Streamline your daily email communications with Canned responses. A step by step guide!

What are canned responses?

A canned reply, also known as a canned response is a pre-written or pre-formatted message that can be quickly inserted into an email or message. Canned replies are commonly used for responding to frequently asked questions, providing standardized responses, or simplifying communication in various contexts, including email, and customer support.

Canned replies are created in advance and stored for future use. These pre-written responses are designed to save time and effort, as users can insert them with a few clicks, avoiding the need to retype the same content repeatedly. While canned replies offer consistency, they can often be customized or personalized to suit the specific context or recipient. This allows for a balance between efficiency and a personalized touch.

“Now Keep your Mailbox clutter free with Instaclean! Delete & Block 1000’s of SPAM/Junk email in 1 Go!”

How canned replies can be useful & in which situations?

Canned replies can be useful in various situations where frequently used messages are required. The use of canned replies is particularly beneficial when there is a need for efficiency, consistency, and time-saving in communication, but it’s important to balance their use with the need for personalization, as overly automated or impersonal responses can impact the quality of communication.

Below are some of the situations where canned replies can be particularly valuable:

1. Customer Support & Service
   — Responding to common customer inquiries or frequently asked questions.
   — Providing standardized instructions for product setup, troubleshooting, or usage.
   — Acknowledging and confirming receipt of customer inquiries or service requests.
2. Live Chat and Messaging Support
   — Answering standard customer inquiries on live chat platforms.
   — Providing initial responses to support requests through messaging apps.
   — Managing routine inquiries related to product information or availability.
3. Event or Appointment Scheduling
   — Confirming appointments, meetings, or event registrations.
   — Sending reminders for upcoming appointments or events.
4. Out-of-Office Messages
   — Informing colleagues or clients about your absence and providing an alternative contact or expected return date.
   — Acknowledging emails received during your absence.
5. Marketing and Email Campaigns
   — Creating standardized email templates for newsletters, promotional emails, or event announcements.
   — Sending follow-up emails or survey requests to gather feedback.
6. General Information Requests
   — Providing standardized information about company policies, hours of operation, or frequently requested data.

How to set up canned responses in Gmail and create a canned reply template

Below are the steps to set & use the canned response feature in Gmail:

By enabling this feature now you are ready to use canned templates. Below are the steps to create canned templates

1. Click on Compose and draft a message you want to use as a canned response.
2. Now click three dots in the bottom right corner of the message window.
3. Spot Templates and click on it.
4. Then click Save draft as template >> Save as new template.
5. Name the template and click on Save!

Now you are ready to use this saved template as a canned response. Below are the steps to use this save template as your email reply:

1. Click on C0mpose to start writing a new message.
2. Click on the three dots in the bottom right corner of the message window.
3. Now click on Templates and choose the name of your saved template.
4. Now click Send!

How to edit canned replies in Gmail?

You can change your canned reply in gmail anytime. It is very easy to edit these response templates. Below are the steps you can follow to change canned templates:

1. Click on Compose.
2. Now click on the three dots in the bottom right corner & pick the template you want to edit.
3. Now complete the changes you want to edit in the message box.
4. Now click on three dots again and go to Templates >> Save Draft as template >> Pick the current template name and click Save!

How to delete the canned response template?

1. Click on Compose.
2. Now click on the three dots on the bottom right corner & pick the Template you want to delete.
3. Now click on three dots again and go to Templates >> Delete Template!

Some examples of Canned responses

Canned responses should be totally personalized based on the query you receive. However, below are some of the auto-responses we have curated for your further use:

Followup Response:

Hi [Name]
Have you been able to read my previous email? I was asking about [brief reminder and what you need].
When I have your response, I can get started with [project].
(OR let me know if you have any other questions or need anything from me.)

Thanks.

Not Interested Response:

Thanks for reaching out, unfortunately, this isn’t something we are looking for right now.
If we need something like this in the future, I will keep you in mind.

Buy Time in return to provide some solution:

Hello [Name].

Thank you for the message, I need to check with [someone or something] before I can give you an answer.

I’ll pop it on my list and get back to you by next week.

Speak soon!

Out-of-Office Response:

Hi [Name],
I will be away from the office until [return date] for [reason] with no access to email. If your request is urgent, please contact [name of colleague + their job title] for assistance at [email, phone, etc.]. Otherwise, I’ll get back to you as quickly as possible when I return.

Speak to you soon!
Thanks!

Originally published at https://blog.instaclean.app on October 20, 2023.