# HawkOpen — Questions and answers (English)
> Short, checked answers about email tracking, read receipts, campaigns, documents and signatures, plans, privacy and the law. Each answer says what the product does today.
> This information is general and concerns the features of HawkOpen (TriStiX S.L.). It is not individual legal advice or an assessment of whether a specific campaign or document complies with the law. Customers make their own decisions about their activities and, where needed, consult a qualified specialist. This does not limit any rights they have under mandatory law.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq
JSON: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq.json
Checked: 2026-11-13
## Replies, reminders and follow-ups
How to get a reminder when nobody replies, and how to follow up politely.
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies
### How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies
On the Pro and Business plans, set a reminder on a sent email and choose after how many days. If no reply has been recorded by then, the reminder appears in your HawkOpen dashboard; if a reply came, it closes on its own.
HawkOpen recognises a reply when it can read your mailbox and the reply belongs to the same conversation; this works for IMAP/SMTP mailboxes and for Gmail or Outlook connected by signing in. With webhooks on the Business plan, a due reminder can also be sent to another tool.
An unopened email does not mean it was not read, and an open does not prove it was. When the matter is important, a short polite follow-up or a phone call is more reliable than waiting for a signal. The Free plan has no reminders or reply detection.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply
Reply in the same thread after a few days, keep it short, restate the one thing you need and make answering easy. On the Business plan, HawkOpen’s Safe Follow-up writes a short draft for you at least 24 hours after the first email; you edit it and send it yourself.
Tips that work in most cultures: assume the person is busy, not ignoring you; do not mention that tracking showed an open; give a clear question with a simple yes or no, or offer two time slots; and stop after two or three polite follow-ups.
Safe Follow-up offers a professional, concise or warm tone and does not create a draft when the person already replied, unsubscribed or the address bounced. It never sends anything on its own. On the Pro plan you can use reminders, which tell you when it is time to follow up.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [How do I email a recruiter who has not replied, and can I see whether they opened my application?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/email-a-recruiter-who-has-not-replied)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work
On the Pro and Business plans, HawkOpen checks the inbox of each connected mailbox about once a minute: IMAP/SMTP mailboxes and Gmail or Outlook connected by signing in. A reply is recorded when it comes from the address you wrote to and belongs to the same conversation.
HawkOpen reads only the sender, subject and headers of unread messages in the inbox, never the text of the message. It links a reply to your email through the conversation headers that mail programs add when someone presses Reply. If those headers are missing, it accepts a reply only when it is the only email with that subject that you sent to that person.
When a reply is recorded, HawkOpen marks that message as read in your mailbox, so it may not stand out as new there; you still see it in your mailbox and in HawkOpen. Messages it does not match stay unread. The Free plan has no reply detection.
Related questions: [Why was a reply not detected?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#why-was-a-reply-not-detected), [Are automatic and out-of-office replies counted as replies?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#are-automatic-and-out-of-office-replies-counted), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Are automatic and out-of-office replies counted as replies?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#are-automatic-and-out-of-office-replies-counted
No. A delivery failure notice (bounce) is recorded as a bounce, never as a reply. Automatic replies, such as out-of-office and vacation messages, are recognised from their headers or their subject and are not counted: the email keeps waiting for a reply from the person.
HawkOpen first checks whether an incoming message is a delivery failure notice; if it is, it is recorded as a bounce. Then it checks whether the message was sent automatically: the Auto-Submitted header (RFC 3834), the older X-Autoreply and X-Autorespond headers, a bulk or list Precedence, an empty return address, or an out-of-office subject prefix used by common mail programs in HawkOpen’s seven languages. Such a message is not recorded as a reply and stays unread in your mailbox.
A mail program that marks its automatic replies in none of these ways can still be recorded as a reply, so open a reply before you act on it. An automatic reply does not close a “Remind me if no reply” reminder (Pro and Business plans): it still comes on its day if the person has not answered.
Related questions: [How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work), [What is an email bounce, and what is the difference between a hard and a soft bounce?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/what-is-a-hard-bounce-and-a-soft-bounce)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### Why does an email show as unopened although the recipient replied?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#replied-but-shown-as-unopened
Because an open is only recorded when the copy carries a tracking image, which needs the recipient’s recorded consent, and the recipient’s mail program loads it, while many block images. A reply is the stronger signal: once HawkOpen records it, the email is shown as replied, whatever the open count says.
People who read in a mail program that does not show images, or in plain-text view, can reply without any open being recorded. The opposite also happens: Apple Mail Privacy Protection and other services load images without a person, so an open alone proves little.
If the email shows neither an open nor a reply although you received an answer, check the reply-detection conditions: a Pro or Business plan, a connected mailbox, and a reply from the same address in the same conversation that was still unread when HawkOpen checked the inbox.
Related questions: [Why was a reply not detected?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#why-was-a-reply-not-detected), [Does an open prove that someone read my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/accuracy/does-an-open-prove-the-email-was-read)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Why was a reply not detected?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#why-was-a-reply-not-detected
Usually one of these: your plan has no reply detection, the mailbox is not connected, the reply was already read or moved out of the inbox before HawkOpen checked, or it came from another address or in a new conversation.
Check step by step: you are on the Pro or Business plan; the mailbox the email was sent from is connected and still signed in; the reply landed in the inbox and not in a folder where a rule moved it; and it was still unread when HawkOpen looked, which it does about once a minute.
HawkOpen counts a reply only from the address you wrote to. If a colleague answers instead, or the person writes a new email rather than replying, it is not linked to your message. The reply itself is still in your mailbox; only the status in HawkOpen is missing.
