> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://formpaste.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Autoresponder

> Send an automatic reply to whoever submitted your form - Pro.

<Info>**Pro** - both saving an enabled autoresponder config and sending an autoresponse are Pro-gated.</Info>

Formpaste can send a confirmation email back to the person who submitted your form —
"thanks, we got your message" - without you writing any backend code.

## Enabling it

1. Open a form in the [dashboard](https://app.formpaste.com) → **Settings** → **Autoresponder**.
2. Turn it on and fill in the fields below.
3. Save.

## Config fields

| Field                        | Purpose                                                        | Limit             |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- |
| `autoresponder_enabled`      | Turns the feature on/off for this form                         | boolean           |
| `autoresponder_subject`      | Subject line of the auto-reply                                 | ≤ 200 characters  |
| `autoresponder_from_name`    | Display name the auto-reply is sent from                       | ≤ 200 characters  |
| `autoresponder_intro`        | Intro text shown in the reply body                             | ≤ 2000 characters |
| `autoresponder_include_copy` | Whether to include a copy of the submitted fields in the reply | boolean           |

The reply is sent to the address in the submission's mapped reply-to field
(`reply_to_field`, configured under [notifications](/docs/features/notifications)) - that's how
Formpaste knows who submitted the form.

## Guardrails

An autoresponse is sent only when **every** condition holds:

* The form has `autoresponder_enabled` on.
* The account is on a plan that allows the `autoresponder` feature (Pro).
* The submission's reply-to field is a valid, well-formed email address.
* The same recipient hasn't already received an autoresponse **from this form** in the
  last **24 hours** - this dedup window prevents a form being used to mail-bomb an address
  via repeated submissions. A recipient is tracked by a hashed value, never stored as
  plaintext.

If any guardrail fails, the autoresponse is silently skipped - the visitor's own submission
is never blocked or delayed by this.

## Free vs. Pro

Free cannot enable an autoresponder. Both saving `autoresponder_enabled: true` and the
send-time check resolve through the same plan gate, so a form that was Pro when configured
and later downgrades to Free stops auto-replying (the config is preserved but inert).

| Code               | HTTP | Meaning                           |
| ------------------ | ---- | --------------------------------- |
| `upgrade_required` | 403  | This feature requires a Pro plan. |

## Zero-config

Off by default. A new form never auto-replies until you explicitly enable and save it.