🔍 Overview
Many customers want to reply to a backlog of older reviews at once instead of one by one. If you opened the Local section and couldn't find AI Automations, you can still do this. Atlas Agent can help you generate AI-written responses for reviews that already exist, and you can check the results in Reviews.
This article explains why the option may be missing, how to request batch responses, and how to review them before they go live.
❓ Why You May Not See AI Automations Under Local
There are a few common reasons:
- Automations focus on new reviews. Automated review responses are usually set up to reply to reviews as they arrive, so they may not be the right tool for a backlog of older reviews.
- Feature availability. Some options depend on your plan or account setup, so they may not appear in every account.
- No connected profile. Review tools usually need a connected business location before they appear or work.
Not seeing AI Automations does not mean you can't respond to older reviews. Atlas Agent is the recommended route for a one-time batch.
✅ Before You Start
- Make sure your business location is connected to your Search Atlas account.
- Open Reviews and confirm your older reviews are showing. If they aren't, wait for the sync to finish or refresh the page.
- Decide which reviews you want to answer, such as all unanswered reviews, only 4-5 star reviews, or only reviews from the last 12 months.
- Think about your preferred tone, such as friendly, formal, or short and simple.
🛠️ How to Generate Batch Responses With Atlas Agent
- Open Atlas Agent from within the platform.
- Select the business location you want to work on, if prompted.
- Type a clear request describing what you want. For example: Generate professional, friendly responses for all my unanswered reviews from the past year.
- Add any details that matter, such as your business name, tone, or a sign-off you'd like included.
- Submit the request and wait for Atlas Agent to prepare the responses.
- Go to Reviews to see the results and check each response.
💡 Tips for Better Results
- Be specific about scope. Name the star rating, date range, or status (for example, unanswered only).
- Set the tone. Say whether replies should be warm, formal, or brief.
- Handle negative reviews separately. Ask for a calm, apologetic tone and an invitation to continue the conversation offline.
- Work in smaller groups. If you have hundreds of reviews, start with a small batch to check quality, then continue.
- Avoid sensitive details. Replies should not include personal information about the reviewer.
👀 Review Before Publishing
AI-generated replies speak for your business, so always read them first. Check that each reply:
- Matches the content of the review and thanks the reviewer by name where appropriate.
- Reads naturally and isn't repetitive across many reviews.
- Doesn't make promises, offers, or claims you can't keep.
- Reflects your brand voice.
Edit anything that doesn't fit, then approve or publish according to the options shown in your account.
🧰 Troubleshooting
- Older reviews don't appear in Reviews: Confirm your location is connected, then refresh the page and allow time for syncing.
- Atlas Agent responds but doesn't produce replies: Rephrase your request with a clear scope, such as Write replies for my 10 most recent unanswered reviews.
- Replies sound too generic: Ask Atlas Agent to add more detail, mention specifics from each review, or use a different tone.
- Some reviews were skipped: Ask Atlas Agent which reviews still have no reply and request them in a follow-up batch.
- AI Automations still missing: It may not be available on your account. You can continue with Atlas Agent for older reviews.
💬 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be instantly connected with a member of our team.