How to Solve Issues with 'Send as Reply' for Additional Follow-Ups
Overview
In most cases, sending multiple follow-ups in the same conversation should be effortless once you have successfully delivered a campaign from a Google Sheets file. If, however, you are not seeing the option to send another follow-up in the same thread, there are a few factors to check.
1. Verify Successful Initial Delivery
Before the system recognizes your campaign as eligible for an additional follow-up, ensure that the initial one has been sent. Check the following:
- The Merge status column in Google Sheets shows “Sent” or “Delivered”.
- You have not removed or cleared the Merge status column before the first send was complete.
If the first message is still pending or unsuccessful, the extension may not allow more messages to be attached in the same thread.
2. Creating the Next Follow-Up in the Same Spreadsheet
Always build your second or third follow-up from the exact same file. Do not create a brand-new spreadsheet in Google Drive. Instead, add a fresh sheet within the original file used for your initial campaign. By doing so, you preserve the campaign’s context and keep your overall communication grouped in a single thread.
- Click the “+” icon at the bottom of the Google Sheets window to add a new tab.
- Copy or duplicate the relevant data from the initial campaign into that new tab, ensuring you retain columns like recipient email addresses and any other relevant merge fields.
3. Resetting the Statuses
After duplicating the sheet for the next follow-up, you can safely remove the Merge status column to reset each row’s sending status. Once removed, reload the Mergo sidebar and select the relevant draft in your email client.
4. Common Blockers for the Option to Appear
Even if you have successfully completed the initial send and created a second tab, several potential issues can still prevent using the reply feature:
- Retry Needed: If any row in the Merge status column displays a “retry needed” message, Mergo tries to reprocess the initial message. Update or clear these statuses before creating another follow-up.
- Multiple Email Addresses with Errors: If certain addresses are invalid or failed previously, the system could hesitate to propose sending more messages on top of undelivered items. Remove or fix these rows to unlock full functionality.
- Spreadsheet Sharing or Access Issues: If the extension is not granted sufficient permissions on the sheet, it might block advanced features. Ensure you are logged into the correct Google Workspace account and that you have edit access to the sheet.
5. Activating the Same Conversation
When configuring the second or third follow-up, look for an option that mentions replying to the original conversation. By checking this box, your recipients will see the chain of messages grouped in a single thread. Should you need a step-by-step overview, please refer to this guide.
6. Final Checks
- After resetting the statuses, confirm that you see your updated data in the sidebar.
- Make sure the draft email you pick matches the next follow-up you want to send.
- Choose a suitable schedule (optional) if you wish to stagger follow-ups.
Once you have handled the common blockers above, the “reply” functionality should appear so you can seamlessly include additional follow-up messages in the same Gmail thread.
Need More Help?
If you are still having trouble, share a copy of your Google Sheets file with the support team so they can investigate exactly why the reply feature is hidden. They will be able to spot if there are any remaining retry or delivery errors.