--- title: "How to Automatically Resume Leads After Out-of-Office Replies in Salesforge" description: "How to Automatically Resume Leads After Out-of-Office Replies in Salesforge" url: https://help.salesforge.ai/en/articles/10333686-how-to-automatically-resume-leads-after-out-of-office-replies-in-salesforge collection: "Sequencing Guide 🔨" updated: 2026-11-12 language: en --- # How to Automatically Resume Leads After Out-of-Office Replies in Salesforge How to Automatically Resume Leads After Out-of-Office Replies in Salesforge Salesforge now supports **Auto-resume after Out-of-Office (OOO)** replies in Multichannel sequences. This feature automatically resumes leads when their out-of-office reply includes a return date, eliminating the need to manually track OOO leads and move them back into your sequences. You can configure a buffer period to give leads some time to settle back into work before they receive the next outreach message. ## 1\. How Auto-resume After OOO Works When a lead sends an out-of-office reply containing a return date, Salesforge detects the date and schedules the lead to resume automatically. Here's how the process works: 1. Enable **Auto-resume after OOO** in your Multichannel sequence settings. 2. Configure the buffer period (in days) before outreach resumes. The default buffer is 1 day. 3. When Salesforge receives an OOO reply, it identifies the lead's expected return date. 4. Salesforge schedules the lead to resume on the return date plus the configured buffer. ![A settings form shows the Buffer (days) field set to 1, with a tooltip explaining automatic lead resumption after an out-of-office return date. Visible: Buffer (days), 1, When a lead’s out-of-office reply includes a return date, we’ll resume them automatically 1 day after they’re back. If no date is](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/Btek90eeEHDm3Z3vwGSmb71XGA6HVUJcfYFJtSU3RC9CjT2xLR2qLk6MatjgKupktTaNgA8ibvN.png) Once the scheduled date arrives, the lead's status changes back to **Active**, and they continue from the next pending sequence step. **Important:** The feature is disabled by default and must be enabled in your sequence settings. The existing sequence wait times are preserved and are not restarted when a lead resumes. Your configured sending windows also continue to apply. ## 2\. How to Enable Auto-resume After OOO To enable automatic resumption: 1. Open your Multichannel sequence in Salesforge. 2. Navigate to the sequence settings. 3. Find the **Auto-resume after OOO** option. 4. Enable the setting. 5. Configure the buffer period in days. ![The Out of office settings section shows Auto-resume after OOO enabled and a Buffer (days) field set to 1. Visible: Out of office, Auto-resume after OOO, Applies to new OOO replies only. Leads already OOO need to be resumed manually., Buffer (days), 1.](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/ghelparticle/l0F5G8VdtDpsdyn8beiRRQU6tsO2yWdW9TEcHn9S3B9kryI9ZEqkGhERe1eeIeFIA4rcFGCWdS3.png) The buffer determines how many additional days Salesforge waits after the lead's expected return date before resuming outreach. For example: - Lead's return date: November 15 - Configured buffer: 2 days - Scheduled resume date: November 17 In this example, the lead will automatically return to Active status on November 17. ## 3\. Monitor Scheduled Resumptions You can track which leads are scheduled to resume directly from the **Contacts** page within your sequence. For leads with a scheduled auto-resume, you can see: - The date the lead is expected to return. - The scheduled date when the lead will resume the sequence. This gives you visibility into upcoming resumptions without having to track OOO replies manually. ## 4\. Cancel or Manually Resume a Lead You remain in control of individual leads, even when automatic resumption is enabled. Salesforge provides two actions: **Cancel auto-resume** If you don't want a particular lead to resume automatically: 1. Open the Contacts page within your sequence. 2. Find the relevant OOO lead. 3. Select **Cancel auto-resume**. The lead will remain in OOO status until you manually resume them. **Resume now** If you want to resume a lead before their scheduled date: 1. Find the lead in the sequence's Contacts page. 2. Select **Resume now**. This immediately resumes the lead and clears their scheduled auto-resume. ## 5\. Smart Safeguards and Important Considerations Salesforge includes several safeguards to ensure leads aren't resumed at inappropriate times. **No return date detected** If an OOO reply doesn't include a return date, or the date is unclear or already in the past, the lead remains in OOO status. You will need to resume them manually. **A real reply is received** If a lead sends a regular reply before their scheduled resumption, the scheduled auto-resume is automatically cancelled. **Manual status changes** If you manually change a lead's status, their scheduled auto-resume is cancelled. **A new OOO reply arrives** If Salesforge receives another OOO reply from the lead, the return date and scheduled resumption are recalculated based on the latest OOO message. **Existing OOO leads** Enabling the feature does not automatically schedule resumption for leads who were already in OOO status before the feature was enabled. These leads must be resumed manually. **Sequence wait times and sending windows** When a lead is automatically resumed, they continue from the next pending step. Existing wait times are not restarted, and configured sending windows remain in effect. ## 6\. Activity Log Tracking For additional transparency, Salesforge records auto-resume events in the lead's activity log. The activity log captures: - When a lead was automatically resumed. - When an individual lead's scheduled auto-resume was cancelled. This allows you to review what happened to a lead and understand why their sequence status changed. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Is Auto-resume after OOO enabled by default?** No. The feature is disabled by default. You need to enable it in your Multichannel sequence settings. **Can I configure how long Salesforge waits after a lead's return date?** Yes. You can configure a buffer period in days. The default buffer is 1 day. **What happens if the OOO reply doesn't contain a return date?** The lead remains in OOO status and must be resumed manually. **Will the lead restart the sequence from the beginning?** No. The lead continues from the next pending sequence step. Existing wait times are preserved. **Can I manually resume a lead before the scheduled date?** Yes. Use the **Resume now** action. This clears the scheduled auto-resume and immediately returns the lead to the sequence. **What happens if a lead replies before the scheduled resumption?** A real reply automatically cancels the scheduled auto-resume. **Does enabling the feature affect leads that are already in OOO status?** No. The feature only applies to new OOO replies received after it has been enabled. Existing OOO leads need to be resumed manually.