1. Introduction
2. Auto Follow Up Templates Explained
3. Types of Auto Follow Up Templates
4. Main Parts of a Template
5. Creating Templates

Introduction

This support note explains what auto followup templates are and describes the two types of auto followup templates you can use. It also explains the structure of templates and how to manage them.

Auto Follow Up Templates Explained

A template in Auto Follow Up for Gmail by cloudHQ is a reusable structure (blueprint) for a set of emails that are sent automatically at scheduled times. The emails stop being sent when the recipient replies or when all emails in the sequence are sent. Templates are used to build an auto follow-up sequence, either when you create a new auto follow-up campaign or when you add follow-ups to an email you send from Gmail.

An auto follow-up template is a pre-written structure for one or more follow-up emails that are sent automatically based on certain triggers, such as no reply or the email being opened but not clicked. Templates include the format and wording of your messages, but they should not include personal details about recipients. Instead, they use merge tags (such as *|FirstName|*, *|Company|*, etc.), which are filled in automatically when the sequence is started in Gmail or as part of a campaign.

In short, a template sets up the content and order of the follow-ups but does not start the sending process by itself. It serves as the blueprint for a follow-up sequence.

Types of Auto Follow Up Templates

You can use Auto Follow Up for Gmail templates for emails you have already sent, for emails you are drafting, or when you start a campaign.

There are two ways to create an auto follow-up sequence: 1) one is by sending emails from Gmail, and 2) the other is by creating a campaign.

Because of this, there are two types of auto follow-up templates:

1. Email Auto Follow Up Templates: These templates can be used when sending emails from Gmail or when applying follow-up sequences to emails you have already sent. In this type, the first step is the email you send from Gmail. If the email was already sent and you apply this template, this first step will be skipped. For a detailed guide on creating and managing these templates, refer to cloudHQ’s support note How to create an auto follow-up template for emails sent via Gmail
2. Campaign Auto Follow Up Templates: These templates are used for campaigns, where the first step is sent when you start the campaign.

Main Parts of a Template

1. Initial Email Content: The first message you want to send to your contact. If you load this template in your Gmail compose window, then this will be included in the message. If you apply this template to an already sent email, then this step will be ignored.
2. Follow-Up Emails: Later messages sent automatically if there’s no reply to the first email. You can customize each follow-up and set when they go out.
3. Options: Settings like whether follow-up emails can be sent during weekends, whether links will be tracked, whether all recipients need to respond, BCC for your CRM, etc.

Creating Templates

To make an email auto follow-up template, click the New Email Auto Follow-Up Template button.
To make an auto follow-up template for a campaign, click the New Campaign Auto Follow-Up Template button.