Guide · Trades and home services · Gmail · Enquiries

How do I set up an auto reply to enquiries in Gmail as a tradie?

By BREME · Updated 10 November 2026

Who this is for: Sole traders and small trade businesses (plumbers, electricians, sparkies, aircon, landscapers, handymen) who get job enquiries by email or website form and can't answer while they're on a job.

Why an automatic first reply matters

Most enquiries arrive while you're under a house, up a ladder or driving between jobs. The customer has often contacted two or three businesses at once, so a quick acknowledgement keeps you in the running while you finish the job in front of you.

An automatic reply doesn't replace you calling them back. It does three jobs in the gap: it tells them the enquiry arrived, it says when they'll hear from you, and it asks for the details you'd need anyway, like photos, the suburb and the best time to call. That means your callback is quicker, because you already know what the job is.

How to set up an auto reply to enquiries in Gmail

Gmail does this with two features working together: a template (the reply) and a filter (which emails get it). Google's own help explains both. You need a computer for setup, because Google says templates can't be turned on or used in the Gmail mobile apps.

1. Turn on templates. In Gmail on your computer, click Settings, then See all settings. Open the Advanced tab, choose Enable next to Templates, and click Save Changes at the bottom.
2. Write the reply. Click Compose and write the message (use the template below as a starting point). Leave the To field empty and add a subject such as "Thanks for your enquiry".
3. Save it as a template. In the compose window, open More options, choose Templates, then Save draft as template, then Save as new template. Give it a clear name like "Enquiry auto reply". You can close the draft afterwards.
4. Decide which emails should get it. The simplest rule is a separate address only used for enquiries, such as an alias for quotes. If enquiries come from your website form, look at one: the sender address or the subject line (for example "New enquiry from website") is usually the same every time.
5. Create the filter. Click the Show search options icon in the Gmail search box. Enter the rule from step 4, for example the website form's subject line in the Subject field. Click Search to check it only finds enquiries, then click Create filter.
6. Tick Send template and choose your template, then click Create filter again. From now on, matching emails get your reply automatically.
7. Test it properly. Fill in your own website form from a personal email, and send a direct enquiry to your enquiries address. Check that the reply arrives where the customer would see it.

The catch with website forms

A Gmail filter replies to whoever sent the email. Many website forms send the notification from their own no-reply address, with the customer's details written inside the message. If that's how yours works, the auto reply goes to the form system, not the customer.

That's why step 7 matters. If your test reply doesn't reach your personal inbox, look in your website form's settings for an option to send a confirmation email to the person who filled it in, and put the same wording there instead. Use the Gmail filter for enquiries that come straight to your inbox.

What to put in the reply

• Thanks, and confirmation the enquiry arrived.
• A realistic callback time. "Within one working day" kept every time beats "straight away" missed half the time.
• The details you need: photos, suburb, the problem in a sentence, and the best time to call.
• A number for genuine emergencies, if you take urgent work.
• Your business name, phone and licence number if you normally show it.

How to tell it's working

For the first two weeks, check your Sent folder each evening and make sure the auto reply only went to real enquiries. If it caught supplier emails or newsletters, tighten the filter rule.

After a month, compare how many enquiries came with photos or details already attached, and how many turned into quotes. Those are the two numbers an automatic first reply should move.

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch with [business name]. Your enquiry has come through and we'll call you back within [one working day].

To help us quote faster, reply to this email with:
- a couple of photos of the job
- your suburb
- the best time to call you

If it's urgent ([for example, no hot water or a burst pipe]), call us on [phone].

Thanks,
[your name]
[business name] | [phone] | Licence [number]

Hi there,

Thanks for your message. We're off the tools for the day, but your enquiry is safely with us and we'll be in touch by [10am] on the next working day.

If you can, reply with a photo or two of the job and your suburb, and we'll come prepared.

Cheers,
[your name]
[business name] | [phone]