How to Create an Auto Reply in Gmail + Examples for 2024

There are expected to be 4.5 billion email users by the end of 2024. And it makes sense. Email is the primary channel for business, banking, and other important matters.

That being said, email overwhelm is something that you need to be avoiding in today’s day and age. Whether you use personal for work, email for personal work, or other reasons, being able to automatically respond to emails can be a huge time saver.

So in this article, let’s talk about how to set up an auto-reply email in Gmail. We’ll also talk about an even easier way to use a free Chrome extension that will help you supercharge your email workflow. Without further ado, let’s jump in.

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Creating A Canned Response for Auto Replies in Gmail

Before you can implement the auto response feature, you need to set up a message to act as your automatic response.

Step 1. Go to https://mail.google.com/mail, then click on the gear icon and select ‘Settings’:

Step 2. Click on ‘Advanced’ in the menu, then select ‘Enable’ next to ‘Canned Responses (Templates)’:

Don’t forget to click ‘Save Changes’ at the bottom of the screen.

Step 3. Now that ‘Canned Responses‘ are enabled, you can create a new email by clicking the ‘Compose’ icon in the upper lefthand corner and typing out the message you want to be automatically sent out. Once you’re finished, click on the three dots in the email window to bring up the email options. Select ‘Canned responses’ and then ‘New canned response’:

Step 4. Next, a window will pop up where you can name your canned response. Type in the name and select ‘OK’:

How to Set-up Auto Reply in Gmail

Now that your auto response email template has been saved as a canned response, you’re ready to use it as an auto response to specific emails.

Step 1. Click on the gear icon again and select ‘Settings’ once more:

Step 2. This time, click on ‘Filters and Blocked Addresses’ in the menu. Select ‘Create a new filter’:

Step 3. In the next window that pops up, choose which rules you’d like to apply for the Gmail filter. You can opt to include certain “From” email addresses, a specific subject, or emails that contain (or don’t contain) particular words. Once you’re finished, click ‘Create filter’:

Step 4. On the next screen, check the box that says ‘Send canned response’ and choose the canned response you created:

Step 5. Click on ‘Create Filter’, and you’re done. You’ve now successfully set up auto replies in Gmail.

Keep in mind that old mail will not receive a canned response, but going forward, any new mail that fits the criteria you set for your filter will receive the canned response automatically.

Auto Reply Examples to Use in Gmail

There are many different types of auto replies you can set up, depending on their intended usage and purpose. Below are some examples you can customize for your own needs.

1. Customer Service

A client sends in a customer support request, and now they have to play the waiting game. This begs the question:

What can you say to make them feel important while they wait for a response?

Rather than silence or a plain old “Your support ticket was received” type of email, try spicing it up a little. Here’s a great example:

Source: GrooveHQ

As you can see, this email came from a real person accompanied by a photo, which adds a strong personal touch. It greets the customer by name, gives them a timeframe for a response, shows gratitude, and even throws in a bit of humor. Now the customer knows exactly what to expect, when, and they’ll feel confident that their question or issue will be resolved in a timely manner.

2. Contest/Giveaway

Everyone should be a winner when they sign up for your contest or giveaway. Not everyone can be a grand prize winner, obviously, but offering a discount code or some free premium content can go a long way. Here’s an example in action:

This email looks like it was personally written, as opposed to being overly graphic-laden and ad-like. It gives specific links to promote the company’s social media page, an option to forward the contest entry to others, and a sizeable coupon code to show gratitude. It’s super short yet very effective.

3. Shipping Confirmation

Shipping confirmations are a little boring, but they’re necessary to keep your customers in the loop. Entrepreneur and author Derek Sivers wrote a shipping confirmation email that he dubbed ‘The most successful email I ever wrote’:

Source: Stu.me

Derek’s shipping confirmation email sets itself apart by providing a humorous exchange, where most companies would just send a “Your item is on the way” email. While the customer service auto reply example does a good job of adding an element of humor, this email goes above and beyond that, while also providing necessary details like the shipping date. Finally, the email ends strong with sincere gratitude and Derek’s personal signature line. Having the message come from the president of the company is also a special touch.

4. ‘Looking For A Quote’

If you’re in the service industry (wedding photography, insurance agency, etc.), you’re likely getting a lot of emails asking for quotes. You may not be able to get to them right away, but you want the prospect to feel special enough to wait for your response and not rush over to the competition. Here’s a stellar example:

Source: Colorvale

While this email is a little on the long side, you can definitely tell it fits the sender’s personality and gives the prospect that added personal touch that can make waiting for a quote more palatable. She shows she’s human by giving the prospect a peek into her personal life, sets a reasonable timeframe for a response, and offers some details on her business that the recipient may find useful. It doesn’t get much better than that.

5. Vacation Autoresponder

[Your Greeting],

Thanks for your email.

I am currently out of the office starting on [date] and returning on [date].

If you need assistance during this time, one of my team members will be able to help. They can be contacted at [phone number] Monday-Friday from 9-5.30.

For non-urgent inquiries during my absence, you can contact [Name] at [email], and they will be happy to assist.

Best Regards,

[Name]

Planning a trip away? It’s imperative that you set up an office auto-responder in your Gmail.  As you can see, there are plenty of effective uses for auto reply emails that don’t come off as impersonal. When tastefully done, they can even train your audience, prospects, or colleagues to expect certain wait times, give them pertinent details on autopilot, or simply add some joy to their day – all while easing the burden of your swelling email inbox.

Reasons Why You Should Create An Auto-Reply In Gmail

There are several good reasons to create auto-replies in Gmail. Let’s start with some of the most important ones:

Going On Vacation

If you’re planning on going on a vacation, then setting up an auto-reply is perfect. You can set it for a set period of time.

For instance, if you’re going away for two weeks, then every time you receive an email in those two weeks, the sender will receive an auto-reply back from you. This is perfect for telling friends, family, or coworkers that you’re not going to be in touch for a little bit.

Marketing emails

If you send out a lot of emails to potential clients, such as proposals, then you want to be able to respond quickly. Sometimes the early bird gets the worm. So setting up auto-replies can help you access more deals, revenue, and loyal customers.

Productivity

If you spend enough time in the day doing mundane tasks, why add another time sink into your workflow? Use auto-replies to help you save time and focus more on the truly important things. As a bonus, this also helps you be more productive in your professional life, which can lead to a greater income.

Leveling up your Email Automation in Gmail

Never again worry about dropping the ball on your outreach efforts. You can trigger emails to follow up with a prospect or a journalist without considering who you have and haven’t emailed. Your automated follow-up emails should provide context and value; in other words, they should remind your prospects what your product is and why your product matters.

A follow-up email might be asking whether the recipient has received the email and whether they’re interested. If the recipient doesn’t respond to that second email, you might want to send one saying that you won’t contact them again.

Creating An Auto-Reply In Gmail Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you create an auto-reply in Gmail?

Yes, you can create an auto-reply in Gmail. You can either do it using Gmail’s standard features or use an app like Right Inbox to make it faster.

What are the advantages of using auto-reply in Gmail?

Auto-reply has several advantages. You can use it for going on vacation, use it to respond quickly to quotes and proposals with clients or use it to confirm purchase transactions to a customer list.

Can I create auto-replies on Gmail for my mobile device?

If you’re using the Gmail mobile app, you can create auto-replies as well. You’ll need to download Gmail for either your iPhone or Android first.

How long do auto-reply emails last?

You can set the exact date and time that your auto-reply email will go into effect. Therefore, if you’re only using it for a vacation, for instance, it can have an expiration date.