Smart Email Replies: AI-Powered Response Drafting

The Problem

You spend too much time crafting responses to routine emails. Meeting confirmations, quick questions, and follow-ups all require attention, but writing each response from scratch is inefficient.

The Workflow

Step 1: Select an Email to Reply To

Identify an email that needs a response. This works best for straightforward emails like meeting requests, simple questions, or acknowledgments.

Prompt to use:

Show me my unread emails that need a response.
For each one, suggest a brief, professional reply I can use.

Step 2: Review and Customize Suggestions

Claude will analyze each email and generate appropriate response drafts.

Example output:

Email 1: Meeting request from Sarah
Suggested reply: "Hi Sarah, Tuesday at 2pm works perfectly for me.
I'll send a calendar invite. Looking forward to our discussion."

Email 2: Question about project timeline
Suggested reply: "Thanks for checking in. We're on track to deliver
the first milestone by Friday. I'll send a detailed update tomorrow."

Email 3: Thank you note from client
Suggested reply: "You're very welcome! It was a pleasure working
together. Don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything else."

Step 3: Send or Refine

Pick a suggestion and either send it directly or ask Claude to adjust the tone or add details.

Prompt to use:

Send the first reply to Sarah, but add that I'll bring the
quarterly report we discussed.

Expected Result

You'll respond to routine emails in seconds instead of minutes. The AI handles the drafting while you maintain control over the final message, ensuring responses are both quick and personalized.

Tools Used

This workflow uses the Mail toolbox:

Tool	Purpose
mail_search_messages	Find unread emails
mail_get_messages	Read email content
mail_reply_message	Send replies

Tips

• Use a consistent tone instruction like "keep it friendly but professional"
• For sensitive emails, always review suggestions before sending
• Build a mental library of response patterns that work well

Related Workflows

• Email Template Generation - Create reusable templates
• AI Email Triage - Prioritize which emails to respond to first