What is reply-detection logic (thread parsing)?

Reply detection allows cold email tools to identify when recipients respond, enabling sequence automation and metrics tracking.

How reply detection works:

Tool connects to your mailbox via IMAP

Incoming messages are scanned for patterns

Thread matching identifies replies to sent campaigns

Matched replies trigger actions (sequence stop, notification)

Thread parsing methods:

Message-ID matching: Checks References and In-Reply-To headers

Subject line matching: Identifies Re: patterns for original subjects

Email address matching: Links reply sender to campaign recipient

Content analysis: Looks for quoted original text

What reply detection enables:

Automatic sequence stopping when reply received

Reply rate metrics for campaigns

Notification routing to sales reps

CRM updates and activity logging

Challenges:

Some replies don't follow standard threading

Replies from different addresses may not match

Automated replies need filtering

Delay between reply and detection varies

Reliable reply detection is essential for automated sequences to work properly.