Skip to main content

Advanced mail merge settings

Configure your mail merge follow-ups to start a new thread, send on replies, ignore out-of-office messages, or add an unsubscribe link.

Amanda avatar
Written by Amanda
Updated over a week ago

Using the advanced mail merge settings, you can adjust your follow-up emails to:


Start a new email thread for follow-ups

By default, all new follow-up emails in a mail merge are automatically sent as a reply in the same email thread. However, you can customize your follow-up emails to send in a new thread by clicking on the icon next to each mail merge message.

  • Follow-up as a reply (default): The follow-up will be sent as a reply to the previous email as a message in the same thread

  • Follow-up as a new thread: The follow-up will be sent in a new thread separate from the previous email

Switching to "Follow-up as a new thread" will also allow you to edit the subject lines in the follow-up emails.

Note: Follow-up emails can only be switched when drafting a mail merge. Once the mail merge is scheduled or active, you will no longer be able to edit the type of follow-up email that's sent.


Manage recipient replies

By default, Streak automatically stops follow-up emails when a recipient replies to your mail merge.

You can modify this behavior from the Advanced menu when drafting or editing your mail merge from the "Replies pause sequence" toggle.

  • Enabled (default): Follow-up emails stop when the recipient replies

  • Disabled: Follow-up emails continue sending, even if the recipient has responded

Note: If “Replies pause sequence” is enabled and “Ignore OOO and vacation replies” is disabled, follow-ups will stop sending when you receive an automatic reply (out-of-office or vacation responders).


Out-of-office and vacation replies

Suppose you want your mail merge to continue sending even when you get automatic replies, such as out-of-office or vacation messages. You can enable “Ignore OOO and vacation replies” from the Advanced menu to automatically detect those replies for your follow-up emails to continue sending.

  • Enabled (default): Ignore out-of-office and vacation replies, allowing follow-up emails to continue as scheduled

  • Disabled: Follow-up emails will stop when an out-of-office or vacation reply is received

Note: The “Replies pause sequence” toggle must be enabled to toggle “Ignore OOO and vacation replies”.

If the “Replies pause sequence” is disabled, all replies, including automatic out-of-office and vacation responder replies, will be ignored.


Unsubscribe link

You can add an unsubscribe link to your mail merge to stay compliant with email marketing best practices and build trust with your recipients. You can enable this from the Advanced menu when creating or editing your mail merge.

  • Enabled: An unsubscribe link is automatically included in each email, allowing recipients to opt out of future messages.

  • Disabled (default): No unsubscribe link is added.

When enabled, this feature uses Gmail’s native Unsubscribe functionality, which displays an unsubscribe option at the top of the email for recipients.
Learn more about how Gmail handles unsubscribe links.


Marketing campaign mode

Automatically apply best practice settings for marketing or outreach emails with just one click. You can select the Enable button from the Advanced menu when drafting your mail merge to turn it into a marketing sequence.

When enabled, this mode does the following:

  • Sends all follow-ups as new threads (so each follow-up can have a custom subject line)

  • Follow-ups continue if a recipient replies (including out-of-office and vacation replies)

  • Adds an unsubscribe link

Note: This feature can only be enabled when drafting a mail merge. Once the mail merge is scheduled or active, you will no longer be able to enable marketing mode.

Did this answer your question?