What is the case auto response rule?

A Case Auto-Response Rule sends an automatic email to the customer the moment a Case is created — confirming “we got your request” and including the Case Number for reference. It runs on Cases the way Lead Auto-Response runs on Leads.

What it sends

A templated email built with merge fields from the Case, the contact, and the org. Typical content:

Subject: We've received your request — Case [{!Case.CaseNumber}]

Hi {!Contact.FirstName},

Thanks for getting in touch. We've logged your enquiry as Case
{!Case.CaseNumber} and one of our support team will respond within
{!Case.Entitlement.FirstResponseTime__c} hours.

For reference, here's what you sent us:

Subject: {!Case.Subject}
Description: {!Case.Description}

— The Support Team

The Case Number in the subject helps email-to-case match future replies back to the right Case.

Rule structure

• One active rule per org at a time
• Many entries in priority order
• Each entry has:
  • Criteria (filter or formula)
  • Email template
  • From address (verified org-wide address)
  • Reply-to (optional)

The first matching entry wins; only one email goes out per Case create.

Example

Case Auto-Response Rule: "Confirmations"

Entry 1:
  Criteria: Case.Origin = 'Email'
  Template: "Email Receipt Confirmation"
  From: support@example.com

Entry 2:
  Criteria: Case.Origin = 'Web' AND Case.Type = 'Billing'
  Template: "Billing Web Confirmation"
  From: billing@example.com

Entry 3 (default):
  Template: "General Confirmation"
  From: support@example.com

When the rule fires

Like Lead auto-response, it fires when:

• Web-to-Case creates a Case
• Email-to-Case creates a Case
• An API insert sets EmailHeader.triggerAutoResponseEmail = true
• Apex explicitly passes the right Database.DMLOptions

It does not fire automatically on manual UI inserts — agents shouldn’t trigger a customer email by clicking New Case.

Difference vs Case Assignment Rule

Both can fire on the same Case create — and usually do, in production setups.

Deliverability

• Emails come from Salesforce mail servers — set up SPF/DKIM/DMARC alignment to keep them out of spam
• Counts against the daily org-wide email cap (5,000 external emails per 24 hours in most editions)
• Bounces show on the Case record via EmailMessage.Status and the Email Logs in Setup

Beyond auto-response

For richer customer comms (status updates, satisfaction surveys, knowledge article suggestions), pair Auto-Response with:

• Workflow / Flow for status-change emails
• Email-to-Case for ongoing thread management
• Surveys for post-resolution CSAT
• Knowledge Article Recommendations to suggest self-service answers

Common follow-ups

• Difference vs Lead Auto-Response? — Same mechanism, different object. Cases for Service, Leads for Sales.
• Why didn’t my manual case send a confirmation? — Manual UI creates don’t trigger Auto-Response unless explicitly ticked.
• Can the email vary by language? — Yes, build rule entries by Contact language or by Account region, with different templates per language.

Verified against: Salesforce Help — Case Auto-Response Rules. Last reviewed 2026-05-17 for Spring ‘26.