LLena Marshlena@orbitly.example16:52
Hi team,
We're adding two more teams to the pilot. Could you send us the updated onboarding plan before Wednesday's kickoff?
Promised follow-ups
Follow up on what you promised a customer
Keep the reminder with the email where you made the promise. In Inbox Works, write “I’ll send it on Friday”, and the email comes back to the Inbox on Friday with that sentence.
How it works
When your reply includes a promise with a specific day, such as “I’ll send it on Friday”, the email comes back to the Inbox that day.
The toast after Send says the follow-up is set, with Undo.
It comes back with the sentence you wrote, so you see what you promised.
Why it happens
- The reply is sent, the work isn’t.1
After you reply, the email looks handled, though you still owe the customer something.
- The person who promised is away.2
If the teammate who made a promise is away, someone else may need to check what is due.
What you can do with your current tools
| What happens | |
|---|---|
| A personal calendar reminder or task | It works, but it sits apart from the email and may be hard for the rest of the team to see. |
| Keep the email unread or in the inbox | It stays in view, but nothing says when it’s due. |
| A shared list of promises | It relies on everyone keeping it up to date. |
| Inbox Works | Write “I’ll send it on Friday”, and the email comes back to the Inbox on Friday with that sentence. |
Limits and sources
Limits
- Follow up looks for a promise with a day in your reply. A vague one, such as “soon”, sets nothing.
- It brings the email back. It never writes to the customer.
- You can also set one by hand on an email you’ve replied to: Follow up in its header, or F.
- Google Workspace, in early access by approval: forward your shared address to Inbox Works, and replies go out from your own Google account. Microsoft 365, in early access by approval: sign in once to connect your shared address, and replies go out from it.
Sources
- The reply is sent, the work isn’t. r/smallbusiness
- The person who promised is away. An example of ours, not from a source.
Summaries of the linked threads, read 12 October 2026.
Related Add-on
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Snooze
Put an email away until later
Put an email you haven’t answered yet away until the time you choose. It comes back to the Inbox then.
Questions
How do I cancel a follow-up?
Open Follow up in the email’s header and choose Don’t follow up, or press Undo in the toast after Send.
Can we use it with our own email now?
On Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, yes, by approval: early access is open, so ask for it and we write when your team can start. The demo, with sample email, is open now.
Follow up.
The demo opens this scenario with a sample team and points to each step.