Related questions: [How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work), [Why does an email show as unopened although the recipient replied?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#replied-but-shown-as-unopened)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### What is Safe Follow-up, and which tones and languages does it support?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#what-is-safe-follow-up
Safe Follow-up, on the Business plan, writes a short follow-up draft to a sent email at least 24 hours after it went out. You choose a professional, concise or warm tone and English, Polish, German, Spanish or French; you then edit the draft and send it yourself.
Before writing a draft, HawkOpen checks that the person has not replied, has not unsubscribed and that the address has not recently bounced. If any of these is true, or 24 hours have not passed yet, no draft is made. The draft follows fixed rules rather than guessing; it does not mention opens or clicks.
Safe Follow-up never sends anything on its own and does not run a sequence of emails. If you only want to be told when it is time to follow up, reminders on the Pro and Business plans do that.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How long should I wait before following up on an email?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#when-should-i-follow-up-after-sending
For most business emails, two to five working days is a fair first wait; for an urgent matter, one or two days. Base the timing on the reply, not on opens: an open is only a hint, while a reply settles it.
If you gave a deadline, follow up a day or two before it. After a quote or a job application, about a week is common. Where the recipient consented to tracking, it can help with the tone: a click on your link suggests interest, but a quick open or click may also be a security scanner, which HawkOpen labels.
On the Pro and Business plans you can set a reminder when you send, so HawkOpen tells you after the chosen number of days if no reply has been recorded.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can I set follow-up reminders in Gmail or Outlook?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#follow-up-reminders-in-gmail-or-outlook
Yes, in a basic way: Gmail can suggest emails to follow up on, and Outlook lets you flag a message with a reminder. HawkOpen adds a reminder that knows about replies: on the Pro and Business plans it tells you after a set number of days only if no reply was recorded.
In HawkOpen, tick “Remind me if no reply” when you send an email, or add a reminder to a sent email on the Reminders page. The default is three days; you can change it in your settings to anything from 1 to 60 days.
If no reply has arrived by then, HawkOpen creates a task in your CRM reminders and notifies you; on Business the reminder can also go to another tool through a webhook. If a reply comes first, there is no reminder. It never sends anything to the recipient. Reminders depend on reply detection, so the mailbox you sent from must be connected.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [How does reply detection work, and does it work with Gmail and Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-does-reply-detection-work)
Checked: 2026-11-13
### How and when should I follow up after sending a quote or proposal that got no reply?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#follow-up-after-quote-or-proposal-without-reply
Wait about three to seven working days, or until a day or two before any validity date, then reply in the same thread with one clear question, for example whether anything is missing to decide. If the client consented to tracking, HawkOpen shows whether the email was opened or a link clicked, which can guide the tone, but it is not proof of reading.
Make the answer easy: offer a short call at two possible times, or a smaller first step. If there is still nothing after one or two follow-ups, a phone call usually works better than another email.
On the Pro and Business plans, set a reminder when you send the quote so HawkOpen tells you when the days have passed without a reply. On Business, Safe Follow-up can prepare a polite draft that you check and send yourself.
Related questions: [How do I know whether a client read my proposal or quote?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/use-cases/did-the-client-read-my-proposal), [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### How many follow-up emails should I send before I stop, and how do I write the last one?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#how-many-follow-ups-before-giving-up
Two or three polite follow-ups, spaced a few days to a week apart, are usually enough. The last one can say kindly that you will not write again about this and leave the door open, for example: “If the timing is not right, just let me know.”
HawkOpen does not write or send a series for you. On the Pro and Business plans, a reminder tells you when it is time for the next step if no reply was recorded; on Business, Safe Follow-up drafts a short message that you edit and send yourself, and makes no draft once the person has replied or unsubscribed.
Related questions: [How do I politely remind someone to reply without sounding rude?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/how-to-politely-remind-someone-to-reply), [What is Safe Follow-up, and which tones and languages does it support?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#what-is-safe-follow-up)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can HawkOpen replace my follow-up spreadsheet?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#replace-my-follow-up-spreadsheet
Partly. HawkOpen keeps for each sent email what happened (replies and, for recipients who consented to tracking, opens and clicks with their classification) and, on the Pro and Business plans, reminders for emails without a reply. It has no spreadsheet template; on Pro and Business the CRM can export contacts and records to CSV.
If your sheet mainly lists who you wrote to, when, and whether they answered, the message list and the Reminders page cover that. If it holds deal stages or amounts, the CRM in Pro and Business has contacts, opportunities with stages such as won or lost, and tasks.
Related questions: [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies), [Can I set follow-up reminders in Gmail or Outlook?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#follow-up-reminders-in-gmail-or-outlook)
Checked: 2026-11-12
### Can sending reminders too often get my email flagged as spam?
URL: https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies#can-reminders-get-my-email-flagged-as-spam
HawkOpen reminders cannot cause this: they are notices to you in your dashboard and never send anything to the recipient. Follow-up emails you send yourself can hurt if they come too often, because annoyed people ignore them or mark them as spam.
Spam filters weigh how recipients react, so a few well-spaced follow-ups in the same thread are safer than many short reminders. A reminder in HawkOpen fires once for each email and closes by itself when a reply is recorded; you cannot set one for an email that already has a reply.
Related questions: [Why do my emails go to spam?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/deliverability/why-do-my-emails-go-to-spam), [How do I get a reminder if nobody replies to my email?](https://hawkopen.com/en/faq/replies/reminder-if-nobody-replies)
Checked: 2026-11-12