Reply templates and tags

Overview

Reply templates let you save a fully formatted reply - including personalization variables like {firstName} - and reuse it across any lead without retyping. Templates are shared with everyone in your workspace, so a high-performing reply written once becomes the team standard.

Reply tags let you label individual replies for triage and filtering. You can create a new tag on the fly directly from the inbox - no pre-configuration required.

Both features live in the Replies section of the app:

• Reply templates management - navigate to /replies/templates (accessible from the Replies sidebar item, then the Templates sub-page).
• Using templates and tags - open any reply thread at /replies. Templates and the tag picker are in the reply composer and thread header.

Before you start

You need at least one connected inbox and an active workspace. Template creation and deletion require full workspace access. Any team member with workspace access can read and insert templates.

How to manage reply templates

Create a template from the management page

1. Open Replies in the sidebar, then navigate to Reply templates (/replies/templates).
2. Click New template in the top right.
3. In the dialog that appears, enter a Name (required) - for example, "Follow-up after no reply".
4. Optionally add a Description to help teammates know when to reach for this template.
5. Write or paste the reply body. Use variables like {firstName} or {sender_signature} directly in the text - they stay as placeholders until you insert the template into an actual reply.
6. Click Create template to save.

Save a reply you are already writing as a template

1. Open a reply thread and compose your reply in the composer.
2. Click Save as template in the toolbar below the editor (next to the Templates button).
3. A dialog opens titled Save as template. Enter a name and an optional description.
4. Click Save template.

The template is saved immediately and is available to every teammate in the workspace.

Insert a template into a reply

1. Open a reply thread and click Reply to open the composer.
2. Click Templates in the composer toolbar.
3. A popover opens listing all workspace templates. Use the search box to filter by name or description.
4. Click the template you want. The body is inserted into the composer with variables already resolved - {firstName} becomes the lead's actual first name, {sender_signature} becomes the correct sending inbox's signature.

Edit or delete a template

1. Go to /replies/templates.
2. Find the template in the list. Click the pencil icon to edit, or the trash icon to delete.
3. Editing opens a dialog titled Edit template - change the name, description, or body, then click Save changes.
4. Deleting shows a confirmation dialog: Delete this template? It will be removed for everyone in this workspace. Click Delete to confirm.

Deletes are soft - the record is flagged as deleted rather than permanently removed, which means recovery is possible via backend tooling if needed.

How to tag replies

Assign a tag from the thread panel

1. Open a reply thread.
2. In the thread header, click the tag icon (tooltip: Tag).
3. A popover opens with a search input labeled Search or create a tag.
4. Type to filter existing tags. Click any tag to assign it. A checkmark appears next to assigned tags. Click an assigned tag again to remove it.

Create a new tag on the fly

1. Open the tag popover (tag icon in the thread header, or right-click a row in the inbox table).
2. Type a name that does not match any existing tag. A row appears: Create "[your text]" with a colored dot preview.
3. Click that row or press Enter. The tag is created and assigned to the reply in one step - no separate settings visit required.

New tags are also accessible in Settings - Tags after creation, where you can rename them or change their color.

Assign a tag from the inbox table

Right-click any row in the inbox table. The context menu includes the same tag picker, so you can tag a reply without opening the thread.

How it works

Reply templates are stored with their variables kept raw - {firstName} is never expanded at save time. When you insert a template, the existing variable engine resolves each token against the lead and sender currently in context, so one saved template personalizes correctly for any lead. Templates are scoped to the client workspace and visible to all teammates. The template list in the insert picker refreshes on every open, so a template a colleague just created appears without a page reload.

Reply tags use a dedicated scope that is completely separate from other tag types elsewhere in the app (such as domain tags or inbox-level labels). This means tags you create in the reply inbox never appear in other tag pickers across the product, and vice versa. New tags get a color automatically from a fixed seven-color palette - the color shown in the "Create" preview row is exactly the color that gets saved, so there is no flash after creation. Tag assignment and removal happen optimistically: the UI updates immediately, then rolls back silently if the server call fails.

Prospect profiles - clicking a lead's name in the inbox table opens a compact profile card showing title, seniority, decision-maker status, company, and location. This card loads only when you open it, so the table stays fast. The same profile is available as a docked panel next to the thread when you are drafting a reply.

Troubleshooting and debugging

Templates do not appear in the insert picker

• Check that templates exist at /replies/templates. If the page shows "No reply templates yet", none have been saved.
• If the list fails to load, a "Retry" button appears in the picker. Click it. If the error persists, check network connectivity and whether the API is reachable.
• Templates are workspace-scoped. Confirm the active workspace in the workspace switcher matches the one where templates were saved.

Variables are not resolving on insert (shows raw {firstName} in the composer)

• The lead must be linked to a contact record. Replies that have no associated contact may not have a firstName to resolve.
• The sending inbox must be selected in the composer before inserting the template. {sender_signature} resolves to blank if no inbox is selected.

"Save as template" button is disabled

• The composer body must not be empty. Write at least some content before the button becomes active.

A newly created tag does not appear in other pickers (Settings - Tags, domain tags, etc.)

• This is expected behavior. Reply tags are in a dedicated scope and intentionally do not appear outside the reply inbox tag pickers. Manage them in Settings - Tags under the reply scope.

Tag creation fails silently / tag does not appear after creation

• If the create call fails, the UI rolls back. Check network status. Try creating the tag again.
• If the tag name already exists (case-insensitive), the picker shows the existing tag instead of offering to create a new one.

Prospect profile card does not appear on clicking a name

• The profile card only shows when the reply is linked to both a contact and a campaign. If the reply came in outside a Ken-managed campaign, the name is not clickable.
• If the card opens but shows an error, click Retry inside the card. If it continues to fail, the contact record may not be accessible for the current workspace.

Template edits are not saving

• Confirm the Name field is not empty - "Template name is required." appears if you clear it.
• If the dialog shows a toast error, note the message and check API connectivity.

FAQ

Are templates private or shared? Templates are shared with everyone in the workspace. There is no per-user private template scope.

Can I use templates on the Sent tab? Yes. Templates can be inserted any time the reply composer is open, regardless of which tab you are on.

What variables can I use in a template? Any variable supported by the reply composer works - for example {firstName}, {lastName}, {companyName}, and {sender_signature}. The same variable engine that powers manual replies resolves them on insert.

Can I delete a tag after creating it? Yes. Go to Settings - Tags, find the tag in the reply scope, and delete it. The tag is removed from any replies it was assigned to.

Do template deletes affect replies that already used the template? No. Deleting a template removes it from the picker going forward, but any reply that was already sent using the template is unaffected - the text was resolved and inserted at send time.

Why does the tag color picker not appear when creating a tag from the inbox? Colors are assigned automatically from a fixed palette in rotation. You can change a tag's color later in Settings - Tags.

Related articles

• Replies inbox overview
• Inbox keyboard shortcuts