What are lead auto-response rules?
Auto-response rules are used to specify which email template is sent in reply to a web-to-lead submission.
Open Example
When the submitter expresses interest in a product, send the “Product Inquiry” response template.
When the submitter expresses interest in a service, send the “Service Inquiry” response template.
Do I need to configure lead auto-response rules?
Will all web-to-lead submissions receive the same email template in response to their submission?
If yes, you do not need an auto-response rule. However, you will need to configure the default response template (see below).
If no, you will need an auto-response rule.
Steps to configure responses to web-to-lead submissions:
1. Create email template(s).
Navigate to Setup –> Communication Templates –> Email Templates.
I recommend creating an email folder to manage your auto-response templates. The email template must be marked as “Available for Use” in order to be selected in future steps:
2. Configure the default response template.
The default response template is sent if no auto-response rule is configured, or if no rule within the active auto-response rule is matched.
Navigate to Setup –> Customize –> Leads –> Web-to-Lead. Edit the Default Response Template:
Open Example
If a lead were submitted without the “Type” field populated, they would receive the “General Inquiry” response template, as neither rule entry 1 or 2 or would match the submission:
3. Configure an auto-response rule (if required).
If more than one response template was configured in step 1, then an auto-response rule is required.
Navigate to Setup –> Customize –> Leads –> Lead Auto-Response Rules.
Click on an existing rule to edit, or click New to create a new rule:
Configure and order your rule entries as appropriate. Mark the rule active when complete:
How many different lead auto-response rules can I create?
You can create many auto-response rules, but only one can be active at a time. To my knowledge, inactive auto-response rules cannot be referenced until made active.
One potential use for multiples rules would be to keep a second auto-response rule for holidays. This rule would only get activated prior to holidays, and would notify potential customers that response time may be slightly delayed because of the holiday.
you wrote:
“You can create many auto-response rules, but only one can be active at a time. To my knowledge, inactive auto-response rules cannot be referenced until made active.”
Yet the screenshot shows two rules, each for a different lead type. So both of these rules would be “active”, yet only one of the rules would be triggered, depending on the lead type. Right?
In the screenshot, under “Rule Entries”, that is essentially your filter criteria steps. You can have several “Rule Entries” but only one active rule.
You can see an example of this in the “Hands-on Training: Get Started with Sales Cloud Administration” video at the top of the “Sales Cloud” section of this site.
https://youtu.be/MSp61khlP9s?t=40m44s
When he refers to auto-response rules in the context of only one active at a time, he means the “set” of rules in the example. Only one set of response rules can be active at a time, each of which can contain multiple rules.
John,
Found another revision for you:
3. Configure an auto-response rule (if required).
Navigate to Setup –> Customize –> Leads –> Lead Auto-Response Rules.
Thanks, updated
I Tried few set of emails both valid and invalid including the one you specified here. It keeps giving me the error below:
Error: no-reply@certifiedondemand.com is not a verified email address.
Is it because the domain needs to be registered?if yes how can i do that?
test
Resolved, please ignore.
I noticed in your screenshot that the detail view shows the name of the template and the “Sent from”. My fields are: order, criteria, assign to, and and email (true or false). Is there a way to customize the assignment rule layout to see which templates are being used, as in your screenshot?
Are you sure you’re on the same view? I don’t believe I have or can change anything here. From the Auto-response rule page (Setup –> Customize –> Leads –> Auto-response rules), then click on the configured rule (don’t click edit, just click on the name of the rule).
I was in the lead assignment rules instead of auto response 🙂 Thanks for clarifying that the views here can’t be changed 🙂
Hi, John,
What about the multiple languages? I saw (readings from salesforce forums) you can use one template and enable the translation workbench to do the translation. In that case, I guess the auto-response rule is still needed, but instead of deciding the template to use, it needs to determine what language the translation workbench need to translate into.
Have you heard any thing like that? Any comments?
Thanks,
ray
Hi Ray,
I haven’t seen that specific use case- although the translation workbench is used to translate field labels and picklist values, so I don’t see how it would translate the entire text of an email. I’d be interested to see if/how it could be done.
Hi, John,
It’s been over a year since this comment posted;- am I correct in assuming that there is still no functionality to translate an email from one template to various languages using the translation workbench? I was asked a question about this on my exam, and assumed that the best route was to create an email template for each language, and then have an auto-response rule in place. Thank you! – Dustin
Yep, it appears that is still the case: https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000kuG1AAI https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000BqWPAA0
Seems like this was delivered long back, refer to: https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000BqmOAAS
Using translation workbench would be the correct answer then..
Ah – interesting. Requires the use of Visualforce and translation workbench in conjunction. Not a ‘simple’ solution but definitely something to consider. Not sure what the answer on a test would be- depends on the context. VF solution would require a developer.
This was on the test today and I was unsure of this. I went with the create all email translations and have an auto response rule in place as well.
That was probably the right answer – but it depends on what the other answers were. It sounds like the best solution using translation would require a visualforce email template, which should be out scope for the admin exam.
Hello John
In Step 3 I think you meant to say …., then an auto response RULE is required.
3. Configure an auto-response rule (if required).
If more than one response template was configured in step 1, then an auto-response template is required.
Navigate to Setup –> Customize –> Leads –> Auto-Response Rules.
Hi Nick,
I sure did. This is updated. Thanks for pointing out the typo!
Cheers,
John