How Do I Configure Response Filters to Control When Propel Responds?

Response filters in Propel give you fine-grained control over when your AI agent responds to emails. Unlike automation rules that define how to respond, response filters determine whether Propel should respond at all. This guide explains how to configure response filters effectively.

What Are Response Filters?

Response filters are mailbox-level settings that control when Propel should respond to or ignore incoming emails. They act as filters that determine which emails get handled automatically and which are ignored.

Key differences from automation rules:

• Response filters - Control whether to respond (respond/ignore decision)
• Automation rules - Control how to respond (response content, approvals, handoffs)

Response filters evaluate:

• Sender domain or email address
• Subject line content
• Email body content
• Case sensitivity (optional)

Understanding Response Filter Types

Respond Filters

Respond filters specify when Propel should respond. If a respond filter matches, Propel will handle the email.

Types:

• Only respond to domain - Only respond to emails from specific domains
• Only respond to email - Only respond to specific email addresses
• Only respond when subject contains - Only respond if subject contains text
• Only respond when body contains - Only respond if body contains text

Use cases:

• Only handle inquiries from recognized lead sources
• Only respond to emails about specific topics
• Restrict responses to certain senders

Ignore Filters

Ignore filters specify when Propel should ignore emails. If an ignore filter matches, Propel will not respond.

Types:

• Ignore domain - Never respond to emails from specific domains
• Ignore email - Never respond to specific email addresses
• Ignore if subject contains - Never respond if subject contains text
• Ignore if body contains - Never respond if body contains text

Use cases:

• Ignore internal team emails
• Ignore automated emails (out of office, notifications)
• Ignore spam or unwanted senders
• Ignore emails with specific keywords

Filter Groups: Complex Conditions

Filter groups allow you to combine multiple conditions with AND/OR logic, enabling more sophisticated matching scenarios.

When to Use Filter Groups

Use filter groups when you need to match multiple conditions together, such as:

• Provider-specific filters: "Respond to Zillow emails AND subject contains 'rental'"
• Multi-condition matching: "Respond if domain is redfin.com AND subject contains 'inquiry'"
• Flexible matching: "Respond if domain is apartments.com OR subject contains 'tour'"

Filter Group Structure

Each filter group contains:

• Group name (optional): A descriptive name like "Zillow Filters" or "Redfin Filters"
• Action: Whether to "Respond" or "Ignore" when the group matches
• Logic: How conditions are combined:
  • AND: All conditions must match
  • OR: Any condition can match
• Conditions: One or more conditions (domain, email, subject, body)

AND vs OR Logic

AND Logic (All conditions must match):

• Use when you need strict matching
• Example: "Domain is zillow.com AND subject contains 'rental'"
• Only matches if BOTH conditions are true

OR Logic (Any condition can match):

• Use when you want flexible matching
• Example: "Domain is zillow.com OR domain is redfin.com"
• Matches if ANY condition is true

Example Filter Groups

Example 1: Zillow with Subject Filter

• Group name: "Zillow Filters"
• Action: Respond
• Logic: AND
• Conditions:
  • Domain: zillow.com
  • Subject contains: rental
• Result: Only responds to Zillow emails with "rental" in the subject

Example 2: Multiple Providers

• Group name: "Lead Sources"
• Action: Respond
• Logic: OR
• Conditions:
  • Domain: zillow.com
  • Domain: redfin.com
  • Domain: apartments.com
• Result: Responds to emails from any of these domains

Example 3: Complex Ignore Filter

• Group name: "Automated Emails"
• Action: Ignore
• Logic: OR
• Conditions:
  • Subject contains: [AUTO]
  • Subject contains: Out of Office
  • Body contains: unsubscribe
• Result: Ignores any email matching any of these conditions

Simple Filters vs Filter Groups

Simple Filters (flat filters):

• Single condition per filter
• Easy to understand and configure
• Good for basic scenarios
• Example: "Ignore domain: yourcompany.com"

Filter Groups:

• Multiple conditions per group
• AND/OR logic for complex matching
• Better for provider-specific scenarios
• Example: "Zillow domain AND subject contains 'rental'"

Both filter types work together - you can mix simple filters and filter groups in the same mailbox configuration.

