Custom AI follow-up instructions
Glade's AI assistant sends follow-up reminders to your clients about anything outstanding on their case. Custom instructions let you tell it, in plain English, how to handle those reminders for a specific workflow — so it nudges people the way your firm would.
Watch a walkthrough:
Overview
By default, a follow-up lists everything a client still has to do: sign the retainer, pay the invoice, upload documents, complete forms. That is the right message for a client who has already hired you. It is the wrong one for someone who is still deciding — asking a prospective client to pay an invoice before they have signed anything can cost you the engagement.
Custom instructions let you change what the assistant says without turning follow-ups off. You write the rules once on a workflow, and every follow-up generated for cases using that workflow follows them.
Common uses:
Ask for one thing at a time. "If this client has both a retainer to sign and an invoice to pay, only mention the retainer until it is signed."
Set the tone. "Write warmly and plainly. Never imply urgency about their creditors."
Give a worked example. Paste in an email you would be happy to send, and the assistant will match its structure and voice.
Set boundaries. "Never give legal advice or quote a filing date. Sign off as the firm, not an individual attorney."
How it works
Open the workflow. Go to Workflows and open the template you want to change.
Open AI follow-ups. In the workflow's configuration, choose AI follow-ups.
Write your instructions. Type them into the Custom prompt box in plain English, as if you were briefing a new team member. You can use markdown for headings and lists if it helps you organise longer instructions, but plain paragraphs work just as well.
Save. Choose Save. Your instructions take effect on the next follow-up for any case using this workflow.
To go back to standard follow-ups, clear the box and save.
Do not see the Custom prompt box yet? It is rolling out now. In the meantime, contact Glade support with the wording you want and we will set it up on your workflow for you.
Key details
What to know | Details |
|---|---|
Every channel follows the rules | Email, text message, and the message posted in the client's case discussion all use the same instructions. |
They apply per workflow | Every case running that workflow gets them. Copying a workflow copies its instructions. |
Each workflow's rules stay with its own case | If a client has more than one matter with you, they get one combined follow-up, and each workflow's instructions apply only to that workflow's items. Rules written for a Chapter 7 case will not change how a Chapter 13 case is described. |
Your instructions take priority | Where they conflict with Glade's default of listing everything outstanding, yours win. |
An empty box changes nothing | Workflows with no instructions behave exactly as they do today. |
Timing is set separately | Instructions control what a follow-up says, not how often it is sent. Reminder frequency is set for your whole firm and can be overridden for an individual client. |
Frequently asked questions
Will this stop follow-ups from going out?
No. Follow-ups continue on their normal schedule; only the wording changes. To pause them for a client, use a case status that turns off follow-ups, or pause the case.
Can I hide an invoice from a client this way?
You can keep it out of the follow-up message, which is what an instruction like "do not mention the invoice until the retainer is signed" does. The invoice is still visible in the client's portal and can still be paid.
How specific can I be?
Very. Conditional rules work well ("only mention this once that is done"), and pasting a full example email is one of the most effective things you can do.
Do I need to know markdown?
No. Plain sentences and paragraphs are fine. Markdown is there if you want headings or bullet points in longer instructions.
What if my instructions contradict each other?
The assistant does its best, but conflicting rules produce inconsistent messages. Keep instructions short and specific, and read the next follow-up that goes out to confirm it reads the way you intended.
Who on my team can edit these?
Anyone who can edit workflows.