How to generate your first AI reply in FreeScout

Your first AI reply in FreeScout is about ten minutes away: install the ReplyRabbit module, connect OpenAI with your own API key, fill in a little company context, and open a customer conversation. A draft appears in the reply box for you to edit and send. Nothing goes to the customer until you press send. This page walks through exactly that, and what to look at in the first draft so the second one is better.

What you need

• A working FreeScout install you can add modules to.
• The ReplyRabbit free build, which covers one mailbox and 10 drafts a month on OpenAI. Enough for a real test.
• An OpenAI API key from an account with billing enabled. ReplyRabbit uses the API, not a ChatGPT subscription.

From install to first draft

1. Install and activate ReplyRabbit

   Unzip the module into FreeScout's Modules folder so you have Modules/ReplyRabbit, activate it under Manage > Modules, and clear the cache. The full steps are in How to set up ReplyRabbit.

2. Open the mailbox's ReplyRabbit settings

   In FreeScout, open the mailbox you want to test with, go to Settings, and choose ReplyRabbit. Switch Enable on.

3. Connect OpenAI

   In AI Provider, choose OpenAI, paste your API key, and leave the model on the latest option.

4. Add a few lines of context

   In Response Style, enter your company name and your name, then two or three sentences of Company Context: what you sell and your main policies. You can refine this later; a little is much better than nothing.

5. Open a customer conversation

   Save the settings and open a real customer email in that mailbox. ReplyRabbit reads the thread and writes a draft into the conversation.

6. Edit and send

   Read the draft, correct anything specific to this customer, and send it as you would any reply.

What to look at in the first draft

The first draft tells you what the AI knows and doesn't know about your business.

• Did it answer the actual question? Drafts quote the customer's question on its own line and answer it first. If it answered something else, the email was ambiguous; that's useful to know.
• Did it invent a policy? If it promised a return window or a delivery time you don't offer, that's a gap in Company Context. Add the real policy and regenerate.
• Does it sound like you? If it's too formal or too chatty, try the rewrite options (nicer, shorter, more direct), then describe the voice you want in Response Style.
• Is the greeting right? It should use the customer's first name and sign off as you.

Fix the settings, open the next ticket, and the second draft is usually a clear step up.

What happens on later tickets

Once the settings are in, drafts are generated on demand when you open a conversation. Turn on Auto Draft (New Email) and they're written as each new customer message arrives, so the draft is waiting before anyone opens the ticket. Spam, newsletters, receipts and no-reply mail are filtered out first, so drafts only go on real customer messages.

On the free plan you get 10 drafts a month on one mailbox. Pro removes the limit and adds other providers, knowledge base grounding, Next Actions checklists and more.

If no draft appears

Check that the mailbox is enabled, the provider is OpenAI (the only free-plan option), and the key was pasted without trailing spaces. If it worked and then stopped, you've probably used the month's 10 drafts. Troubleshooting ReplyRabbit lists the rest, and the FAQ covers who sees your data. For the overview, see Getting started with ReplyRabbit.