# Merging

Merge conversations to combine related threads into one. All messages, comments, labels, and assignees transfer to the target conversation.

## How to merge conversations

### Drag and drop

Drag a conversation from the list and drop it onto another conversation. The dragged conversation merges into the one you drop it on.

### Using a conversation link

1. Right-click the conversation you want to merge into another
2. Select **Copy Link**
3. Open the target conversation (where you want messages to end up)
4. Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>G</kbd> or right-click and select **Merge...**
5. Paste the conversation link
6. Optionally set a new subject for the merged conversation
7. Click **Merge**

### Using a copied conversation

1. Right-click the conversation you want to merge and select **Copy conversation**
2. Right-click the target conversation
3. Select **Merge copied conversation...**
4. Confirm the merge

### Batch merging

1. Select multiple conversations by holding <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> and clicking each one
2. Right-click the selection
3. Select **Merge**
4. All selected conversations merge into the first one

{% hint style="warning" %}
Merging cannot be undone. The source conversation is permanently combined into the target.
{% endhint %}

### Automatic merging with rules

Use [Rules](https://missiveapp.com/docs/advanced-features/rules) to automatically merge conversations when specific conditions are met. The [Merge in conversation](https://missiveapp.com/docs/advanced-features/rules/actions#merge-in-conversation) action combines incoming messages into existing conversations based on your criteria.

## What gets merged

When you merge conversations, the target conversation receives:

<table><thead><tr><th width="240.40618896484375">Data</th><th>How it's handled</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Messages and comments</strong></td><td>Combined chronologically</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Labels</strong></td><td>Combined from both conversations</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Assignees</strong></td><td>Combined from both conversations</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Tasks</strong></td><td>Moved to the target conversation</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Subject</strong></td><td>See subject preservation rules below</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Description</strong></td><td>Combined if both have descriptions</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Subject preservation

When merging, you can choose which subject to keep in the merge dialog. If you don't manually select a subject, Missive applies these rules:

**Custom subjects** are subjects you've manually renamed. Default subjects like "New conversation" or subjects from email threads don't count as custom.

**Merging shared and private conversations:**

* If both have custom subjects: the shared conversation's subject is kept
* If only one has a custom subject: that subject is kept
* If neither has a custom subject: the most recent email subject is used

**Merging two private conversations:**

* If both have custom subjects: the target conversation's subject is kept
* If only one has a custom subject: that subject is kept
* If neither has a custom subject: the most recent email subject is used

**Merging two shared conversations:**

* If both have custom subjects: the target conversation's subject is kept
* If only one has a custom subject: that subject is kept
* If neither has a custom subject: the most recent email subject is used

{% hint style="info" %}
To ensure your preferred subject is preserved, select it manually in the merge dialog before confirming.
{% endhint %}

## Limitations

Merging is not available when:

* The conversation is a **chat room**
* You are a **guest** in the conversation
* The conversations are from **different organizations**
* Both conversations have **400+ messages** each

{% hint style="info" %}
Missive has a hard limit of 400 messages per conversation. When a conversation reaches this limit, new messages automatically create a separate thread. This prevents performance issues with very long conversations.
{% endhint %}

## After merging

The source conversation disappears and its messages appear in the target conversation. A merge event shows in the conversation history indicating which conversation was merged.

If you were viewing the source conversation, you're automatically navigated to the target.

## Undoing a merge

There's no one-click undo for merging, but you can move emails out of the merged conversation:

1. Open the merged conversation
2. Click the **More menu** (three dots) on an email you want to separate
3. Select **Move email to...** → **New private conversation** or **New shared conversation**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="https://3242897856-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F1If7JwIQhfz5wGM9LiIU%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-61196fc7c4e224ea048682fbb95f68f4086eee69%2Ffaq-move-to-new-convo.png?alt=media" alt="Move email to new conversation" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Each email you move ends up in its own conversation. If needed, you can then merge those single-email conversations together to recreate the original thread.

{% hint style="info" %}
Comments cannot be moved out of a conversation. Only emails can be separated this way.
{% endhint %}