AI-Powered Email Answering
Automate customer support emails with your AI chatbot
Paid Plan Required: Email answering via API or Zapier is available on Starter, Standard, and Pro plans. View pricing
Overview
Your Asyntai AI chatbot isn't limited to website chat widgets. You can use it to automatically draft or send responses to customer support emails. The AI uses the same knowledge base, FAQs, and custom instructions you've configured in your dashboard, ensuring consistent responses across all channels.
24/7 Instant Responses
Respond to customer emails immediately, even outside business hours
Reduce Support Workload
Handle common questions automatically, freeing your team for complex issues
Consistent Messaging
Same knowledge base powers chat and email for unified customer experience
Integration Methods
There are two ways to connect Asyntai to your email workflow:
Zapier Integration
Best for non-technical users. Connect Gmail, Outlook, or other email providers with a few clicks.
- No coding required
- Works with Gmail, Outlook, and 6,000+ apps
- Set up in under 10 minutes
Direct API
Best for developers. Full control over the integration with your email system.
- Custom workflows and logic
- Works with any email system
- Maximum flexibility
Gmail + Zapier Setup
Set up automatic AI responses to Gmail emails in about 10 minutes:
Get Your Asyntai API Key
Visit your API Settings page and click Generate API Key. Copy the key - you'll need it for Zapier.
Create a New Zap in Zapier
Log in to Zapier and click Create Zap.
Set Up the Trigger: New Email in Gmail
Configure the trigger:
- Search for Gmail as your trigger app
- Select New Email as the trigger event
- Connect your Gmail account
- Optional: Filter by label (e.g., "Support") to only process certain emails
Tip: Use Gmail labels or filters to route support emails to a specific label, then trigger only on emails with that label.
Add Action: Send Message to Asyntai
Add an action step:
- Search for Asyntai
- Select Send Message to AI
- Connect using your API key
- Map the fields:
- Message: Use the email body or subject + body
- Sender ID: Use the sender's email address (ensures conversation history)
- Platform: Enter "email" or "gmail"
Add Action: Send Reply via Gmail
Add another action to send the AI response:
- Add another Gmail action: Send Email
- Set To: to the original sender's email
- Set Subject: to "Re: " + original subject
- Set Body: to the response from the Asyntai step
- Optional: Set the In Reply To field to thread the response
Test and Turn On
Test your Zap with a real email, then turn it on. Your AI will now automatically respond to incoming emails!
Outlook + Zapier Setup
The setup for Outlook is very similar to Gmail:
Create Zap with Outlook Trigger
Use Microsoft Outlook as your trigger app and select New Email as the event. Connect your Microsoft account.
Add Asyntai Action
Same as Gmail - add the Asyntai "Send Message to AI" action and map the email content to the message field, sender email to sender_id.
Send Reply via Outlook
Add Microsoft Outlook - Send Email action to reply with the AI response.
Direct API Integration
For custom integrations, use the Asyntai API directly. This works with any email system or custom application.
API Endpoint
POST https://asyntai.com/api/v1/chat/
Example Request
curl -X POST https://asyntai.com/api/v1/chat/ \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"message": "Hi, I ordered product #12345 last week but haven'\''t received it yet. Can you help?",
"session_id": "customer@example.com"
}'
Example Response
{
"success": true,
"response": "Hi! I'd be happy to help you track your order. Order #12345 was shipped on Monday and is currently in transit. Based on the tracking information, it should arrive within 2-3 business days. You can track it here: [tracking link]. Is there anything else I can help you with?",
"session_id": "customer@example.com"
}
Python Example
import requests
import imaplib
import smtplib
from email.mime.text import MIMEText
ASYNTAI_API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
def get_ai_response(email_body, sender_email):
"""Send email content to Asyntai and get AI response"""
response = requests.post(
"https://asyntai.com/api/v1/chat/",
headers={
"Authorization": f"Bearer {ASYNTAI_API_KEY}",
"Content-Type": "application/json"
},
json={
"message": email_body,
"session_id": sender_email # Use sender email for conversation history
}
)
if response.status_code == 200:
return response.json().get("response")
return None
def send_reply(to_email, subject, body):
"""Send email reply"""
msg = MIMEText(body)
msg["Subject"] = f"Re: {subject}"
msg["To"] = to_email
msg["From"] = "support@yourcompany.com"
# Send via your SMTP server
with smtplib.SMTP("smtp.yourserver.com", 587) as server:
server.starttls()
server.login("your_email", "your_password")
server.send_message(msg)
# Example usage
email_body = "What are your business hours?"