How Response Filters Are Evaluated

Filter Evaluation Order

Response filters are evaluated in this order:

1. All filters are checked - Every filter is evaluated against the incoming email
2. Ignore filters take precedence - If any ignore filter matches, the email is ignored
3. Respond filters are evaluated - If no ignore filters match, respond filters are checked
4. Default behavior - If no filters match, default behavior applies (typically responds)

Filter Precedence

Ignore filters always win:

• If an ignore filter matches, the email is ignored regardless of respond filters
• This ensures safety - you can't accidentally respond to emails you want to ignore

Respond filters are restrictive:

• If you have respond filters, only emails matching those filters get responses
• If no respond filters match, default behavior applies

No filters = default:

• If you have no filters configured, Propel responds to all emails (subject to other settings)

Example Evaluation

Scenario: You have these rules:

• Ignore domain: yourcompany.com
• Only respond to domain: zillow.com
• Only respond when subject contains: rental

Email 1: From john@yourcompany.com, subject: "Internal question"

• Matches ignore rule → IGNORED

Email 2: From lead@zillow.com, subject: "Rental inquiry"

• Matches respond rules → RESPONDED

Email 3: From lead@zillow.com, subject: "General question"

• Matches domain rule but not subject rule → Default behavior (typically responds)

Email 4: From spam@example.com, subject: "Rental inquiry"

• Matches subject rule but not domain rule → Default behavior (typically responds)

Configuring Response Filters

Step 1: Navigate to Mailbox Settings

1. Go to Settings > Mailboxes
2. Use the mailbox selector dropdown at the top to choose which mailbox you want to configure
3. The configuration layout will display for the selected mailbox

Step 2: Find Response Filters Section

1. Scroll to the "Response Filters" section
2. You'll see existing filters (if any) and options to add new filters

Step 3: Add a Filter

You can add two types of filters:

Simple Filters:

1. Click "Add simple filter" button
2. Select filter type from dropdown:
   • Respond to domain
   • Ignore domain
   • Respond to email
   • Ignore email
   • Respond when subject contains
   • Ignore if subject contains
   • Respond when body contains
   • Ignore if body contains
3. Enter the value to match (domain, email, or text)
4. Optionally enable case sensitivity
5. Add description (optional but recommended)

Filter Groups:

1. Click "Add filter group" button
2. Enter an optional group name (e.g., "Zillow Rules")
3. Select action: "Respond" or "Ignore"
4. Select logic: "All (AND)" or "Any (OR)"
5. Add conditions:
   • Click "Add condition" for each condition
   • Select condition type (Domain, Email, Subject contains, Body contains)
   • Enter the value to match
   • Optionally enable case sensitivity for each condition
6. Add description (optional but recommended)

Step 4: Save Changes

1. Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the Response Rules section
2. Rules take effect immediately

Rule Configuration Options

Rule Types

Domain-based:

• Only respond to domain - example.com (matches all emails from that domain)
• Ignore domain - spam.com (ignores all emails from that domain)

Email-based:

• Only respond to email - specific@example.com (matches only that email)
• Ignore email - unwanted@example.com (ignores only that email)

Subject-based:

• Only respond when subject contains - rental (matches if subject contains text)
• Ignore if subject contains - [AUTO] (ignores if subject contains text)

Body-based:

• Only respond when body contains - interested (matches if body contains text)
• Ignore if body contains - unsubscribe (ignores if body contains text)

Case Sensitivity

You can enable case-sensitive matching for rules:

• Case-sensitive OFF (default) - Matches regardless of case
  • "Rental" matches "rental", "RENTAL", "Rental"
• Case-sensitive ON - Matches exact case
  • "Rental" only matches "Rental", not "rental" or "RENTAL"

