---
title: "Set a Fallback Guide"
slug: "set-a-fallback-guide"
updated: 2026-05-06T05:57:56Z
published: 2026-05-06T05:57:56Z
stale: true
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gladly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set a Fallback Guide

A Fallback Guide handles Conversations when no specific Guide matches a Customer's inquiry, ensuring every Conversation receives a response. The Fallback Guide is configured at the Gladly Agent level.

For most organizations, the Questions & Recommendations Guide is automatically set as the Fallback Guide by default. No action is needed unless you want to designate a different Guide as the fallback.

> [!WARNING]
> No Fallback Guide configured
> 
> If your Gladly Agent does not have a Fallback Guide set, a warning banner will appear on the Guides page. Select an active Guide and choose Set as Fallback Guide from its menu to resolve this. ![Warning message indicating no Fallback Guide is set for inquiries without specific guidance.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/no fallback set.png)

## Set or change the Fallback Guide

Only active Guides can be designated as the Fallback Guide.

1. Navigate to the **Guides** page and select the Gladly Agent you want to configure.
2. In the active Guides list, locate the Guide you want to set as the fallback.
3. Click the **⋮** menu on that Guide's row.
4. Select **Set as Fallback Guide**. ![Instructions for setting a guide as fallback in a Shopify interface.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/set as fallback guide.png)
5. In the confirmation modal, click **Set**. ![Instructions for setting a fallback guide for inquiries without specific guidance.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/set as fallback guide prompt.png)

The selected Guide will now handle any conversation that doesn't match a more specific Guide.

> [!NOTE]
> Changing the Fallback Guide
> 
> Setting a new Fallback Guide replaces the existing one. The previously designated Guide remains active and continues to handle conversations it's specifically matched to.

*Customer* or C*ustomers* refers to the people you support through Gladly who buy or use your products or services.*Conversation*

or

*Conversations*

(with a capital "C") provides a holistic view of Customer communications and interactions contained in the Conversation Timeline.