Inbox & email · Workflow template

Canned auto-reply to a sender

When a chosen sender emails you, Carly sends back a fixed reply you wrote once — "Got it, I'll respond within a day." No AI, no drafting.

Gmail

Outlook

Build this in Carly Or copy the prompt ↓

The workflow at a glance

Trigger

Email from sender

Action

Send fixed reply

How this workflow works, step by step

1 Trigger Email from sender

The workflow starts when Gmail or Outlook signals "email from sender". Carly is listening continuously, so the run begins within seconds of the event.
2 Action Send fixed reply

Finally Carly takes action in Gmail or Outlook: send fixed reply. This is the thing that actually moves the world.

When to use this template

You want this work to happen consistently without anyone remembering to do it.
You're already using Gmail and Outlook, and the manual version of this is eating real minutes a week.
You want a visible canvas you can audit and edit — not a black-box agent doing things you can't see.

When not to use it

This task only happens once or twice a month — the setup cost won't pay back.
The decision in the middle of the flow needs human judgment every single time, not just on edge cases.
Your stack doesn't include any of the apps above and you don't want to wire a generic HTTP step.

Build it in 10 minutes — copy this prompt

Paste this in an email to and Carly will build the workflow for you.

Hey Carly — please build me this workflow.

Name: Canned auto-reply to a sender

What it should do:
When a chosen sender emails you, Carly sends back a fixed reply you wrote once — "Got it, I'll respond within a day." No AI, no drafting.

Steps:
1. Trigger: Email from sender
2. Action: Send fixed reply

Tools to wire up: Gmail, Outlook

Set it live once you've got it working. Thanks!

Or open the dashboard →

Apps you'll connect

Carly authenticates these for you over OAuth when she sets up the workflow.

Gmail

Outlook

Questions teams ask before building this

How long does this workflow take to set up?

Most teams have "Canned auto-reply to a sender" running in under 10 minutes. Copy the prompt on this page into an email to carly@usecarly.com and Carly wires the workflow together for you, including authenticating Gmail.

Can I edit this template after Carly builds it?

Yes. Every workflow lives on the Carly canvas where you can rename steps, change conditions, swap LLM models, add filters, and re-route branches. Templates are starting points, not locked recipes.

What if I use a different tool than the ones in this template?

Carly connects to 200+ tools, plus a generic HTTP node for any API that doesn't have a native integration. Tell Carly your stack when you send the prompt and she'll pick the right connectors.

Does this run automatically once it's built?

Yes. The trigger at the start of the workflow fires automatically — on a schedule, on an inbound email, on a webhook, on a calendar event, whatever this template specifies. Carly handles the listening; you only step in when a step is gated on you.

Does this workflow cost anything to run?

This template has no AI step, so it runs free — no subscription required. Carly only charges when a workflow step calls an AI model, and this one doesn't. Build it, set it on whatever trigger you like, and it keeps running at no cost.