When to use case sensitivity:

• Specific formatting requirements
• Distinguishing between different uses of the same word
• Matching exact patterns or codes

Rule Descriptions

Add descriptions to rules for clarity:

• Document purpose - Explain why the rule exists
• Team understanding - Help team members understand rules
• Maintenance - Make it easier to update or remove rules later

Example descriptions:

• "Ignore internal team communications"
• "Only respond to Zillow lead emails"
• "Ignore automated out-of-office replies"

Common Response Rule Patterns

Pattern 1: Ignore Internal Emails

Setup:

• Rule type: Ignore domain
• Value: yourcompany.com
• Description: "Ignore internal team emails"

Result: All emails from your company domain are ignored.

Pattern 2: Only Handle Lead Source Emails

Setup:

• Rule type: Only respond to domain
• Values: zillow.com, apartments.com, realtor.com
• Description: "Only respond to recognized lead sources"

Result: Only emails from these domains get responses.

Pattern 3: Ignore Automated Emails

Setup:

• Rule type: Ignore if subject contains
• Values: [AUTO], Out of Office, Automatic Reply
• Description: "Ignore automated email responses"

Result: Automated emails are ignored.

Pattern 4: Topic-Specific Responses

Setup:

• Rule type: Only respond when subject contains
• Values: rental, apartment, property, tour, showing
• Description: "Only respond to property-related inquiries"

Result: Only property-related emails get responses.

Pattern 5: Combined Rules

Setup:

• Ignore domain: yourcompany.com
• Only respond to domain: zillow.com
• Only respond when subject contains: rental or apartment

Result:

• Internal emails are ignored
• Only Zillow emails about rentals/apartments get responses

Pattern 6: Provider-Specific Rule Groups

Setup:

• Rule Group "Zillow Rules":
  • Action: Respond
  • Logic: AND
  • Conditions: Domain = zillow.com, Subject contains = rental
• Rule Group "Redfin Rules":
  • Action: Respond
  • Logic: AND
  • Conditions: Domain = redfin.com, Subject contains = inquiry

Result:

• Zillow emails with "rental" in subject get responses
• Redfin emails with "inquiry" in subject get responses
• Other emails use default behavior

Pattern 7: Flexible Provider Matching

Setup:

• Rule Group "Lead Sources":
  • Action: Respond
  • Logic: OR
  • Conditions: Domain = zillow.com, Domain = redfin.com, Domain = apartments.com

Result:

• Responds to emails from any of the three lead source domains

Testing Response Filters

Using the Test Tool

Propel includes a built-in rule testing tool:

1. Scroll to "Test Response Filters" section in mailbox settings
2. Enter test data:
   • Sender email address
   • Subject line
   • Email body content
3. Click "Test Filters"
4. Review results:
   • Whether email would be responded to or ignored
   • Which rules matched
   • Reason for the decision

Testing Best Practices

Test positive cases:

• Emails that should be responded to
• Verify respond rules work correctly

Test negative cases:

• Emails that should be ignored
• Verify ignore rules work correctly

Test edge cases:

• Emails on the boundary of rules
• Case sensitivity scenarios
• Multiple rule matches

Test real scenarios:

• Use actual email examples from your inbox
• Test with various lead sources
• Verify internal emails are ignored

Response Rules Best Practices

Start with Ignore Rules

Begin by setting up ignore rules for emails you definitely don't want to handle:

1. Internal team emails - Ignore your company domain
2. Automated emails - Ignore out-of-office, notifications
3. Known spam - Ignore known spam domains or senders

Be Specific with Respond Rules

If using respond rules, be specific:

• List all allowed domains - Don't miss important lead sources
• Use clear keywords - Make subject/body rules specific
• Test thoroughly - Ensure you're not blocking legitimate inquiries

Document Your Rules

Add descriptions to all rules:

• Explain purpose - Why the rule exists
• Note exceptions - Any special cases
• Update as needed - Keep descriptions current

Review Rules Regularly

Periodically review your rules:

• Check effectiveness - Are rules working as expected?
• Remove unused rules - Clean up rules that are no longer needed
• Update for changes - Adjust rules when lead sources or processes change

Combine with Automation Rules

Response rules work alongside automation rules:

• Response rules - Control whether to respond
• Automation rules - Control how to respond

Use both together for complete control over automation behavior.

