Reply Routing & AI Categorization
Speed-to-lead determines conversion. Responding within 5 minutes produces 8x more conversions than responding within an hour. Every reply needs instant categorization and routing to the right handler.
Reply Categories
Every inbound reply falls into one of six categories. Each requires a different response path, different urgency level, and different handler. Misrouting an interested reply costs a meeting. Engaging with an unsubscribe request costs your domain.
The 6 Reply Categories
| Category | % of Replies | Urgency | Action Required | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interested | 15-25% | Immediate | Slack alert + SMS + booking link within 5 min | "Sure, let's chat. What does next week look like?" |
| Objection | 10-20% | High | Human review. Craft thoughtful response. | "We already have a DevOps team internally." |
| Not Interested | 30-40% | Low | Suppress from active campaigns. Re-engage in 6 months. | "Not interested, thanks." |
| Out of Office | 10-20% | Medium | Pause sequence, reschedule for return date. | "I'm OOO until March 15. Contact Jane in my absence." |
| Unsubscribe | 5-10% | Immediate | Suppress permanently. Legal requirement. | "Remove me from your list." |
| Referral | 3-5% | High | Create new lead. Start fresh campaign. | "I'm not the right person — talk to our VP Eng, Sarah." |
Built-in vs. Custom Classification
You can rely on your sending platform's built-in AI, or build a custom classifier with n8n and OpenAI/Claude for more control and lower cost at scale.
Reply Classification Options
| Solution | Monthly Cost | Accuracy | Customizable | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instantly (built-in) | $80-100 (plan dependent) | 85-95% | Limited — preset categories | Teams already on Instantly who want zero setup |
| Smartlead (Pro plan) | $94/mo | 90-97% | Moderate — some custom labels | High-volume senders needing sub-sequence routing |
| n8n + OpenAI | $10-25/mo | 85-95% | Fully customizable | Self-hosted teams wanting full control |
| Zapier + OpenAI | $20-50/mo | 85-95% | Fully customizable | Non-technical teams, visual builder |
| Make + OpenAI | $15-30/mo | 85-95% | Fully customizable | Budget alternative to Zapier |
Routing Architecture
The routing system is a webhook-triggered workflow that classifies each reply and sends it down the correct path. Every category maps to a specific automated action.
OOO Auto-Rescheduling
Out-of-office replies are wasted opportunities if you do not reschedule. The prospect was interested enough to be in your sequence, and now you know exactly when they will be back. Rescheduling is one of the highest-ROI automations in the reply routing layer.
OOO Handling by Platform
| Platform | OOO Detection | Auto-Reschedule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemlist | Native | Yes — built-in | Best native OOO handling. Extracts return date and auto-reschedules. |
| Smartlead | AI detection | Pauses sequence | Detects OOO, pauses the lead. Manual or API resume. |
| Instantly | AI detection | Pauses sequence | Similar to Smartlead. Use API webhook to trigger n8n reschedule. |
| n8n (custom) | AI extraction | Fully automated | Parse return date with GPT, schedule resume in n8n. Most flexible. |
