Use case · Leads that arrive by email

Lead response automation for email enquiries

When a new enquiry lands in Gmail or Outlook, Inbox drafts a reply, adds the lead to HubSpot and tells the right person, before the lead goes cold.

Try Inbox free See the HubSpot set-up

The ClearMakes Inbox team · Last updated 29 September 2026

What is lead response automation for email?

Lead response automation for email means the first steps after a new enquiry happen without waiting for someone to notice it: a reply is drafted or sent, the lead is recorded in your CRM, and the right person is told. In ClearMakes Inbox you describe these steps in one sentence. Free to start; paid plans from $29 a month.

What happens when a new enquiry arrives

Three things, in one run: a reply is ready, the lead is recorded, and a person is told. You choose which of them happen and whether the reply sends itself.

Example workflow

“When someone emails asking for a quote, draft a reply with our pricing link, add them to HubSpot, and tell #sales in Slack.”

When an email arrives in Gmail
Check it asks for a quote
Draft a reply
Create the contact in HubSpot
Post to #sales in Slack

Example workflow

“When a new enquiry reaches sales@ in Outlook, reply straight away that we'll call within one working day, and post it to the Sales channel in Teams.”

When an email arrives in Outlook
Stop if it isn't a new enquiry
Send a reply
Post to the Sales channel in Teams

People asking for faster email triggers on automation forums say it plainly: “lead response time is critical.” (Zapier Community, read 29 September 2026.)

How to set it up

Connect the mailbox leads arrive in, plus the CRM and chat app you use, then describe the workflow in one sentence.

Connect your mailbox
Gmail or Outlook, from the Apps page in ClearMakes Inbox.
Connect HubSpot and Slack or Teams
Only the ones you want the workflow to use.
Describe what counts as a lead and what should happen
Inbox asks at most one question, such as whether the reply should send itself or wait for you.
Check the steps and switch it on
Then read the first few runs and drafts.

Rules for a good first reply

Answer their question in the first line and give one clear next step. Promise only what your team will really do.

Thank them and answer what they asked, in the first sentence.
Give one next step: a booking link, a price list, or when you will call.
Never promise a price or a date the workflow can't know.
Save the answers you give most often in Smart FAQ, so replies to common questions use your exact words.

Who this is not for

If most of your leads phone or text you, or fill in a web form that already writes to your CRM, this isn't the right tool. It is for leads who email.

Phone and SMS leads: use a phone or text tool.
Web forms: HubSpot's own forms write straight into HubSpot.
Large sales teams with routing rules and quotas: a full sales platform fits better.

Questions people ask

Should the first reply send by itself?

Start with drafts. Inbox writes the reply and waits for you to check it, so nothing goes out that you haven't seen. Once the drafts are consistently right, you can let simple ones send by themselves.

Does it handle leads that call or text?

No. Inbox works with email and chat messages: Gmail, Outlook, Slack and Teams. For phone calls and text messages, use a tool built for those.

Can it tell a real lead from a newsletter?

Usually. Describe what counts as a lead in the sentence, for example “someone asking for a quote or a call”, and the workflow checks each email against that. Check the first runs; AI can misread now and then.

What does it cost?

Free: 3 apps, 2 new workflows and 100 runs a month, enough to try one lead workflow. Starter is $29 a month for 5,000 runs; Growth is $59 a month with no limits.