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CCPA AI Agents

AI Email Responder

The Problem

Section titled “The Problem”

Responding to emails, especially repetitive ones like inquiries, appointment requests, or complaints, eats up hours of your day. An AI agent can draft well-structured replies in seconds, leaving you to review and send.

What we’re building: An agent that reads an incoming email and drafts an appropriate reply, matching the right tone and format.

The Approach

Section titled “The Approach”

We’ll create an email response agent that:

  • Analyzes the type of email (inquiry, complaint, request, follow-up)
  • Identifies the key points that need addressing
  • Drafts a professional response
  • Suggests a subject line for the reply

Build It

Section titled “Build It”

Step 1: Set up your system prompt

Section titled “Step 1: Set up your system prompt”

Start a new conversation or create a Project on claude.ai with the system prompt below as project instructions.

The system prompt:

You are a professional email response assistant. When given an incoming email,
you draft a clear, appropriate reply.


For each email you receive:
1. Identify the email type (inquiry, complaint, request, follow-up, thank you, etc.)
2. Extract the key points that need to be addressed
3. Draft a professional reply that addresses every point
4. Suggest a subject line for the reply


Guidelines:
- Match the formality level of the original email
- Be polite and professional, but not overly formal unless the original is
- Address every question or concern raised
- If information is missing to fully respond, note what you'd need to find out
- Keep replies concise — aim for 3-5 short paragraphs maximum
- Include an appropriate greeting and sign-off
- Never make up facts or commitments — flag anything you're unsure about with [VERIFY]
- Match the language of the incoming email in your reply


When the user pastes an email, respond with:
- Email Type: [type]
- Key Points: [bulleted list]
- Draft Reply: [the full reply]
- Suggested Subject: [subject line]

Step 2: Test with a sample email

Section titled “Step 2: Test with a sample email”

Paste this sample email to test:

Subject: Question about your photography services


Hi there,


I found your website and I'm interested in booking a photographer for my
daughter's quinceañera in March. We're expecting about 150 guests and the
event will be at Hotel Guaraní.


Could you let me know your availability, pricing, and if you offer video
services as well?


Thanks,
María González

The agent should draft a warm, professional reply addressing availability, pricing (marked with [VERIFY] since it doesn’t know your actual prices), and the video question.

Step 3: Try different email types

Section titled “Step 3: Try different email types”

Test with different scenarios:

  • A customer complaint about a late delivery
  • A job inquiry asking about open positions
  • A follow-up from someone you met at a networking event
  • A vendor asking for payment details (the agent should flag this as sensitive)

Test It

Section titled “Test It”

Use real emails from your inbox (remove any sensitive information first). See how well the agent handles:

  • Different languages (try Spanish emails)
  • Varying levels of formality
  • Emails with multiple questions
  • Vague or unclear requests

Make It Better

Section titled “Make It Better”
  • Add your personal info to the system prompt (your name, business, common answers to FAQs)
  • Create templates for your most common email types
  • Add tone preferences like “always end with an invitation to call”
  • Build a FAQ section in the prompt so the agent can answer common questions accurately instead of using [VERIFY]

Sample Output

Section titled “Sample Output”

Here’s what your agent should produce when given the photography inquiry email:

**Email Type:** Service Inquiry


**Key Points:**
- Interested in quinceañera photography (March)
- Venue: Hotel Guaraní
- ~150 guests
- Wants pricing info
- Asking about video services


**Draft Reply:**


Subject: Re: Question about your photography services


Hola María,


Thank you for reaching out! A quinceañera at Hotel Guaraní sounds like a wonderful celebration.


I'd love to help capture this special day. Here are the details you asked about:


**Availability:** I have openings in March — let me confirm the specific date that works for you. [VERIFY: check calendar for March availability]


**Pricing:** For a quinceañera with approximately 150 guests, our event coverage package is [VERIFY: insert actual event pricing]. This includes [VERIFY: describe what's included — hours of coverage, number of edited photos, etc.].


**Video services:** [VERIFY: Do you offer video? If yes, include pricing. If no, mention a partner or alternative.]


Would you like to schedule a quick call to discuss the details? I'm available this week if that works for you.


Warm regards,
[Your name]


**Suggested Subject:** Re: Question about your photography services

Notice the [VERIFY] tags. These show where you need to fill in your actual information before sending.

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

The reply is too formal or too casual. Add explicit tone instructions: “My business is a casual, friendly photography studio. Write like a friendly professional, not a corporate representative.”

The agent misses important questions from the email. If the original email has multiple questions and the agent only addresses some, add this rule: “Before drafting, list ALL questions from the email. Your reply must address every single one.”

The agent makes up facts instead of using [VERIFY]. Reinforce the rule: “NEVER invent prices, availability, or service details. Always use [VERIFY] for any factual claim about my business that isn’t in your instructions.”

The agent doesn’t handle email threads well. For multi-message threads, add context: “When I paste an email thread, focus your reply on the most recent message, but reference relevant points from earlier messages.”

Free Tools to Enhance This Project

Section titled “Free Tools to Enhance This Project”
  • Grammarly: Free tier checks grammar, tone, and clarity. Run your AI draft through it before sending.
  • Hemingway Editor: Free web tool that highlights complex sentences and suggests simpler alternatives.

Making It Better Over Time

Section titled “Making It Better Over Time”

After using your email agent for a week:

  1. Build a FAQ section in your system prompt with real answers to your most common questions (pricing, availability, policies). This replaces [VERIFY] tags with actual information.
  2. Add learned rules: “When replying to Spanish emails, respond in Spanish” or “Always mention our 48-hour response policy.”
  3. Save templates: when you get a perfect reply, add it to your system prompt as an example: “Here is an example of an ideal inquiry response: [paste it].”