Reply templates (macros) for faster responses
Reply templates (also called macros or canned responses) are saved replies you insert into the Unified Inbox composer with one click. Most cold-email replies fall into a handful of buckets — "send …
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Reply templates (also called macros or canned responses) are saved replies you insert into the Unified Inbox composer with one click. Most cold-email replies fall into a handful of buckets — "send me more info", "who are you?", "not now, try next quarter", "book a time" — and a good template set lets you clear those in seconds while keeping the wording consistent across your team.
Steps: create a template
- In the left nav, click Inbox.
- Open any conversation and click Reply.
- In the composer toolbar, click Templates, then Manage templates. (Templates can also be managed under Settings → Reply Templates.)
- Click New template.
- Enter a Name that describes the situation, for example Interested – send calendar link.
- Optionally enter a Subject. Leave it blank to keep the existing thread subject (recommended for replies).
- Write the Body. Use Variables to personalize: lead fields such as {{first_name}} and {{company}}, and sender fields such as {{sender_name}}, {{sender_email}} and {{signature}}.
- Choose Visibility: Private (only you) or Shared (everyone in the workspace).
- Click Save.
Steps: use a template in a reply
- Open the conversation and click Reply.
- Click Templates and pick one from the list, or start typing / followed by the template name to search.
- The body is inserted with variables already filled from the lead and the sending mailbox. Edit anything specific to this lead.
- Click Send.
Recommended starter set
| **Template name** | **Use for** | **Key line** |
| Interested – book a call | Category **Interested** | "Here is my calendar: {{calendar\_link}}. Pick any 20-minute slot." |
| More info | "Send me details" | Two sentences plus one link; no attachments. |
| Wrong person | "Not me, try X" | "Thanks — could you point me to the right person, or may I mention you referred me?" |
| Not now | "Try again in Q1" | "Understood. I will reach out in {{month}}. Anything changing before then?" |
| Out of office follow-up | Lead is back | "Welcome back — following up on my note from last week." |
| Unsubscribe confirmation | "Remove me" | "Done — you will not hear from us again." |
Tips
- Keep templates short (under 80 words). The lead already replied; you are moving to a next step, not pitching again.
- Store the calendar link as a sender variable or in the signature so one template works for every team member.
- Review templates monthly. Replace any that get edited every time they are used — that means the template is wrong.
- Pair templates with reply categories: open the Interested filter and use one template for the whole batch.
- Templates are for the Unified Inbox only. Sequence emails are written in the campaign editor and support the same variables and Spintext.
Troubleshooting
- A variable shows as empty in the sent reply. The lead record does not have that field. Use Preview before sending, or add a fallback value such as {{first_name|there}} if supported.
- Template not visible to a teammate. It is saved as Private. Edit it and switch Visibility to Shared.
- The signature appears twice. The mailbox signature is added automatically; remove {{signature}} from the template body.
Related articles
- Reply, forward and attach files from the Unified Inbox
- AI reply suggestions
- Schedule a reply and set follow-up reminders
- Custom lead labels and how they relate to AI reply categories
- Using variables in email content
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More in Unified Inbox
Unified Inbox overview: every reply from every mailbox and channel in one place→Reply, forward and attach files from the Unified Inbox→Schedule a reply and set follow-up reminders→Custom lead labels and how they relate to AI reply categories→AI reply suggestions→Auto-pause and resume on out-of-office replies→Positive-reply notifications (email, Slack, push)→Filters, folders and assigning conversations to teammates→