Inbox Reply

Environment

INSTANTLY_API_KEY

https://api.instantly.ai/api/v2

Inputs

Workflow

Step 1: Fetch unread replies

GET /emails

is_unread=true

email_type=received

sort_order=desc

limit=50

campaign_id

mode=emode_focused

| # | From | Company | Subject | Preview | Received |

Step 2: Load full threads

GET /emails?search=thread:{thread_id}&sort_order=asc

Step 3: Classify reply intent

Interested        → wants to learn more, asks questions, requests a call
Objection         → raises concern but door is not closed (pricing, timing, fit)
Not interested    → clear rejection, asks to stop
Auto-reply        → OOO, bounce, auto-responder
Meeting request   → explicitly asks to book time
Question          → asks a specific question without clear buying signal
Referral          → redirects to someone else at the company

Step 4: Draft replies

Interested       → confirm interest, propose next step (call or resource)
Objection        → address concern directly, offer proof point if relevant
Question         → answer the question, bridge to value
Meeting request  → confirm availability, suggest booking link or times
Referral         → thank them, ask for intro or reach out to referral directly
Not interested   → short, respectful close; do not push
Auto-reply       → skip, no reply needed

• Match the lead's tone and length — short replies get short responses
• Reference specifics from their message to show it is not a template
• Reference the original outbound context when relevant
• Never start with "I" as the first word
• No generic openers ("Thanks for getting back to me", "Great to hear from you")
• One clear call to action per reply, never two
• No attachments unless the user explicitly provides one
• Plain text unless the original thread was HTML-formatted

Step 5: Confirm and send

| # | To | Via Account | Subject | Intent | Action |

POST /emails/reply

• eaccount

  : the same email account that sent the original outbound

• reply_to_uuid

  : the ID of the lead's most recent message

• subject

  : keep the existing thread subject (Re: ...)

• body

  : the approved reply in

  { "text": "...", "html": "..." }

Step 6: Post-reply housekeeping

1. Mark thread as read:

   POST /emails/threads/{thread_id}/mark-as-read

2. Update lead interest status if the classification warrants it:

   POST /leads/update-interest-status

   with

   lead_email

   and appropriate

   interest_value

3. Report final summary:

| # | Lead | Intent | Reply Sent | Status Updated |

Step 7: Skip and defer handling

• Skip (not interested / auto-reply): mark as read, optionally update interest status
• Defer: leave unread, note for next session

Reference