PM autoresponder for admins

Update 07.03.2023: Updated and tested with 3.0 stable. The toggle has been moved, for more info, click here.

First, let me say that I am no developer, I only sponsored this work. I will not be able to support this in any way, but I will work with any potential contributors. I am just posting this plugin here to give back to the community.

Plugin description

This plugin adds an autoresponder that’s only available to admins. Since my instance of discourse relies on heavy customer support, having an autoresponder while offline is really handy, keeps the waiting members less nervous while they wait for a response.

Plugin features

  1. Adds an on/off toggle in the pull-down menu when user icon is clicked (see image below) for easy control.
  2. Creates an extra field where you can customize your message in Preferrences>Profile
  3. Auto-responds to users when the plugin toggle is ON.
  4. Custom time response limiter. You can set a time limit for how many hours shall pass until the next autoresponse message triggers. If a user messages you a few times in a row during the set time limit, he/she will only get one auto-response.
  5. Admin to admin messages do not trigger the autoresponder.

Known issues

Update: The issue described below seems to be fixed with Discourse 2.2
The easy on/off toggle gets a tad confusing sometimes. When you click the toggle ON, the button switches green (indicating that the autoresponder is on). But, when you close and reopen the pull-down menu, it will be gray again (even though the autoresponder is on). The only way to know for sure whether the autoresponder is on or off is to reload the page. My developer tells me this is because of some technical limitation. So far, we didn’t look for a workaround as it’s a super tiny inconvenience.

Plugin repo

A big thanks to Discourse community. Enjoy!

Screenshots:

24 Likes

Update for the newest version: FIX: compatibility issues with Discourse v 2.2

5 Likes

New update released, fixed the composer field in the settings area: https://github.com/worldismine/pm-auto-responder-for-admins/commit/891e26b049b4c90ded44cecfa8e17a2985a6a5e7

EDIT: One last thing. You can now set a time limit for how many hours shall pass until the next autoresponse message triggers. If a user messages you a few times in a row during the set time limit, he/she will only get one auto-response. This prevents unnecessary replies by the autoresponder if a user messages you too many times.

3 Likes

Tested and working with the latest version as of 01.10.2019!

4 Likes

Tested and working for 2.3.6 Stable!

4 Likes

Tested and working for 2.4.1 - No updates needed :slight_smile:

2 Likes

Tested and working for 2.5.0 - No update required :slight_smile:

4 Likes

Updated and working with 2.7.0 stable. Enjoy!

1 Like

Updated and working with 3.0 stable. The toggle has been moved to the bottom of the side bar.