sender = "customer@example.com"
ai_response = get_ai_response(email_body, sender)
if ai_response:
send_reply(sender, "Business Hours Question", ai_response)
Node.js Example
const axios = require('axios');
const nodemailer = require('nodemailer');
const ASYNTAI_API_KEY = 'your_api_key_here';
async function getAIResponse(emailBody, senderEmail) {
const response = await axios.post(
'https://asyntai.com/api/v1/chat/',
{
message: emailBody,
session_id: senderEmail
},
{
headers: {
'Authorization': `Bearer ${ASYNTAI_API_KEY}`,
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
}
);
return response.data.response;
}
async function sendReply(toEmail, subject, body) {
const transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
host: 'smtp.yourserver.com',
port: 587,
auth: {
user: 'your_email',
pass: 'your_password'
}
});
await transporter.sendMail({
from: 'support@yourcompany.com',
to: toEmail,
subject: `Re: ${subject}`,
text: body
});
}
// Example usage
(async () => {
const aiResponse = await getAIResponse(
'Do you offer international shipping?',
'customer@example.com'
);
await sendReply(
'customer@example.com',
'Shipping Question',
aiResponse
);
})();
Best Practices
Use Sender Email as Session ID
Always use the customer's email address as the session_id or sender_id. This enables conversation history - the AI will remember previous exchanges with that customer.
Filter Which Emails Get AI Responses
Don't auto-respond to everything. Use email filters or labels to only process emails from specific addresses, with certain subjects, or in designated folders.
Consider Draft Mode First
Start by having the AI create drafts instead of sending directly. Review responses for a week to ensure quality before enabling auto-send.
Gmail Action: Create Draft instead of Send Email
Add a Signature or Disclaimer
Append a signature to AI responses. Some businesses add a note like "This response was assisted by AI" for transparency.
Train Your AI Well
The better your knowledge base, the better your email responses. Add FAQs, product info, policies, and common questions.
Exclude Automated Emails
Filter out auto-replies, newsletters, and system notifications to avoid infinite loops and wasted messages.
Example Use Cases
E-commerce Order Inquiries
Automatically respond to "Where is my order?" emails with shipping status, tracking info, and delivery estimates.
Pre-Sales Questions
Answer product questions, pricing inquiries, and feature comparisons to help convert leads faster.
Returns & Refunds
Guide customers through return policies, provide return labels, and explain refund timelines.
Technical Support
Provide troubleshooting steps, link to documentation, and answer common technical questions.
Appointment Scheduling
Answer questions about availability, services offered, and booking procedures.
After-Hours Support
Ensure customers get helpful responses even when your team is offline.
Conversation History
Asyntai maintains conversation history based on the sender ID you provide. When a customer emails multiple times, the AI remembers the context:
This continuity is automatic when you use the same sender ID (email address) for each customer.
Pricing
Email responses use the same message credits as your chat widget:
| Plan | Messages/Month | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 2,500 | $39/month |
| Standard | 15,000 | $139/month |
| Pro | 50,000 | $449/month |
Note: If using Zapier, each email typically uses 2-3 Zapier tasks (trigger + Asyntai action + send reply). Zapier has its own pricing for task usage.
Need Help?
Questions about setting up email answering? Contact us at hello@asyntai.com or check out our other documentation: