Find Emails in Gmail that are Awaiting a Reply

This Google Script scans the Sent Items folder of your Gmail mailbox and creates a list of messages that are still awaiting a reply from the recipient.

It looks at the sender’s address of the last message in a Gmail thread that is older than 7 days and, if it is different from the email address of the user running the Google Script, logs that message.

/* Credit: https://gist.github.com/cjbarber */
function label_waiting_for_reply() {
  // Get the gmail address of the current user
  var emailAddress = Session.getEffectiveUser().getEmail();

  var EMAIL_REGEX = /[a-zA-Z0-9\._\-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9\.\-]+\.[a-z\.A-Z]+/g;

  // Check if the Gmail label exists, else create it
  var label = GmailApp.getUserLabelByName('[Waiting For]')
    ? GmailApp.getUserLabelByName('[Waiting For]')
    : GmailApp.createLabel('[Waiting For]');

  // Find Gmail Sent Items that are older than a week
  var d = new Date();
  d.setDate(d.getDate() - 7);
  var dateString = d.getFullYear() + '/' + (d.getMonth() + 1) + '/' + d.getDate();
  threads = GmailApp.search('in:sent after:' + dateString);

  for (var i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
    var thread = threads[i];
    // Find the senders email address of the last message in the Gmail thread
    var lastMessage = thread.getMessages()[thread.getMessageCount() - 1];
    lastMessageSender = lastMessage.getFrom().match(EMAIL_REGEX)[0];

    // If the sender's email address is the same as the user, reply not received
    if (lastMessageSender == emailAddress && thread.getMessageCount() == 1) {
      thread.addLabel(label);
      Logger.log(lastMessageSender);
    }
  }
}

// Publish this Google Script as a web app
function doGet(e) {
  label_waiting_for_reply();
}

Amit Agarwal is a web geek, solo entrepreneur and loves making things on the Internet. Google recently awarded him the Google Developer Expert and Google Cloud Champion title for his work on Google Workspace and Google Apps Script.

Awards & Recognition

Google Developer Expert

Google Developer Expert

Google awarded us the Developer Expert title recogizing our work in Workspace

ProductHunt Golden Kitty

ProductHunt Golden Kitty

Our Gmail tool won the Lifehack of the Year award at ProductHunt Golden Kitty Awards

Microsoft MVP Alumni

Microsoft MVP Alumni

Microsoft awarded us the Most Valuable Professional title for 5 years in a row

Google Cloud Champion

Google Cloud Champion

Google awarded us the Champion Innovator award for technical expertise

Want to stay up to date?
Sign up for our email newsletter.

We will never send any spam emails. Promise 🫶🏻