Lists and lead capture
Auto-responders: greet new leads and send birthday wishes
Switch on instant email, SMS or WhatsApp greetings for each Leadnote list, set up birthday and special day wishes, and see what triggers each message.
An auto-responder is a message Leadnote sends without anyone clicking send. There are two kinds. The instant greeting thanks a new lead the moment they arrive in a list. Birthday and special day wishes go out on the matching date. Both are off until you switch them on.
Instant greeting for new leads
Where to set it up
- Open Lists.
- On the list's row, open Actions and choose Edit List.
- Click the Instant Communication tab. Its heading is "Connect before your competition does".
You must be an Account Owner, a Manager or the owner of the list. There are three sub-tabs: Send Greeting Email, Send Greeting Text / SMS and Send WhatsApp Message. Each has a switch and its own save button.
| Channel | Switch to turn on | Save button | Message you see |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send Greeting Email - Auto-send email to every lead added | Save Configuration | "Greeting email configuration saved" | |
| SMS | Send Greeting SMS - Auto-send SMS to every lead added | Save SMS Config | "SMS configuration saved" |
| Auto WhatsApp Greeting - Send message to every new lead | Save WhatsApp Config | "WhatsApp configuration saved" |
Each tab shows whether the channel is connected. For email it reads SMTP configured or SMTP not Configured; for SMS, SMS configured or SMS not configured; for WhatsApp, "Provider: (name)" or "No provider configured". Use the link on the tab to connect one. With your own account connected, the greeting leaves from your address or number. Without one, Leadnote uses its default sender where it exists. See set up email sending and set up WhatsApp messaging.
The email tab also has a Share my business card with the greeting email option. It is saved, but the greeting text is fixed, so do not rely on it to attach your card.
What triggers a greeting
A greeting is requested when a new lead is created by one of these routes and the list switch for that channel is on:
- A visitor submits one of your Leadnote forms. See lead capture forms.
- A lead arrives from a connected source such as Typeform, Google Forms, Zapier, a lead portal or the public API. See Google Forms and Typeform.
| Situation | Greeting |
|---|---|
| New lead from a form or connected source, switch on, contact detail present | Sent on each channel that is switched on |
| New lead has no email | No email greeting |
| New lead has no phone number | No SMS or WhatsApp greeting |
| The email or phone already belongs to a lead | None, and no second lead is created |
| You add a lead on the web | Only if you tick Send Greeting Email on the lead form and the lead has an email |
| You import a file | None |
What the greeting says
The wording is fixed. The email is titled "Thanks for your enquiry" with the lead's first name, thanks them for getting in touch with your organisation and says the team will reach out shortly. The SMS and WhatsApp messages say the same in one line. When you tick Send Greeting Email on the web lead form, the note is "Nice to meet you" with the lead's first name.
Birthday and special day wishes
Wishes use two dates saved on the lead, Date of Birth and Special Event Date, which you find in the Info+ section. A special event can be an anniversary or any other date.
- Write your wording first. For email, open Campaigns, then Email Templates, and use the birthday and special day sections. For WhatsApp, create a template and set Use for to Birthday wishes or Special day wishes. See message templates and placeholders.
- Open Campaigns, then Birthday Wishes. There are two blocks, Birthday Wishes and Special Day Wishes, each with Send Email and Send WhatsApp Message.
- Switch on a channel. This needs your own connected account for that channel; if it is missing, the page links you to Configure SMTP or to the WhatsApp settings.
- Pick a Template. Default template uses the first template of that kind. If none exists, the lead is skipped with the reason "No template".
- Choose Send at. The default is 09:00.
Only Account Owners and Managers can change these settings. Once a wish is on, Leadnote checks every hour. It sends the wishes that are due at the Send at hour in your organisation's time zone, and a lead gets each wish at most once a day. A lead with no email or phone, an unsubscribed lead, and a lead with greetings switched off are skipped.
Check before you rely on it
The Check due wishes card lets you test. Enter an optional Date, choose Run now (dry run) and Leadnote lists who would receive a wish with the occasion, channel and address, without sending anything. Send due wishes now queues them straight away after you confirm. Run a dry run with a date that matches a test lead's birthday before you trust the daily send.
Check that messages were sent
Open Campaigns then Message Outbox to see greetings and wishes with their channel, recipient and delivery status. See delivery status and the message log.
Messages go through the same engine as campaigns. Those sent through the Leadnote sender count against your plan's message allowance; those sent through your own account do not use it. See sending limits and consent.
On the mobile app
Open Manage Lists and tap a list. The Auto-response section shows Send greeting email, Send greeting SMS and Send greeting on WhatsApp as on or off. Tap Edit list to change them. They change only while you are online, and each channel still needs its provider set up on the web.
Tips
- Connect your own email or WhatsApp account first, then test with your own address through the list's form.
- Pair the greeting with fast assignment. See round robin and list assignment.
- Respect consent rules for your market. Only switch on SMS and WhatsApp greetings where people have asked to hear from you, for example by submitting your form.
Frequently asked questions
Do greetings go to leads I add by hand?
No. The list switches apply to leads that arrive automatically. When you add a lead on the web, tick Send Greeting Email on the lead form to send that lead a short note. Imported leads get no greeting.
Can I edit the greeting wording?
No. The instant greeting is a short standard thank-you that uses the lead's first name and your organisation name. You choose which channels are on. Birthday and special day wishes do use templates you write.
Why did my form visitor get no thank-you?
The switches are off until you turn them on for the list. A greeting also needs the matching detail: an email address for email, a phone number for SMS and WhatsApp.
Does a greeting send twice?
No. Leadnote sends at most one instant greeting per lead and channel, and a repeat enquiry from an existing lead gets none.
Do birthday wishes go out by themselves?
Yes, once you switch a wish on. Leadnote checks every hour and sends each enabled wish at the hour you choose, in your organisation's time zone. You can also run a check yourself.