---
title: "Follow keyword signals"
locale: en
url: https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/guides/signals
verified: 2026-10-24
app_version: "2.0"
---

# Follow keyword signals

Configure keywords, read new signals in groups, and save relevant people to People.


Follow new messages matching keywords in groups where following is enabled. Signals help you choose people to review; the app does not infer needs with AI or automatically send greetings from this screen.

## Who can do this

**Owner** and **Manager** can edit keywords, enable group following, and change signal statuses. Other roles read data according to their permissions.

## Before you start

- A Telegram account that has joined the group.
- **Follow keywords** enabled for the group using that account.
- The machine running the account is connected.
- Keywords relevant to the needs you want to find.

Keyword following in Discover is separate from the switch that adds groups to Inbox. See also [Groups & channels](https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/guides/chats).

## Where to start

Open **Discover → Signals**.

![Signal list and status filters](https://tlg.builera.app/docs-media/en/discover-signals.webp "Keyword signals")

## Steps

1. Open **Keywords**.
2. Enter words under **Intent keywords**, separated by commas.
3. Enter words to exclude under **Skip messages containing**.
4. Click **Save**.
5. Open the group you want to follow from the group list.
6. Enable **Follow keywords** using an account that has joined.
7. Return to the **Signals** tab.
8. Select **New** to read unclassified signals.

How you type keywords affects matching. Words without accents can match accented spellings; accented words match that specific spelling. Choose specific enough words and add exclusions if the list contains many irrelevant messages.

Signals are kept for **30 days**. This is a feed of new messages collected while following, not a request to search the group's entire history.

9. Select **Open profile** to view the sender.
10. Select **Open in Telegram** if you need to read the message in its original context.
11. Select **Save this person** to add a relevant person to your people-management workflow.
12. Select **Skip** for signals that need no action.

| Status | Usage |
|---|---|
| New | Queue for you to read and classify |
| Saved | Signal saved for further handling |
| Skip | Signal you decided not to pursue |

Use **Move to New** to return a signal to the queue. Changing a signal's status does not send a message.

## Result

You have a classified signal list and have saved relevant people. Further contact takes place from the profile or Inbox, subject to permissions and do-not-contact rules.

## Check

Check the source group, sender, and matching content before saving. Do not assume every message containing a keyword is a purchase request.

## If something goes wrong

If the list is empty, check that following is enabled, the account is still in the group, and the machine is online. Also check excluded words: an overly broad word can filter out messages you need.

If you need to open a conversation to reply, see [Inbox](https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/guides/inbox); do not treat **Open in Telegram** as sending a message within the app.

## Do it with the API or MCP

Use [signals.list](https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/reference/rest/signals.list), [signals.set_status](https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/reference/rest/signals.set_status), and [discovery.save_settings](https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/reference/rest/discovery.save_settings).

Tool names: `signals_list`, `signals_set_status`, `discovery_save_settings`. Enable group following with [groups.set_watch](https://tlg.builera.app/en/docs/reference/rest/groups.set_watch), tool `groups_set_watch`.