Disclosure: I build AutoReply Guard at Quietmill.
AutoReply Guard is now available on the Atlassian Marketplace. We built it for Jira Service Management teams that regularly close requests caused by automatic emails.
An out-of-office reply arrives as a new request in Jira Service Management. An agent opens it, reads it and closes it. There was never a support question to answer.
One ticket takes a moment. When the same thing keeps happening, your team spends time checking messages that needed no action.
AutoReply Guard checks new requests created through your existing JSM email channel, identifies possible automatic replies and lets your team decide what should happen next.
The words alone are not enough
A rule that closes anything containing “out of office” sounds simple. Then a genuine request arrives:
“I will be out of the office next week, please action this by Friday.”
That message needs your team. The phrase is a clue, not a reason to close the request.
You need to see why an app flagged a request, keep the genuine ones and correct a decision when necessary.
Start with two choices: Keep or Close
Turn AutoReply Guard on for one project and start in Review only. It shows suspected automatic messages with the wording that triggered the match. Nothing closes automatically in this mode.
Keep requests that need your team.
Close requests that need no action.
The example below contains out-of-office wording, but also asks for help. It stays open for a person to review.
Demo requests in Review: read the matched wording before choosing Keep or Close.
Automate the routine closures when you are ready
Automatic closing is optional and configured separately for each project. Choose the Jira status for closed requests, then use a test request to check closing and reopening as part of setup.
Once the setup checks pass, clear automatic replies can close automatically. You can also turn on automatic closing for eligible delivery failures.
Calendar replies, acknowledgements from other helpdesks and uncertain matches stay in Review. You can protect selected requesters from automatic closing too.
Closing does not delete the request. History shows what happened and who acted, with a CSV download. You can reopen eligible closed requests for up to 30 days, when the Jira workflow allows it.
Where it fits in your service desk
AutoReply Guard is for JSM Cloud teams that regularly close requests caused by automatic emails. It works after Jira creates the request; it does not block incoming mail or prevent Jira's first acknowledgement. Jira may still send notifications according to your project settings.
It checks the subject and message text, not email headers, and does not scan replies added to existing requests. The app runs on Atlassian Forge and carries the Runs on Atlassian badge.
If this is a recurring job on your desk, start with one project in Review only and look at what it finds.
AutoReply Guard on the Atlassian Marketplace
This is the first article in a short series. Next: why automatic emails sometimes become new JSM requests, and where to deal with them.
Which automatic messages create the most unnecessary tickets for your team: out-of-office replies, delivery failures, or replies from another helpdesk?
