Sensitive communication

Keep sensitive internal emails private in Missive. See how shared accounts and distribution lists expose threads, and set up a separate confidential organization.

Missive's transparency is one of its greatest strengths. Teammates can collaborate on customer emails, share context, and stay aligned. But that same transparent functionality can create issues for sensitive internal communication. Here's how it can happen and what you can do to avoid it.

Why everyone can see this?

Missive shares conversations based on which email accounts receive them. This works perfectly for customer support and external collaboration. But for sensitive internal communications, it can lead to unintended visibility.

Here's a common scenario:

1. Your HR director sends an email to a distribution list (i.e. [e-mail]) announcing salary adjustments.

2. If that distribution includes a shared email address visible to the entire team (i.e. [e-mail]).

3. Missive will receive the email on the shared account and make that conversation (and it's replies) visible to everyone, since everyone has access to that shared account.

This isn't a bug. Missive is doing exactly what it's configured to do. The problem is that sensitive content was sent to a shared address.

If you use distribution lists to send out sensitive information, it's safer to remove shared addresses from those lists.

This can happen when:

• You send FROM a shared email account

• You send TO a distribution list that includes a shared address

• Someone replies and their response routes through a shared account

• You @mention someone who then shares the conversation

For day-to-day operations, this is fine. For performance reviews, disciplinary matters, executive strategy, M&A discussions, or legal communications, it's a risk.

The recommended solution: a separate organization

Create a separate Missive organization for confidential matters. Only authorized personnel (HR, executives, legal) are members. Connect email accounts that are only shared within this organization.

Conversations in this organization are completely compartmentalized. There's no way to accidentally share them with the wrong people because those people don't exist in that organization. The shared accounts that could expose sensitive content aren't connected there.

How it works

You don't need separate logins or apps. Missive handles multiple organizations in a single interface.

Your existing Missive account works across all organizations you belong to. Team spaces from every organization appear together in the same sidebar. To tell them apart at a glance, each organization can have its own conversation color. Set this in Organization settings.

Members, teams, labels, and rules are completely independent per organization. Someone in the HR organization can still access conversations from the main organization if they have permission there. The separation works in one direction: it prevents HR discussions from being accidentally shared with the main organization.

Setting it up

1

Create the HR organization

Go to Settings > Organizations and click Create organization at the bottom of the sidebar. Name it something clear like "HR" or "Confidential".

2

Invite authorized personnel

Add only the people who need access: HR staff, executives, legal counsel. Keep it small.

Go to Settings > Users, select the HR organization, then click Add user.

3

Transfer or connect your HR email account

If you have a dedicated HR email ([e-mail]) currently shared with your main organization:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts and select the HR email account

2. In the Sharing section, click Make this account private

3. Then click Share this account and select the HR organization

When you transfer an account, all existing emails move to the new organization. Internal chat comments from the previous organization are removed (they remain accessible to members of the original organization). New emails go to the HR organization.

If you don't have a dedicated HR email yet, connect one directly to the HR organization.

4

Set a distinct color

Go to Settings > Organizations, select the HR organization, and choose a conversation color. Pick something that stands out.

When to consider this

You need a separate organization when:

• Internal announcements could generate sensitive replies

• HR matters require complete confidentiality

• Executive discussions shouldn't be visible to the broader team

• Legal or compliance communications need isolation

• You're working on confidential projects like M&A or restructuring

If you've ever worried about accidentally sharing something you shouldn't, this setup eliminates that risk entirely.

Billing

The HR organization is free for up to 3 users. If you need more seats or want organization rules, you'll need a paid subscription. However, if your primary organization is on a paid plan, the HR organization has no conversation history limits on the free tier.

Related

• Organization settings

• Roles

• Sharing options