Email reply linking for closed interactions

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated May 11, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Email reply linking for closed interactions

    This feature in Email Interaction for Customer Service Management (CSM) automatically links customer email replies related to closed interactions to the appropriate open case or interaction. It prevents duplicate interactions and does not reopen the closed interaction. This capability streamlines email handling by reducing manual agent intervention and ensuring replies are correctly associated with ongoing work.

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    How the system processes replies

    • The system first checks for open interactions linked to the closed interaction. If exactly one is found, the reply is linked there.
    • If no open interactions exist, it checks for open cases related to the closed interaction.
    • If exactly one open case exists, the reply is linked to that case.
    • If multiple open cases exist, an AI skill called Contextual Email Matching (which must be activated) evaluates the cases based on short descriptions, comments, and recent emails to find the best match using keyword matching.
    • If the AI confidence score is 85% or higher, the reply links to the matched case; otherwise, it links to the most recently opened case.
    • If no open cases or interactions exist, a new interaction is created and linked to the original closed interaction.

    Additional details

    • The routing logic applies to both standard and extended case types within the case table hierarchy.
    • Email threading is managed using watermarks and reference IDs in outbound emails to identify replies, ensuring only relevant emails trigger this routing.
    • When a reply is linked to an open case, the assigned agent receives a notification via the bell icon in the CSM Configurable Workspace, regardless of the case’s open state.
    • The reply is also visible in the case activity stream for easy tracking.

    Practical benefits for ServiceNow customers

    • Automates and improves accuracy in linking email replies to active cases or interactions, saving agent time.
    • Prevents reopening of closed interactions unnecessarily, maintaining clean case records.
    • Leverages AI for smarter routing when multiple open cases exist, enhancing customer experience by ensuring replies are directed correctly.
    • Provides agents with timely notifications and visibility of customer replies, supporting efficient case resolution.
    • Supports comprehensive case hierarchies and extended case types, ensuring flexibility across diverse service management scenarios.

    When a customer replies to an email associated with a closed interaction, Email Interaction automatically links the reply to the correct open case or interaction without creating a duplicate interaction or requiring agent intervention.

    The closed interaction is not reopened as part of this process.

    How the system processes the reply

    When the system receives an inbound email that references a closed interaction, it evaluates related records in the following order:

    1. The system checks for open interactions related to the closed interaction. If exactly one open interaction exists, the reply is linked to it.
    2. If no open interaction exists, the system checks for open cases. If exactly one open case is associated with the closed interaction, the reply is linked to that case.
    3. If multiple open cases are associated with the closed interaction, the system uses an AI skill to match the reply to the most relevant case. The skill evaluates each case's short description, comments, and the latest five emails, and applies keyword matching. The skill returns the case with the highest confidence score.
    4. If the highest confidence score is 85% or above, the reply is linked to the matched case. If all scores are below 85%, or the AI skill is not active, the reply is linked to the most recently opened case.
      Note:
      The Contextual Email Matching skill must be activated for AI-based case matching to work. For activation steps, see Activate contextual email matching for CSM.
    5. If no open interactions or cases exist, the system creates an interaction and stores a reference to the original closed interaction.

    Case types

    The routing logic applies to both standard cases and extended case types. All records in the case table hierarchy that are associated with the closed interaction are included in the evaluation.

    Email threading

    The system uses watermarks and reference IDs embedded in outbound email threads to identify whether an inbound email is a reply to an existing thread. Only emails identified as replies to an existing thread follow this routing logic.

    Agent notification

    When a reply is linked to an open case, the agent assigned to that case receives a notification via the bell icon in the CSM Configurable Workspace. Notifications are sent regardless of which valid open state the case is in. The reply appears in the case activity stream.

    For a complete list of routing scenarios and system actions, see Email reply linking scenarios for closed interactions.