inbox-reply

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.