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Handle out-of-office & auto-resume

Turn on out-of-office detection so a contact's sequence pauses when they auto-reply away and resumes when they're back. A Template-mode reply-handling setting.

Tutorials
Inbox & Replies
min read
5 min
steps
6 · Intermediate

  1. Use a Template-mode campaign

    Reply Handling (including OOO detection) appears in campaign Settings only when the campaign runs in Template mode.

  2. Open campaign Settings

    In the campaign builder, go to the Settings tab and find the Reply Handling section.

  3. Enable OOO detection

    Tick Detect out-of-office replies.

    Enable OOO detection

  4. Understand the pause

    FirstSales “recognizes OOO auto-replies and pauses the sequence until they return”: no manual return date to enter.

  5. Spot OOO in the Inbox

    OOO threads carry an out-of-office status, so you can see who's currently paused for that reason.

  6. Let it auto-resume

    When the contact returns, their sequence continues from where it paused: no action needed from you.

Pro tips

  • Pair it with stop-on-reply

    Turn on Stop sending when a reply is received in the same section, so genuine replies stop the sequence while vacation auto-replies only pause it.

  • Template mode only

    If you don't see Reply Handling in Settings, your campaign isn't running in Template mode.

  • No date to enter

    Detection reads the auto-reply and resumes on its own: leave it on and forget it.

  • Check the Inbox before a big push

    Scan for OOO-status threads so you're not waiting on contacts who are currently away.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the out-of-office setting?

Campaign Settings → Reply Handling, available in Template-mode campaigns.

What does it do?

Recognizes out-of-office auto-replies and pauses that contact's sequence until they return.

Do I have to set a return date?

No: detection handles pause and resume automatically based on the auto-reply.

Why don't I see Reply Handling in my campaign?

It only shows in Template mode. Autopilot campaigns don't expose this section.

How is this different from stop-on-reply?

Stop-on-reply halts the sequence on any reply; OOO detection only pauses for auto-replies and resumes when the contact is back.

Can I see who's currently paused for OOO?

Yes: OOO threads are flagged with an out-of-office status in the Inbox.

Inbox & Replies

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Install with AI

Your coding agent sets up the FirstSales CLI and skills for you.

Prompt for Claude Code

I'm setting up FirstSales (https://firstsales.io), an AI outbound sales platform: campaigns, contacts, a reply inbox, deliverability and lead signals. Help me get my workspace sending real, good emails end to end, from Claude Code.

Read these first so you know how FirstSales works:
- Developer docs and API: https://developer.firstsales.io
- CLI: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@firstsales.io/cli
- Skills for coding agents: https://github.com/firstsalesio/firstsales-skills (read README.md and GUIDE.md)

Setup
1. Install the CLI: npm install -g @firstsales.io/cli
2. Install the FirstSales skills:
   claude plugin marketplace add firstsalesio/firstsales-skills
   claude plugin install firstsales@firstsales
3. Ask me if I already have a FirstSales account. If not, send me to https://app.firstsales.io to sign up.
4. Ask me to create an API key under Settings → API → API Keys, with only the scopes we need.
   Never ask me to paste the key into this chat. Tell me to run this in my own terminal, so the key stays hidden:
   read -rs FS_KEY && firstsales auth login --api-key "$FS_KEY"; unset FS_KEY
5. Run `firstsales whoami` and tell me which workspace and organisation we are connected to.

Then ask me about my business: what I sell, who I sell to (roles, company size, countries), my best customers, and what I use today for outbound (tools, lists, mailboxes). Walk me through:
1. Teaching FirstSales my business: website, offer, proof points and case studies in the knowledge base, so the AI writes like someone who knows the product.
2. Connecting my sending mailboxes and checking my sending domain: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and warm-up. If anything is unhealthy, tell me the exact DNS record to add.
3. Bringing in contacts: import my CSV or CRM export into a clean list, remove duplicates and bad emails, and block domains I must never email (customers, competitors, my own).
4. Building my first campaign: the right list, senders, steps and timing. Write the sequence with me, show me the drafts, and do not launch until I say yes.
5. Setting up Signals if it fits: find people engaging with LinkedIn posts about topics my buyers care about, and turn them into leads.
6. Inviting my team and giving each person the right access.

Once campaigns run, show me how to work the reply inbox from here: which replies need an answer, draft responses in my voice, and move good conversations into deals. If I use Cal.com, connect it so follow-ups can offer my booking link (not the first email).

Throughout, as you learn about my business, proactively suggest and help create:
- Reply templates for the questions and objections my prospects are likely to raise, based on my product, site and codebase if you can see them.
- Campaign ideas and segments worth testing, with the reason for each.

Safety rules:
- Show every change as a dry run (--dry-run) first and wait for my yes. Never send emails, launch campaigns or delete anything without my yes.
- Tell me before anything that spends credits, and how many.

Be opinionated. If the docs give a sensible default, just use it. Don't make me choose between five options.
Developer docs ↗npm: @firstsales.io/cli ↗GitHub: firstsales-skills ↗