Who this is for: Recruiters using Sequences who want to understand how AIRA automatically identifies interested candidates from their replies.
What intelligent reply detection is
When a candidate replies to a sequence email, AIRA reads the reply and classifies it as positive, neutral, or negative. This classification happens automatically in the background.
A positive classification tells Recruiterflow the candidate is genuinely interested and wants to engage further. When that happens, two things occur:
The recipient's status updates to Replied in the sequence.
If you've configured a stage for positive replies, the candidate is automatically moved to that stage in the attached job's pipeline.
What AIRA classifies as a positive reply
AIRA looks at the content of the reply to determine intent. Replies are classified as positive when the candidate expresses clear interest or takes a step toward engaging. This includes:
Expressing interest in the role ("This sounds interesting, tell me more")
Asking for next steps or more information about the position
Confirming availability or proposing times to speak
Requesting a call or meeting
What AIRA does not classify as a positive reply
Out-of-office replies — automated absence messages are excluded
Unsubscribes and opt-outs — "please remove me", "not interested", "stop emailing me"
Neutral acknowledgements — "got your email, I'll review it" with no expressed interest
Negative replies — declining interest or asking not to be contacted again
These replies still stop the sequence (if Stop on Response is ON) and update the recipient's status — but they do not trigger the positive reply stage movement.
How this differs from the standard reply trigger
Sequences already have a built-in stage movement that fires when a candidate replies — configured in the When a candidate replies, move them to field in the Job Attachment settings. That movement fires on any reply, regardless of sentiment.
Positive reply detection is different: it fires only when AIRA confirms the reply indicates genuine interest.
To configure what stage candidates move to when AIRA detects a positive reply, see Setting Up Intelligent Stage Movement for Positive Replies.
How positive reply detection interacts with Stop on Response
Positive reply detection and the Stop on Response toggle work independently of each other.
Stop on Response is ON: A positive reply stops the sequence (because a response was received) and triggers the positive reply stage movement (because AIRA classified it as positive). Both happen as a result of the same reply.
Stop on Response is OFF: The sequence continues running, but the positive reply stage movement still fires. The candidate is moved to the configured stage even though subsequent sequence steps will still execute.
Plan availability
Positive reply detection is available exclusively on the AIRA plan. AIRA classifies replies automatically with no additional setup needed to enable detection. To act on positive replies with automatic stage movements, see Setting Up Intelligent Stage Movement for Positive Replies.