How to use AI to reply to emails faster
AI doesn't have to write for you: it can give you a first draft, adjust the tone or summarize a long thread. Here's how to use it without copying and pasting between tabs.
Replying to emails is one of the tasks that eats up the most time in a day. Artificial intelligence can help a lot, but if you have to copy the email, open another tab, paste it into a chat, wait and copy the answer back, you only get half the time savings.
In this guide you'll see three practical ways to use AI to reply to emails from the page you're already on, with real examples made with NexoPad, plus best practices so what you send sounds like you and has no mistakes.
What AI is good for when replying to emails
- Getting a first draft from the email you received and what you want to say.
- Changing the tone: making a blunt reply friendlier or a client message more formal.
- Shortening a text that turned out too long.
- Summarizing a long thread before you reply.
- Translating an email that arrives in another language, or your reply.
1. Draft the reply from the email you received
With NexoPad you select the text of the email you received and click the lightning icon that appears next to it. A box opens with quick actions (fix, formal, soften, shorten, summarize, translate…) and an Instruction option where you say in your own words what you want.
For example: "Write a short, friendly reply: the keys will arrive today before 6 PM". The AI takes the selected email into account and gives you the reply, ready to copy.
2. Improve the tone of your own draft
Often you already know what to say, but it comes out too blunt or rushed. Type your draft in the reply box, select it and click Soften or Formal. Since you're in a text field, NexoPad replaces your draft with the improved version directly.
If you don't like it, click Undo to get your original text back, or ask for another version.
3. Ask for a full email from the side panel
For emails you start from scratch, open the NexoPad side panel, go to the AI tab and use Chat mode. Ask it, for example, for an email apologizing for a delayed order. Then ask for changes in the same conversation: shorter, without compensation, in Spanish…
The panel sits next to the page, so you can copy the reply and paste it into your email without switching tabs.
Best practices for replying to emails with AI
- Always read the reply before sending it. AI can make up facts, dates or promises you can't keep.
- Give it the key fact in your instruction (date, price, solution). The more specific you are, the less you'll need to fix.
- Fill in the gaps like [Customer name] or [date] it leaves in the reply.
- Don't paste sensitive information, such as passwords or bank details, into any AI tool.
- Save the replies that work as templates. For the ones you send every day, a support template is faster and always consistent.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work in Gmail and Outlook?
Yes. It works in any email you open in the browser, such as Gmail or Outlook on the web, and also in your CRM or help desk.
Do I need to pay for an AI subscription?
You need a key from an AI provider. Some providers offer limited free usage; the cost depends on the provider you choose.
Does the AI send the email for me?
No. The AI only suggests the text. You review it, change it if needed and decide when to send it.
Is AI better than templates?
They complement each other. Templates are ideal for replies you always send the same way; AI is for one-off emails or adjusting the tone.
Published on October 11, 20266 min read
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