Einstein Service Replies: Smart Email Replies for Support Agents

Customer support teams spend a surprising amount of their day on email. It’s familiar, it’s reliable — but it’s also repetitive. Agents type out similar answers, adjust tone, and search for knowledge articles again and again. This eats into response times and leaves less room for the work that truly matters: solving problems and building customer trust.

Einstein Service Replies is designed to change that. It uses generative AI, grounded in your company’s approved knowledge, to draft smart, relevant replies for agents right inside Salesforce. Instead of starting from a blank email, agents start from an AI-generated draft — one that’s accurate, context-aware, and editable.

What It Does

Einstein Service Replies isn’t just a writing assistant. It’s built specifically for service:

• Understands context → Reads the customer’s email and tailors the draft to the issue raised.

• Grounds replies in knowledge → Uses Salesforce Knowledge Articles and case history, not just AI “best guesses.”

• Keeps humans in control → Agents can review, edit, or regenerate before sending. Nothing is sent without oversight.

The result: faster replies that still feel human.

How to Set It Up

Getting started with Einstein Service Replies takes just a few steps:

Step 1: Enable Einstein Service Replies

• Go to Setup in Salesforce.

• In the Quick Find box, type and select Einstein Reply Recommendations.

• Toggle the option to Enable Service Replies.

  

Step 2: Set Up Service Replies for Chat

• Ground replies with data libraries: Assign a data library so Einstein can use your knowledge articles, case fields, or uploaded files as a trusted source.

• Give service reps access: Assign a permission set so agents can use Service Replies within the Einstein Reply Recommendations component.

• Set the default state: Decide if replies appear immediately or only after an agent clicks Resume.

  • Go to Setup → Einstein Reply Recommendations.

  • Toggle Pause Replies by Default Off (for immediate replies) or On (to pause until resumed).

    

• Customize prompt templates: Use Prompt Builder to adjust tone, voice, and what’s included in the draft replies.

Step 3: Follow the Service Replies Setup Checklist

• Check Einstein readiness: Confirm your org meets license and edition requirements. (Contact your Salesforce AE if needed.)

• Enable Service Replies across channels: Turn on replies for messaging, chat, and email conversations.

• Customize prompt templates: Define how Einstein drafts replies, including tone and style.

• Familiarize agents with the console:

  • For chat and messaging → agents select, edit, and post replies.

  • For email → agents select articles and let Einstein draft responses.

• Share insights: Use Feedback Data reports and the Audit Trail to see how replies are being used and continuously improve.

Step 4: Set the Default State

• Go to Setup in Salesforce.

• In the Quick Find box, type and select Einstein Reply Recommendations.

• Configure defaults:

  • Pause Replies by Default = Off → Replies appear as soon as the chat starts.

  • Pause Replies by Default = On → Replies stay paused until the agent clicks Resume.

Step 5: Customize Prompt Templates

• Open Prompt Builder in Salesforce.

• Check prerequisites for Prompt Builder.

• Customize templates to:

  • Define the tone and voice of replies.

  • Specify the type of information Einstein includes.

• Save changes to apply them across Service Replies.

With these steps complete, your agents will start seeing AI-generated drafts in chat, messaging, and email — ready to edit, personalize, and send.

A Practical Example

Imagine a customer emails: “I can’t reset my password — the link keeps expiring.”

Without Einstein, the agent searches for the right article, copies steps, rephrases them, and builds an email.

With Einstein, the draft is ready instantly:

Hi [Customer Name], I understand you’re having trouble with the password reset link. Here are the updated steps to resolve the issue…

The agent reviews, adds a personal touch if needed, and sends. Minutes saved, quality intact.

Service Replies in Action 

• Go to the Service Console and set your presence to All Available.

• Navigate to Embedded Service Deployments and choose SDO - Messaging for Web.

• Select Test Messaging.

• Initiate a chat and type: “Do you provide visa services?”

• Observe the Service Replies component for suggested responses.

• You can Post or Edit the suggestions directly into the chat.

• Continue the chat and ask: “I need an office near the Dubai International Airport.”

• Watch for another suggested reply in the Service Replies component.

• Ask further questions about any content from the Knowledge Articles in the org to test responses.

Voices from CloudEarly

The Takeaway

Einstein Service Replies is not about removing the human touch — it’s about removing the repetitive work that slows support down. Customers get faster, more consistent replies. Agents get to focus on empathy and problem-solving. Leaders see measurable efficiency gains across their teams.

In short, it makes email — one of the oldest support channels — smarter, faster, and more valuable than ever.

 If email is still one of your busiest support channels, Einstein Service Replies is the AI upgrade your agents have been waiting for.