What is a canned response?

A canned response is a pre-written reply that support agents reuse to answer common questions quickly and consistently. Also called saved replies or macros, they cut repetitive typing and keep answers accurate — but they should be personalized with the customer's details so they don't feel robotic.

Why canned responses help

When the same questions come up daily — order status, password resets, refund timelines — rewriting the answer each time wastes effort and invites inconsistency. A canned response gives the whole team one vetted answer to send in seconds, improving both speed and quality on the repetitive tickets.

Keeping them human

The risk is sounding scripted. The fix is to treat a canned response as a starting point: use placeholders for names and specifics, and edit a line or two so it fits the actual situation. The best ones save time on the boilerplate while still reading like a person wrote them.

Browse our free saved replies & macros library →

Selvo Shared Inbox

Run support from one inbox, not a free-for-all

Selvo's shared inbox turns email into real support: assignments, internal notes, saved replies, SLA tracking, and CSAT — without the duplicate replies and dropped threads a plain distribution list creates.

See how Selvo Shared Inbox works

Questions about Canned Response

What's the difference between a canned response, a saved reply, and a macro?

They're essentially the same concept — a reusable pre-written reply — with different names across tools. A macro sometimes also performs actions (like changing status) in addition to inserting text. See saved reply and macro.

Do canned responses hurt the customer experience?

Only if sent verbatim without personalization. Used as a starting point and tailored with specifics, they speed up replies without feeling impersonal.

Related terms

Saved Reply

A saved reply is a reusable, pre-written message that support agents insert to answer common questions in a couple of keystrokes. It's the same idea as a canned response (a library of vetted answers the whole team shares), built to make repetitive replies fast and consistent.

Macro (Customer Support)

In customer support, a macro is a reusable action that inserts a pre-written reply and can also perform steps like setting a status, adding tags, or assigning the ticket — all in one click. It's a canned response that does more than text, automating the routine handling around a common reply.

Average Handle Time (AHT)

Average Handle Time (AHT) is the average total time it takes to handle a single customer contact — including talk or chat time, any hold time, and the after-contact work like notes and follow-ups. It's a core efficiency metric, but it should never be optimized at the expense of resolution quality.

Browse the full customer support glossary →