TL;DR
If replies aren't showing in your campaign stats, enable Track Replies in campaign settings, set up Gmail alias forwarding (if using aliases), and keep replies in your inbox for at least 30 minutes. Reply tracking relies on email metadata; forwarding or stripping headers breaks tracking. Auto-replies and out-of-office messages aren't tracked.
Symptoms
The campaign shows zero replies, even though contacts responded
Replies appear in your Gmail inbox, but not in the lemlist lead activity or campaign metrics
Using a Gmail alias, and responses only arrive in the alias mailbox (notthe primary inbox)
Auto-replies or forwarded message chains aren't counted in reply metrics
Replies tracked in the email client but not logged in lemlist after 30+ minutes
Environment
Applies to:
lemlist email campaigns with reply tracking enabled
Users sending from Gmail aliases without forwarding configured
Campaigns sent via SMTP/IMAP with custom email providers
Requires:
Access to campaign settings
Ability to configure Gmail alias forwarding (if using Gmail)
IMAP enabled on email account
Step-by-Step Fix
Enable reply tracking in your campaign
Go to Campaigns, then open the campaign you want to troubleshoot.
In the campaign, click the Settings (gear icon), then select Tracking settings.
Verify the Track replies toggle is ON. If it's off, lemlist won't log any replies.
✅ Verify: Toggle is active and saved. Send a test email to yourself and reply to confirm tracking works.
Configure Gmail alias forwarding (if using aliases)
If you send campaigns from a Gmail alias, replies only land in the alias mailbox. Without forwarding to your primary inbox, lemlist can't access them.
Go to Gmail → Settings → Accounts and Import → Add another email address. Set up forwarding from your alias to your main Gmail inbox. Ensure IMAP is enabled and automatic forwarding is on.
✅ Verify: Send a test email from the alias and reply. Confirm the reply appears in your primary inbox.
Confirm your sending email is connected in lemlist (SMTP/IMAP)
If you send via a custom provider (SMTP/IMAP), make sure the sending address is properly connected in lemlist.
Click your name in the bottom-left, then select Settings.
Open Sending settings, then expand Email.
Click Connect email address.
Review the prompt, then click Accept and continue.
Select your provider (for SMTP/IMAP, click Connect next to Other email provider (SMTP/IMAP)).
✅ Verify: The sending address shows as connected/healthy in Sending settings.
Ask recipients to reply directly (not forward)
Forwarded emails remove essential metadata (ActivityId, TaskId) in the email header. When recipients forward your email instead of replying, tracking breaks.
Encourage contacts to reply directly to your messages, not through forwarded threads.
Preserve email metadata (avoid header-stripping tools)
Tools that strip or rewrite email headers (some CRMs, signature add-ons) remove metadata required for tracking.
Disable any third-party tools that modify email headers. Use reply-friendly tools that preserve original headers.
✅ Verify: Send a test email and reply. Check that lemlist logs the response after 30 minutes.
Wait up to 30 minutes for tracking to register
Reply tracking isn't instantaneous. It can take up to 30 minutes after a reply arrives for lemlist to log it.
Leave the reply in your inbox. Deleting or moving it before it's processed prevents tracking.
✅ Verify: Check campaign metrics 30 minutes after receiving a reply. The reply should appear in the lead activity.
Understand tracking limitations
Not tracked:
Auto-replies (out-of-office messages)
Replies from a different email address than the one targeted
Replies sent before you enabled tracking (no retroactive tracking)
Forwarded messages (metadata stripped)
✅ Verify: Test replies meet these conditions (direct reply from the same email address, tracking enabled before sending).
Confirm It's Fixed
✓ Track Replies toggle is enabled in campaign settings
✓ Replies appear in your primary inbox (if using alias, forwarding is set up)
✓ After 30 minutes, replies are visible in campaign statistics and lead activity logs
✓ Original email headers remain intact, no auto-replies or forwarded messages counted as replies
Why It Happens / Prevent This
Replies fail to log when:
Track Replies is disabled: Tracking must be enabled in campaign settings for lemlist to log replies.
Gmail alias without forwarding: Replies only land in the alias mailbox, which lemlist can't access without forwarding to your primary inbox.
Email metadata stripped: Forwarding or third-party tools remove identifiers (ActivityId, TaskId) in email headers, breaking the link between the response and your campaign.
Replies moved/deleted too soon: Deleting or moving replies before the system processes them (within 30 minutes) prevents tracking.
To prevent this:
Always enable Track Replies in campaign settings
Set up Gmail alias forwarding to your primary inbox
Encourage direct replies (not forwards)
Avoid tools that strip email headers
Keep replies in inbox for at least 30 minutes
Alternatives
Monitor responses manually: If reply tracking isn't critical, check your email client and update lead statuses in lemlist manually.
Integrate your CRM: Sync replies automatically if your CRM supports lemlist integration (HubSpot, Salesforce).
Use non-Gmail providers: If using custom email providers, confirm they allow header preservation and forwarding rules. Test reply tracking before launching campaigns.
Escalate If Unresolved
If replies still aren't tracked after following these steps, provide lemlist support with:
Campaign name and link
Sending email address (or alias) used
Timestamp of the untracked reply
Screenshots of:
Campaign Tracking settings
Gmail alias forwarding rules
Email headers (if possible)
Confirmation that the reply stayed in the inbox for 30+ minutes