# `bird email threads messages reply`

## Usage

```bash
bird email threads messages reply <thread-id> <message-id> [flags]
```

## Description

Reply to a thread message

Sends a reply from the mailbox's own address. Recipients and threading headers are derived from the message being replied to. To reply to a whole conversation, target its newest received message.

Build the request from flags, a JSON EmailThreadMessageReplyRequest body via --body-file ("-" reads
stdin), or both — a flag overrides the matching body field. Run --example to
print a ready-to-edit body, or --dry-run to print the resolved request without
sending it.

## Examples

```bash
# print the body shape (no credentials needed)
bird email threads messages reply --example
```

## Options

#### Content

| Name          | Description                                                                 |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--html`      | HTML body of the reply. At least one of --html or --text is required.       |
| `--text`      | Plain-text body of the reply. At least one of --html or --text is required. |
| `--reply-all` | Also send the reply to the original To and Cc recipients.                   |

#### Labels & metadata

| Name                | Description                                  |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `--tag <key=value>` | Tag as name=value; repeatable.               |
| `--metadata`        | Arbitrary JSON metadata object (up to 2 KB). |

#### Delivery

| Name         | Description                                               |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| `--category` | Suppression policy: marketing or transactional (default). |

#### Request

| Name                | Description                                                  |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `--body-file`       | Read the JSON request body from this file; "-" reads stdin   |
| `--example`         | Print a complete example request body, then exit             |
| `--dry-run`         | Print the resolved request without sending it, then exit     |
| `--idempotency-key` | Deduplication key; a retry with the same key won't act twice |

#### Options

| Name                | Description                                      |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `--response-schema` | Print the fields this command returns, then exit |

## Related

| Name                                                                                                | Description                                      |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| [`bird email threads messages attachment`](/docs/cli/reference/email-threads-messages-attachment)   | Download an attachment from a thread message     |
| [`bird email threads messages attachments`](/docs/cli/reference/email-threads-messages-attachments) | List a thread message's attachments              |
| [`bird email threads messages body`](/docs/cli/reference/email-threads-messages-body)               | Get a thread message's original body             |
| [`bird email threads messages get`](/docs/cli/reference/email-threads-messages-get)                 | Get a message in a thread                        |
| [`bird email threads messages list`](/docs/cli/reference/email-threads-messages-list)               | List messages in a thread                        |
| [`bird email threads messages raw`](/docs/cli/reference/email-threads-messages-raw)                 | Download a thread message's raw RFC 5322 content |