How to Create Auto Response Rules in Salesforce

I was working as a Salesforce Administrator for an organization. Their support team wanted to automate the process of sending a predefined email to customers when a case or lead is created with specific criteria. In Salesforce, we have a feature that automates the process of sending an email to customers after creating leads and case records.

Here, I will explain auto response rules in Salesforce. in that, we will discuss the case auto-response rule and the lead auto-response rule in Salesforce.

We will also discuss the following two different examples with step-by-step explanations:

Example 1: Create a Lead Auto-Response Rule in Salesforce.
Example 2: Create a Case Auto-Response Rule in Salesforce.

Table of Contents

Auto Response Rule in Salesforce

In Salesforce, the auto-response rule works on the case or leads autoresponse with predefined email templates containing information such as support contact information, instructions, and customer details. That allows us to automatically send a predetermined email reply to customers and users after creating a new Case or Lead.

Point to Consider:

You can create as many response rules as needed based on creating leads or cases, but you can activate only one rule for leads and one for cases at a time.

Case Auto-Response Rule in Salesforce

In Salesforce, we can define some criteria in the case auto-response rule. If a case record is created with the defined criteria, Salesforce will automatically send a predefined email to the customer as a response.

The Case Auto-Response Rule includes the following features:

An automatic email gets sent to the customer.
We can customize the Email Template.
We can add criteria so that email responses will sent to customers that meet the criteria.

Example 1: Create a Case Auto-Response Rule in Salesforce

Let’s take an example. In the Case Object, if the case is created with Case Origin = Email and the Case Priority = High. For that case customer, we need to send an automated email.

Now, we will create the auto-response rule for the case. Here are the steps to create a case auto-response rule in Salesforce.

1. Go to the Setup, then in the Quick Find Box, search for the Case Auto-Response Rule. Then click on the New button to create a new rule.

If there is an activated case auto-response rule, you must first deactivate it.

2. Then, enter the Rule Name. Activate the rule and Save it. You will see our case autoresponse rule has been created.

3. Now, we need to set Rule Entries. For that, click on the New button.

4. Then, in the first step, we need to set the Sort Order. Enter the maximum number in the sort order field so that we can add maximum entries in a single rule.

In the second step, select the criteria for rule entry so that the email will be sent to the customer when the criteria match.

5. Here, we need an email address where the customer can reply to us. Go to Email-to-Case and copy the Email Address. We need this email address in the next step.

6. In the third step, we need to provide the Name from which username we want to send an email to the customer, and in the Email field, enter the email, but keep in mind the email that you are entering should be different from the email that you provided to Email-to-Case.

Then, in the Reply to Address field, paste the copied email that you provided into Email-to-Case.

7. Now, in the fourth step, select the Email Template that you want to send as a response to the customer. Here, I have selected a predefined email template.

You can also create a new Email Template: Salesforce Email Templates.

In the fifth step, if you want to notify our management also about the email, click the checkbox to send a response to all recipients. Then click on the Save button.

8. Now, you will see our Case Auto-Response Rule has been created successfully.

Proof of Concept:

9. Now, to check whether an email has been sent or not after creating a record with defined criteria, go to the Case object tab and create a new case record.

The email will sent to the Contact Name that you selected, so the Email field from the contact record must be filled.

what is auto response rule in salesforce

10. Here, you can see the customer has got an Email as Auto-Response with a defined email template.

This is how we can create a Case Auto-Response Rule on Salesforce.

Lead Auto-Response Rule in Salesforce

We can set up an auto-response rule for leads. When a lead is generated from our website, Salesforce automatically sends the predefined Email to the lead or customer regarding the same.

Important: The Lead Autoresponse Rule only works for the Web-to-Lead feature.

The Lead Auto-Response Rule works:

When someone creates a lead record from your website.
When the customer enters the field values that align with the defined criteria.
Then, an auto-response email will sent by Salesforce to the customer’s registered email.

Example 2: Create a Lead Auto-Response Rule in Salesforce

Let’s take an example. In the Lead Object, when the record is created with Lead Source = Web, we need to send an automated email for that lead.

Now, we will create the lead’s auto-response rule. Here are the steps to create a lead auto-response rule in Salesforce.

1. We need an Email Template to send as an auto-response to the lead or customer. Here I have created Classic Email Template.

2. Click on Setup. Then, in the Quick Find Box, search for the Lead Auto-Response Rule. Then click on the New button to create a new rule.

3. Then, enter the Rule Name. Activate the rule and Save it. You will see our lead auto-response rule has been created.

4. Now, we need to set Rule Entries. For that, click on the New button.

5. Then, in the first step, we need to set the Sort Order.

In the second step, select the criteria for rule entry so that the email will be sent to the customer or lead when the criteria match.

6. In the third step, we need to provide the Name from which username we want to send an email to the customer, and in the Email field, enter the email provided to the Username.

Now, in the fourth step, select the Email Template that you want to send as a response to the customer. Here, I have selected a customized email template that I have created.

Then click on the Save button.

7. Now, you will see our Lead Auto-Response Rule has been created successfully.

Proof of Concept:

8. Now, to check whether an email has been sent or not after creating a record with defined criteria.

In the Auto-Response rule, we must create a record from the website, i.e., Web-to-Lead.

9. Here, you can see the customer has an email as an auto-response with a lead name defined in the email template.

This is how we can create a Lead Auto-Response Rule on Salesforce.

Conclusion

I hope you have got an idea about Auto Response Rules in Salesforce. In that, I have explained what Auto-Response Rules are and why we need to use them and we have also discussed how to create Auto-Response rule on Lead object and Case Object with real time example and step by step explanations.

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Shubham

Shubham is a Certified Salesforce Developer with technical skills for Building applications using custom objects, approval processes, validation rule salesforce flows, and UI customization. He is proficient in writing Apex classes, triggers, controllers, Apex Batches, and bulk load APIs. I am also familiar with Visualforce Pages and Lighting Web Components. Read more | LinkedIn Profile