Setting Up Email Autoresponders to Avoid Loops

This article explains how to configure email autoresponders in LiveAgent using Rules while preventing autoresponder loops when your customers also use autoresponders.

Understanding Autoresponder Loops

An autoresponder loop occurs when two autoresponders continuously reply to each other, creating an endless chain of messages. This can happen when:

• Your LiveAgent autoresponder sends an email to a customer
• The customer's email system has an autoresponder enabled
• The customer's autoresponder replies to your message
• Your autoresponder responds to that reply, and the cycle continues

Recommended Approach: Using the "Send Answer" Action

To prevent autoresponder loops, it is recommended to use the "send answer" action when setting up email autoresponders via Rules in LiveAgent.

Why "Send Answer" is Better

The "send answer" action is designed to work intelligently with email systems and should not cause a loop even if your customer uses an autoresponder. This is because the "send answer" action retains information about the original message and properly marks the response in a way that prevents triggering customer autoresponders.

Why Avoid "Send Mail"

The "send mail" action should be avoided for autoresponders because it does not retain any information about the original message. This can cause the email to be treated as a new message by customer autoresponders, triggering a response and potentially creating a loop.

Setting Up an Autoresponder Rule

1. Navigate to Rules in your LiveAgent settings
2. Create a new rule or edit an existing one
3. Set your trigger conditions (e.g., when a ticket is created, when a specific tag is added, etc.)
4. In the Actions section, select "Send Answer" instead of "Send Mail"
5. Configure your autoresponder message
6. Save the rule

Best Practices

• Always use the "send answer" action for autoresponders to minimize the risk of loops
• Test your autoresponder rules with a test email account that has an autoresponder enabled to verify no loops occur
• Monitor your ticket system for any unexpected automated responses
• Consider adding a note in your autoresponder message indicating it is an automated response to set customer expectations