Ask Lifehacker: Set up a filtered response in Gmail?

from Lifehacker

Dear Lifehacker,

As you are one of the biggest Gmail fans around, I was wondering if you knew of any way to create a filter in Gmail such that emails from a specified sender (or from specified senders) could be given an automatic response. I know that Gmail has a “Vacation Responder” option, but that sends replies to everyone who sends an email, or at least sends a response to everyone in your Contacts, and that just won’t work. Any ideas, oh mighty Lifehacker?

Sincerely,
Filtered Frank

Dear Frank,

First of all, thanks so much for your excellent question! We live to come up with these little workarounds. Second: there is a workaround! However, you’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and possibly break Gmail’s Terms of Service and grab a second email account. Hit the jump for how.

The solution requires that you grab yourself a second Gmail account, which is considered a no-no apparently okay in Gmail’s ToS. However, last time I checked, everyone and their cute fluffy pups has at least two Gmail addresses, so this doesn’t seem like that daunting of a move. However, don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Got your second Gmail address? Good, let’s get started. From here on out, I’ll refer to you main Gmail account as Gmail 1 and your second as Gmail 2 (could it get more complicated?).

1. Set up a filter in Gmail 1 that forwards messages to Gmail 2 that you want to send the auto-response to.
2. Head over to Gmail 2 and go to the Accounts settings tab. You need to add your Gmail 1 address to your Gmail 2 account so that Gmail 2 can send messages as Gmail 1. Then set Gmail 1 as your default account in Gmail 2. This way all messages you send from Gmail 2 will still look like they’re coming from Gmail 1.
3. Set up a Vacation responder in Gmail 2. Done!

Now when you receive a message from the sender you want to always auto-respond to, Gmail 1 will forward the message to Gmail 2, which will automatically send out your pre-defined response as though it’s coming straight from Gmail 1. As an added layer of security, I’d add the original sender’s email address to your Gmail 2 contacts and check “Only send a response to people in my Contacts” in the vacation responder. Since Gmail 2 is only for automated responses, that means it should be the only email(s) in your Contacts, and you will never send off an auto-response accidentally.

A bit convoluted, yes, but it should do exactly what you’re looking for Frank.

Hack on!
Lifehacker — Adam Pash