If you're drowning in “just checking in” emails or lose track of follow-ups, you're not alone. Most of us don’t have time to chase every thread. This guide’s for anyone who wants Gmail to handle the boring part of follow-ups—without hiring an assistant, learning to code, or subscribing to yet another overpriced tool.
Here's how to set up rock-solid email follow-up automation with Bardeen, a tool that connects your apps (like Gmail) and automates repetitive stuff. We'll walk through setup, real-world tips, and call out what’s actually worth your time.
Why automate Gmail follow-ups?
Let’s be honest: following up on email is a pain. You either send a reminder too soon (annoying), forget altogether (awkward), or waste time copy-pasting the same thing over and over. Automating this:
- Saves hours every month
- Cuts down on missed opportunities
- Makes you look way more organized than you actually are
But not all automation is good automation. Some tools overcomplicate things or bombard people with robotic messages. The sweet spot: simple, personal, and reliable.
Step 1: Decide what you actually need to automate
Before you add another extension or script, get clear on what you want. Otherwise, it’s easy to waste time setting up “automations” you’ll never use.
Most people want to: - Remind themselves to follow up if someone hasn’t replied - Automatically nudge a contact after X days of no response - Move emails to a label or archive after a follow-up is sent
Don’t automate these (unless you really have to): - Generic, spammy “bumping this up” messages. They annoy people. - Mass follow-ups to lots of different contacts. You’ll burn goodwill fast. - Anything you can do with a built-in Gmail feature (like snooze or reminders). Keep it simple.
Step 2: Get Bardeen set up with Gmail
First things first: you’ll need a Google account and the Bardeen Chrome extension.
- Install Bardeen
- Go to the Chrome Web Store, search for “Bardeen,” and click “Add to Chrome.”
-
Once installed, pin the icon so you can find it easily.
-
Connect Gmail
- Open the Bardeen extension. It’ll ask for permissions—this is so it can read/send emails on your behalf.
- Log in with your Google account.
-
Follow the prompts to authorize Gmail access. (Pro tip: Only give access to the account you actually use for follow-ups.)
-
Get familiar with Bardeen
- Bardeen works by running “playbooks”—think of them as recipes or mini-scripts that automate stuff between apps.
- You can use pre-built playbooks or make your own. For follow-ups, both options work.
Heads up: If you’re using a company-managed Google account, you might hit permission walls. That’s Google being paranoid, not Bardeen. Try a personal account if you get stuck.
Step 3: Pick (or build) your follow-up playbook
This is where the magic happens. You’ll either pick a template or build something custom.
A. Use a pre-built follow-up playbook (fastest)
Bardeen has ready-made playbooks for “Send follow-up email if no reply in X days.” Here’s how to use one:
- Click the Bardeen icon and search for “Gmail follow up.”
- Pick a playbook that fits—something like “Send follow-up email if no reply after 3 days.”
- Click “Use this playbook.”
- You’ll be prompted to set up the details:
- Trigger: When an email is sent or labeled.
- Wait time: How many days to wait before following up.
-
Message: Write what you want your follow-up to say (keep it human, not robotic).
-
Save and activate the playbook.
What works: Pre-built playbooks are dead simple and save a ton of time.
What doesn’t: They’re a bit rigid—if you need fancy logic (like only following up with certain domains), you’ll need to customize.
B. Build your own custom playbook (if you’re picky)
Want more control? Bardeen lets you build automations step by step.
- Open the Bardeen extension and click “Create Playbook.”
- Add your trigger:
- “When I send an email with label X”
- Or “When I star an email” (pick something you’ll remember to use)
- Add a wait step:
- “Wait X days”
- Add a condition:
- “If no reply from recipient”
- Add an action:
-
“Send follow-up email to recipient”
-
Customize your follow-up message. Keep it short, polite, and specific.
-
(Optional) Add steps like:
- Apply a label after following up
- Move the thread to a folder
-
Log it to a spreadsheet
-
Name your playbook, save, and activate.
Pro tip: Test with your own email first. You’d be surprised how easy it is to create an accidental spam loop.
Step 4: Tweak and test your automation
Don’t trust any automation blindly—especially with email. Here’s how to make sure it’s working (and not making you look bad):
- Test with yourself and a friend: Send a dummy email, wait the set time, and see what happens.
- Check the follow-up content: Make sure your message doesn’t sound like it was written by a robot or a scammer.
- Watch for false positives: Sometimes, “no reply” means the person replied from a different thread or email. There’s no perfect fix, but be aware.
What works: Bardeen gives you logs, so you can see what it’s doing. Use this to spot weird behavior early.
What to ignore: Don’t obsess over automating every edge case. Focus on the 90% of follow-ups that are straightforward.
Step 5: Keep it personal (and avoid being spammy)
Automation is great, but don’t let it turn you into that person everyone ignores.
- Write your follow-up templates like a human. “Just checking in” is fine, but add a detail so it doesn’t look like mass mail.
- Limit follow-ups. If you haven’t heard back after one or two nudges, let it go.
- Avoid using automation for cold outreach unless you really know what you’re doing. You’ll get flagged as spam.
Pro tip: Add a line like “If now isn’t the right time, just let me know and I’ll stop following up.” It’s polite and gives people an out.
Step 6: Monitor and adjust
Even the best automation needs tuning.
- Every month, check your playbook logs in Bardeen.
- Notice a lot of ignored follow-ups? Tweak your message or timing.
- Getting replies asking you to stop? Pull back on frequency or stop automating that contact.
The goal isn’t to be the world’s most persistent emailer—it’s to free up your time and avoid dropped balls.
Honest pros, cons, and things to skip
What’s great about Bardeen: - Dead simple to set up basic follow-ups - No coding required - You control the triggers and message
Where it falls short: - Not a full CRM—don’t expect fancy lead management - Chrome-only (as of 2024), so Firefox/Safari users are out of luck - Some company Google accounts block third-party permissions
What to skip: - Over-engineered automations with 10+ steps. They break and are hard to maintain. - Anything that feels spammy or impersonal. Automation should make your life easier, not burn bridges.
Bottom line: Start simple and improve as you go
Email automation isn’t magic, but it’s a real time-saver if you keep it focused. Start with one or two playbooks, test them, and build from there. Don’t try to automate every possible scenario from day one. The simplest playbooks are usually the ones you’ll stick with.
If you’re ever in doubt, ask yourself: “Would I be annoyed if I got this follow-up?” If the answer’s yes, go back and tweak it. Automation should help you connect better—not just flood inboxes.
Happy automating.