Tracking email replies

Integrating reply tracking into your application can turn an incoming response into a meaningful event—for example, converting a cold lead into a hot opportunity the moment they reply. In this guide, we'll walk through how to:

1. Send outbound messages with a reusable Message-ID for tracking.
2. Receive and inspect webhooks for new messages.
3. Detect replies by matching In-Reply-To headers.
4. Filter out bounces and auto-responses.

PrerequisitesA running EmailEngine instance (see the Getting Started guide).A valid license key (free 14‑day trial enabled; purchase at PostalSys for continued access).An account configured with an IMAP or a Gmail/MS Graph integration.

1. Sending messages with a tracked Message-ID

When sending outbound mail, include a unique Message-ID header. Store this ID in your database so that replies referencing it can be matched later. Suppress some automated replies by adding X-Auto-Response-Suppress.

// send.js

async function sendTrackedEmail(accountId, to, subject, html) {
  const messageId = `<${Date.now()}-${accountId}@yourdomain.com>`;

  const payload = {
    messageId,
    headers: {
      'X-Auto-Response-Suppress': 'OOF'
    },
    from: '[email protected]',
    to,
    subject,
    html
  };

  // Store messageId in your DB for future matching
  await saveMessageRecord({ accountId, messageId, to, subject });

  const res = await fetch(`https://your-emailengine.com/v1/account/${accountId}/send`, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify(payload)
  });
  return res.json();
}

Tip: Always persist the exact messageId string (including angle brackets) in your database.

2. Handling inbound webhook notifications

EmailEngine emits a webhook on every new message. The payload differs slightly between generic IMAP servers and Gmail-based accounts.

• Standard IMAP: path contains the folder name (e.g., INBOX).
• Gmail/GSuite: path is only set for All Mail, Junk, Trash. Use the labels array to find special-use tags like \\Inbox, \\Sent.

Example notification for Gmail accounts:

{
  "path": "[Google Mail]/All Mail",
  "specialUse": "\\All",
  "event": "messageNew",
  "data": {
    "id": "AAAAAQAAMqo",
    "inReplyTo": "<1234567890-yourdomain.com>",
    "labels": ["\\Inbox", "Leads"]
  }
}

3. Detecting replies

1. Check mailbox placement: Ensure the message landed in the inbox:
   • For IMAP: path === 'INBOX'.
   • For Gmail: data.labels.includes('\\Inbox').
2. Match In-Reply-To: Look for data.inReplyTo matching any stored messageId.

function isReply(notification, storedMessageIds) {
  const inReplyTo = notification.data.inReplyTo;
  const inInbox = (
    notification.path === 'INBOX' ||
    (notification.data.labels || []).includes('\\Inbox')
  );
  return inInbox && storedMessageIds.includes(inReplyTo);
}

4. Filtering out bounces and auto-responses

Even with OOF suppression, some automated messages still slip through. Fetch full headers for deeper inspection:

async function fetchHeaders(accountId, messageId) {
  const res = await fetch(
    `https://your-emailengine.com/v1/account/${accountId}/message/${messageId}`
  );
  const msg = await res.json();
  return msg.headers; // object: lowercase header name → [values]
}

Check these headers:

• Return-Path: If return-path[0] === '<>', skip (bounce).
• Auto-Submitted: If present and not 'no', skip.
• List-ID / List-Unsubscribe: Likely a mailing-list reply; skip if you only care about one-to-one replies.

Also inspect the Subject for prefixes like Out of Office: or Auto:.

function isAutomated(headers) {
  const auto = headers['auto-submitted']?.[0];
  const subj = headers.subject?.[0] || '';
  return (
    auto && auto.toLowerCase() !== 'no' ||
    /^\s*(auto:|out of office:)/i.test(subj) ||
    headers['list-id'] || headers['list-unsubscribe']
  );
}

5. Finalizing reply detection

If a message passes all checks, classify it as a genuine reply. You can then:

• Signal lead status: Mark the user interaction as a hot lead.
• Archive content: Fetch full body and attachments via /message/:id for further processing.

async function processNotification(accountId, notification) {
  const storedIds = await getStoredMessageIds(accountId);
  if (!isReply(notification, storedIds)) return;

  const headers = await fetchHeaders(accountId, notification.data.id);
  if (isAutomated(headers)) return;

  // Genuine reply!
  await markLeadAsReplied(notification.data.inReplyTo);
  // Optionally, fetch full content:
  const fullMsg = await fetch(
    `https://your-emailengine.com/v1/account/${accountId}/message/${notification.data.id}`
  ).then(r => r.json());
  // Process fullMsg.text, attachments, etc.
}

And that’s it! With these steps, you’ll reliably detect replies and trigger workflows based on genuine user responses.