The interface
Missive is divided into four sections: the sidebar for navigation, a conversation list, the conversation view where you read and respond, and a right sidebar for context and integrations.
1. Sidebar
The sidebar is your navigation hub. Access inboxes, drafts, team spaces, labels, and custom sections from here.
Inbox
Your personal workspace. It contains everything that needs your attention: new emails in your accounts, mentions, assignments, comments in watched conversations, and snoozed items that have come due. When you're done with something, archive it to clear your Inbox. Unlike team inboxes, this one is yours alone.
All
Your complete history. Every conversation you have access to, across all accounts: archived emails, closed conversations, private and shared chats, drafts, sent items. Use it when you need to find something that's no longer in your Inbox, or when searching across everything at once.
Pin to sidebar
Add quick access to mailboxes (Snoozed, Drafts, Sent, Archive), labels, calendars, saved searches, or specific conversations. You can also create custom sections to group related items. Drag and drop to reorder, and right-click any section to sort by name or unread count.
Team spaces
Your organizations and teams. Each organization can have multiple teams, and teams can have their own inbox, tasks view, and chat room. When an email arrives in a Team Inbox, it stays there until someone claims it. Assigned conversations move to the assignee's personal Inbox and appear in the team's Tasks.
2. Conversation list
All conversations in the selected mailbox appear here, sorted by last activity (new email, new chat message, status change) at the top.
Previews
Like the email list in Gmail or Outlook, this is where you scan and choose what to work on. Search and filter within the current mailbox to find specific conversations.
Colored line
The colored line on the left indicates the source. A color means the conversation is shared with your organization (through a team or with specific users). No color means it's private to you. You can customize colors per team, set them via rules, or use them to distinguish between multiple organizations.
Conversation preview
Each row shows participants (or subject), a preview of the content, and timestamp. You can swap what appears first in Settings > Preferences. Background colors signal status: blue for unread, white for read, orange for snoozed items ready for follow-up.
Additional indicators include: attachment icon, message count, task progress, labels, assignment (team or person), and a dot for unread internal chat. "Draft" or "Send later" tags appear when relevant.
Unread indicator
The dot on the left indicates unread messages (emails, SMS, etc.). A separate icon appears for unread internal chat from teammates.
3. Conversation view
Where you read conversations, respond, and collaborate.
Header
Private or shared
Shows who has access to this conversation. When shared, teammate avatars appear with status indicators: blue glowing border if they're viewing it now, grayed out if archived. Small tokens show additional states like snoozed, unseen messages, or a status emoji. Click to open the access menu and manage sharing.
Assignment
Assign the conversation to yourself, a colleague, or a team. The dropdown shows available team members and teams. Assigned conversations appear in the assignee's Inbox and Tasks. When work is done, use Close from this menu.
Conversation actions
Main action buttons: Reply, Snooze (shows scheduled time if already snoozed), Archive, Trash, and a More menu for additional options like forward, merge, pin, label, and move.
Content
Emails and drafts
External messages (emails, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.) and drafts appear in distinct message boxes, visually separated from internal chat.
Internal chat
Chat messages flow between external messages. Coordinate with teammates, share files, and collaborate without the recipient seeing. Use @mentions to notify specific people and create tasks directly from the internal chat box.
Conversation events
Events appear inline: assignments, label changes, snooze/unsnooze, merged or forked conversations, subject changes, rule actions, and more. You can hide these in Settings > Preferences > Appearance.
Internal chat
Write internal chat messages. @mention teammates to notify them, add attachments, format text, and insert emojis. Press Enter to send, Shift + Enter for new line.
4. Right sidebar
Contextual information and tools without leaving the conversation.
Details
Contact information for conversation participants, their related conversations with you, and conversation attachments. Click a contact to see their full profile and conversation history.
Integrations
Icons on the right give quick access to Tasks, Calendar, and any integrations you've enabled (GitHub, OpenAI, Giphy, etc.). Integrations can be personal or shared across your organization.
More menu
Add or manage integrations and choose which ones appear in the sidebar. Access from the … button.
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