inbox-reply

name

inbox-reply

description

Manage and reply to lead responses in Instantly unibox. Fetches unread conversations, classifies reply intent, drafts contextual responses, and sends replies via Instantly API. Fits after campaign-sending in the GTM pipeline. Triggers on: "reply to leads", "inbox replies", "instantly inbox", "unibox", "respond to replies", "manage replies", "instantly replies", "check inbox", "lead replies", "answer leads".

Inbox Reply

Manage and reply to lead responses in the email sequencing inbox.

Environment

Variable	Service
INSTANTLY_API_KEY	Instantly

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

Inputs

Input	Required	Source
Instantly API key	yes	env var
Context file	yes	context file (voice, product, proof points)
Campaign ID	no	user selection or list from API

Workflow

Step 1: Fetch unread replies

Fetch unread received emails from the unibox.

List unread: GET /emails with is_unread=true, email_type=received, sort_order=desc, limit=50.

If the user specifies a campaign, add campaign_id filter. If they want focused inbox only, add mode=emode_focused.

Present a summary table:

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

Ask the user which conversations to work on, or process all.

Step 2: Load full threads

For each selected reply, load the full conversation thread.

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

This returns the original outbound email(s) and all replies in chronological order, giving full context for drafting a response.

Step 3: Classify reply intent

Read each lead reply and classify into one of these categories:

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

Present classifications to the user for confirmation before drafting.

Step 4: Draft replies

Read the context file for voice rules, product description, proof points, and use case framings. Draft a reply for each conversation based on intent:

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

Rules for all replies:

• 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

Present each draft alongside the original thread for the user to review and edit.

Step 5: Confirm and send

Before sending, present a final checklist for each reply:

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

The user must confirm before any reply is sent.

Send reply: POST /emails/reply with:

• 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": "..." }

Send one at a time. Report success or failure for each.

Step 6: Post-reply housekeeping

After sending:

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

For replies the user wants to skip or defer:

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

Never send a reply the user has not explicitly approved.

Reference

See references/instantly-inbox-api.md for full Instantly Unibox and Reply API documentation.