Use Case Examples

Property Management: Leasing Inbox

Goal: Only handle rental inquiries from recognized sources, ignore internal emails.

Rules:

• Ignore domain: yourcompany.com
• Only respond to domain: zillow.com, apartments.com, rent.com
• Only respond when subject contains: rental, apartment, lease, tour

Result: Only legitimate rental inquiries from recognized sources get automated responses.

Real Estate: Buyer Leads

Goal: Handle buyer inquiries from multiple sources, ignore seller inquiries in this mailbox.

Rules:

• Ignore domain: yourcompany.com
• Only respond to domain: zillow.com, realtor.com, yourwebsite.com
• Only respond when subject contains: buyer, interested, showing, property
• Ignore if subject contains: seller, listing, valuation

Result: Buyer inquiries get responses, seller inquiries are ignored (handled in different mailbox).

Short-Term Rentals: Booking Inquiries

Goal: Handle booking inquiries, ignore general questions in this mailbox.

Rules:

• Ignore domain: yourcompany.com
• Only respond when subject contains: booking, reservation, inquiry, available
• Ignore if subject contains: complaint, refund, cancellation

Result: Booking inquiries get automated responses, complaints go to human agents.

Troubleshooting Response Rules

Rules Not Working

If rules aren't working as expected:

1. Verify rules are enabled - Check that rules are active
2. Check rule syntax - Ensure values are entered correctly
3. Test with tool - Use the test tool to verify rule logic
4. Review evaluation order - Remember ignore rules take precedence
5. Check case sensitivity - Verify case sensitivity settings

Too Many Responses

If Propel is responding to emails it shouldn't:

1. Add ignore rules - Create rules to ignore unwanted emails
2. Make respond rules more specific - Narrow down when to respond
3. Review default behavior - Understand what happens when no rules match
4. Test filters - Use test tool to verify filter behavior

Missing Responses

If Propel isn't responding to emails it should:

1. Check respond rules - Ensure respond rules aren't too restrictive
2. Verify rule values - Check that rule values match email content
3. Test with tool - Use test tool to see why emails aren't matching
4. Review ignore rules - Ensure ignore rules aren't blocking wanted emails

Conflicting Rules

If rules seem to conflict:

1. Understand precedence - Ignore rules always win
2. Review rule logic - Ensure rules make sense together
3. Test combinations - Test how filters work together
4. Simplify if needed - Consider consolidating or removing conflicting rules

Combining Response Rules with Other Features

Response Rules + Automation Rules

Response rules determine whether to respond; automation rules determine how:

1. Response rules filter - Decide which emails get handled
2. Automation rules customize - Define response behavior for handled emails

Response Rules + Approvals

Combine response rules with approvals:

1. Response rules - Control which emails get responses
2. Approvals - Require review before sending responses

Response Rules + Handoffs

Use response rules with handoffs:

1. Response rules - Filter which emails are handled
2. Handoffs - CC team members on handled emails when needed

Next Steps

Now that you understand response rules:

• Configure mailbox settings to set up response rules
• Create automation rules to customize how Propel responds
• Set up approval workflows to review responses
• Monitor conversations to see response rules in action

Related Articles

• Configuring Mailbox Settings - Set up response rules in mailbox settings
• Creating Your First Rule - Create automation rules that work with response rules
• Rule Conditions and Triggers - Understand conditions for automation rules
• Setting Up Handoffs - Combine handoffs with response rules
• Approval Workflows - Require approvals for responses