices first (tone, length, form of address) and only use the free instructions (up to 2,000 characters) for what those choices do not cover.
- Two example replies written by your own team steer the tone better than a list of words you do or do not want to see.
- Check every change with Refresh in the preview and with Generate with AI on a few real reviews before any reply goes live.
What are the AI guidelines in Repmanager?
The AI guidelines are the settings that decide how the AI answers your reviews. Where you used to type one prompt, you now choose per topic: how you sound, how you handle complaints, what changes per star rating, which contact details to include and which instructions of your own the AI receives. On the right is a preview, which you update with Refresh after a change, and a summary of your current settings.
You set them for the whole organisation or for a single location. Note that a location with its own settings overrides the organisation completely. So when you set up a location, fill in every field, not only the one that differs. The guidelines decide what a reply says. When a reply is sent is decided by your reply rules.
Which five blocks do you set up?
1. Brand voice
Here you choose the tone (friendly, formal or empathetic, for example), the reply length, whether the AI uses the reviewer's name, whether emoji are allowed and how you sign off. Also fill in the fallback salutation. The AI uses it when the name is unusable, such as initials or a username. Nobody wants to read "Dear MH".
2. Review handling
This block is about content. How do you respond to negative reviews, which call to action do you give, and do you address every point or only the main one? Switch off repeating the review: a reply that summarises what the customer just wrote reads like an echo. Switch on special handling for star-only reviews so they get a short reply. And set a language fallback, so a one-word review does not get a reply in the wrong language. How to build a reply to a complaint is covered in how to respond to negative reviews.
3. Per-rating behavior
Here you separate four and five stars from one to three stars. For each band you choose a formal or informal form of address, the signature and whether contact details are included. Many businesses use a more informal tone for positive reviews and a more formal one for complaints. Contact details belong with low ratings only; under a compliment they look like a template.
4. Contact details
Fill in the email address and phone number and choose one preferred channel. For low ratings the AI mentions that channel first. Which channel suits you best is covered in contact details in a negative review reply.
5. Advanced instructions
The block for everything the fixed choices do not cover. Here you add words to avoid, free instructions of up to 2,000 characters, up to eight custom greetings that the AI rotates, and two example replies. From those examples the AI only takes the tone, not the content.
| Block | What it controls | Starting advice |
|---|---|---|
| Brand voice | Tone, length, name, emoji, sign-off | Friendly, medium, no emoji, a neutral fallback salutation |
| Review handling | Approach to complaints, focus, language | Repeating the review off, star-only short |
| Per-rating behavior | Form of address, signature, contact details | Contact details for one to three stars only |
| Contact details | Email, phone, preferred channel | One channel that is actually staffed |
| Advanced instructions | Words to avoid, free instructions, greetings, examples | Two real replies from your own team |
What goes in the free instructions?
Only what is specific to your business and cannot be set anywhere else. The fixed choices for tone, length and form of address work more reliably than the same wish written as a sentence. Set both and they may contradict each other, and then the AI no longer knows what you mean.
Good free instructions are short and concrete. A few examples:
- "Never name a member of staff in a reply to a complaint."
- "For questions about opening hours, refer to the website."
- "Never promise a time frame for calling back."
- "Always write our company name in full."
2,000 characters gives you room, but more is not better. Ten clear rules work better than half a page where everything is mixed up.
Why do example replies work better than banned words?
Because a ban only makes the AI swerve. Ban one stock phrase and the AI moves to near-synonyms, and the reply still sounds like a template. You can see that in the six signs of an AI review reply. Two real replies written by your own team give the AI a tone to follow. Preferably pick replies to positive reviews, because that is where most repetition happens.
So use the word list for a few real stock phrases, and the examples for tone. That is also why we no longer recommend fixed opening lines: exactly that kind of sentence gives an AI reply away once it appears under every review.
How do you set up the AI guidelines step by step?
- Open AI guidelines and choose the whole organisation.
- Under brand voice, set the tone, the length and the fallback salutation.
- Under review handling, switch off repeating the review, switch on short replies for star-only reviews and choose your language fallback.
- Under per-rating behavior, choose the form of address per band and switch contact details on for one to three stars only.
- Under contact details, fill in your details and one preferred channel.
- Under advanced instructions, add two example replies, and only the free instructions you really need.
- Click Refresh in the preview, then in Reviews use Generate with AI on a long review, a short one, a star-only one and a negative one. Nothing goes live until you click Send, and as long as no reply rule is active.
- Only then deviate per location, when a branch really needs a different tone.
Not sure which reviews the AI may then answer on its own? Read which reviews to answer automatically. How the AI reply generator works is explained on the feature page. And if you want sensitive reviews never to get an automatic reply, switch on Rep Shield.
Frequently asked questions
How many characters can the free instructions hold?
Up to 2,000 characters. Use them for rules specific to your business, not to repeat the fixed choices in words.
Can each location have its own tone?
Yes. A location with its own guidelines overrides the organisation completely, so fill in every field there.
How short can a reply to a positive review be?
One or two sentences is often enough, especially for a star-only review. More tips in responding to positive reviews.
Does a reply go live as soon as I change something?
No. A reply you create with Generate with AI is only posted when you click Send. Whether a reply is posted automatically is decided by your reply rules.
Need help setting it up?
In a 15-minute demo we walk through the AI guidelines with you, using reviews from your own business.
