Helpdesk Concepts

Canned Response

Definition

A canned response is a pre-written, reusable reply that agents insert into a ticket or chat to answer common questions consistently and quickly, without retyping the same message each time.

Also known as: saved replyresponse templatequick reply

How it works

A team writes standard answers for frequent scenarios — shipping timelines, password resets, return policy — and saves them as canned responses. When a matching request comes in, the agent picks the template, personalizes a detail or two, and sends it.

Canned responses are text-only by definition. When you bundle a canned reply with actions like changing status, adding tags, or reassigning, that combination becomes a macro.

Why it matters

Canned responses speed up repetitive replies and keep tone and accuracy consistent across a team. They also encode your best answers — which is why they're often the first material an AI agent learns from when a team starts automating those same repetitive questions away entirely.

Frequently asked

What is the difference between a canned response and a macro?

A canned response is saved text only. A macro can include that text plus actions — setting status, tags, or assignment — applied in a single click.

Do canned responses hurt customer experience?

Only when used bluntly. A relevant canned response personalized with the customer's specifics is fast and accurate; pasting a generic template into a nuanced issue reads as impersonal and can frustrate customers.

Related terms

Macro (Helpdesk)

A macro is a saved, reusable set of actions in a help desk — most often a canned reply plus updates like tags, status, or assignee — that an agent can apply to a ticket in one click..

AI Ticket Automation

AI ticket automation is the use of AI to handle support tickets automatically — classifying, tagging, routing, drafting replies, or fully resolving them — reducing the manual work agents do on each ticket..

Live Chat

Live chat is a support channel that lets customers message a company in real time — usually through a widget on a website or app — and get immediate responses from an agent or AI, without waiting for email or phone queues..

Shared Inbox

A shared inbox is a single email address (like support@ or help@) that a whole team can access and manage together, with visibility into who's handling which message so replies aren't missed or duplicated..

Put these ideas to work

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