---
schema_version: "1"
id: 2791d981246fc358f6844a7db7cae52257acf29971cf9be922a53f4e3e0e504a
title: Differences Between Auto-Response Rules and Workflow Email Alerts
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/rules_differences_auto_workflow.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.rules_differences_auto_workflow.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 98ba4d81d759a1dbf62922d3240daa4f31f855eb3343600a6d896cc5180b1d52
description: Auto-response rules and workflow email alerts provide similar functionality. This table lists some of the differences between workflow alerts and auto-response rules, so you can decide which process to use.
products:
  - Service Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Differences Between Auto-Response Rules and Workflow Email Alerts

Auto-response rules and workflow email alerts provide similar functionality. This table lists some of the differences between workflow alerts and auto-response rules, so you can decide which process to use.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.service_editions_reference.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
      <colgroup>
        <col style="width:15.968063872255492%">
        <col style="width:22.355289421157686%">
        <col style="width:11.976047904191617%">
        <col style="width:15.169660678642716%">
        <col style="width:34.5309381237525%">
      </colgroup>
      <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
        <tr class="">
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d95746e67">Type of Process</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d95746e70">Designed For</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d95746e73">Runs When</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d95746e76">Sends Email To</th>
          <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d95746e79">Number of Emails Sent</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Type of Process" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e67 ">Workflow email alerts</td>

          <td data-label="Designed For" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e70 ">Notifications to interested parties.</td>

          <td data-label="Runs When" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e73 ">A case or lead is created or edited.</td>

          <td data-label="Sends Email To" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e76 ">Anyone you choose.</td>

          <td data-label="Number of Emails Sent" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e79 ">
            <p>Sends one email per email alert. Each workflow rule can have up to:</p>
            <ul>
              <li>10 email alerts as immediate actions</li>
              <li>10 email alerts per time trigger as time-dependent actions</li>
              <li>10 time triggers</li>
            </ul>
          </td>

        </tr>
        <tr class="">
          <td data-label="Type of Process" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e67 ">Auto-response rules</td>

          <td data-label="Designed For" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e70 ">Initial response to the contact who created a case or the person who submitted
            the lead on the web.</td>

          <td data-label="Runs When" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e73 ">A case or lead is created.</td>

          <td data-label="Sends Email To" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e76 ">Contact on a case or the person who submitted the lead on the web.</td>

          <td data-label="Number of Emails Sent" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d95746e79 ">Sends an email based on the first rule entry criteria that the rule matches in a
            sequence of rule entries.</td>

        </tr>
      </tbody>
    </table>

#### See Also

- [Set Up Auto-Response Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.creating_auto-response_rules.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Auto-response rules let you automatically send email responses to lead or case submissions based on the record’s attributes. For example, you can send an automatic reply to customers to let them know someone at your company received their inquiry.")