# What is Missive?

Missive is the collaborative email client built for teams. Manage email, SMS, WhatsApp, and more in one shared inbox.

Missive is the collaborative email client built for teams. Work together on shared inboxes, discuss emails internally, and respond across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and more from one place.

## How teams use Missive

* Share email accounts with your team without forwarding, CC'ing, or sharing passwords
* Add comments and **@mentions** to any conversation (visible only to your team)
* Co-write drafts in real-time with colleagues
* Manage email, SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, and live chat in one inbox
* Automate repetitive work with rules and AI

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/K5tO3W1Jnxg>" %}

## Who uses Missive

Customer support teams, sales teams, and agencies. Any business where email is mission-critical and collaboration matters.

## Join a live session

We run live 45-minute sessions twice a week covering team inboxes, collaboration features, and Q\&A with the Missive team. [Register here](https://missiveapp.com/webinar).

## Video library

Tutorials, deep dives, customer stories, and workflow ideas. [Watch videos](https://www.youtube.com/@missiveapp/videos).


# Quickstart

Get started with Missive. Connect accounts, create teams, and invite colleagues to your shared inbox.

Get up and running with Missive. Choose your path below.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="I’m setting up Missive" %}
You're the first user setting up Missive for your company. Here's how to get your team onboard.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Connect shared accounts**

You probably already connected your own email account after signing up. Now connect the shared accounts (support@, sales@, info@). Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}

When connecting, assign the account to a team. Everyone on that team will see incoming emails in the Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create teams**

Teams organize your people and shared accounts. Create one for each group that works together: Support, Sales, Operations.

Go to **Settings** > **Teams**, select your organization, then click **Create team**.

Each team gets its own inbox, tasks view, and optional chat room.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Invite teammates**

Go to **Settings** > **Users**, select your organization, then click **Add user**.

You can assign teams during the invite process. New members receive an email with instructions to join.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Upgrade to a paid plan**

The free trial is limited to three users. To invite more colleagues, [upgrade to a paid plan](/docs/administration/billing-and-plans).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

**Next steps**

Learn how [team inboxes](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) work, set up [aliases & signatures](/docs/core-features/aliases-and-signatures) for your shared accounts, automate workflows with [rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules), and learn more about different [roles](/docs/administration/roles).
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="I’m joining a team" %}
A colleague added you to their Missive organization. Check your email for the invite, then click the link to create your account.

Once you're in, you can connect your own email account in **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add Account**, or simply collaborate with colleagues on the team inboxes you have been added to.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}

Read [The interface](/docs/get-started/missive-interface) to learn your way around. You'll work from [team inboxes](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) where unassigned emails wait to be claimed, use [internal chat](/docs/core-features/conversations/internal-chat) to discuss with colleagues, and track assigned work in [Tasks](/docs/core-features/tasks). Speed things up with [canned responses](/docs/core-features/canned-responses) and [keyboard shortcuts](/docs/advanced-features/shortcuts).
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Get the apps

Missive works on your phone, tablet, computer, and in the browser. [Download the apps](https://missiveapp.com/download).


# The interface

Learn Missive's interface: sidebar navigation, conversation list, message view, and action bar.

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.

<figure><img src="/files/PoMMt82K0fzHX2009aav" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## 1. Sidebar

The sidebar is your navigation hub. Access inboxes, drafts, team spaces, labels, and custom sections from here.

<figure><img src="/files/UOwEmAmlnGw9nx4RxGkS" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**More**

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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Activity feed**

The bell icon at the top of the sidebar opens the Activity feed, a panel that collects your personal notifications: @mentions in comments, emoji reactions to your messages, and calendar reminders. An unread dot on the bell indicates new activity. Use the filter dropdown to view a specific type, and the settings icon to control which types are displayed.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
On desktop, choose **Fixed** (always visible) or **Floating** (collapses to the left edge and slides open when you hover it or click the toggle button) in **Settings > Preferences > Appearance > Left sidebar**. Toggle the sidebar anytime with the button in the top bar, or press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>S</kbd> in the Mac, Windows, and mobile apps.
{% endhint %}

***

## 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.

<figure><img src="/files/ut55b5wqJYtde6bClojP" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Unread indicator**

The dot on the left indicates unread messages (emails, SMS, etc.). A separate icon appears for unread internal chat from teammates.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## 3. Conversation view

Where you read conversations, respond, and collaborate.

### Header

<figure><img src="/files/CWDzUaVwfG4fbBSGt3Sv" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.

{% hint style="info" %}
**What's the difference between Close and Archive?** Close marks assigned work as completed, changing the status in the **Tasks** view. Archive removes it from whichever inbox you're viewing (yours or the team's).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Content

<figure><img src="/files/rLNfcuC3zbfODQ2O217s" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Emails and drafts**

External messages (emails, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.) and drafts appear in distinct message boxes, visually separated from internal chat.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Internal chat**

Write internal chat messages. @mention teammates to notify them, add attachments, format text, and insert emojis. Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> to send, <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Enter</kbd> for new line.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

## 4. Right sidebar

Contextual information and tools without leaving the conversation.

<figure><img src="/files/jB6bzQy6B86agvrGtjXD" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**AI assistant**

An AI assistant that reads your conversations, searches your emails and calendar, looks up contacts, and drafts replies. Open it by clicking the AI icon in the conversation toolbar. The assistant has full context of the current conversation and can help you summarize threads, draft responses, or look up information.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**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.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**More menu**

Add or manage integrations and choose which ones appear in the sidebar. Access from the **…** button.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Help assistant**

The help button at the bottom of the integration bar opens Missive's documentation directly in the sidebar. Search for answers and browse guides without leaving your workflow.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Choose **Auto** (adapts to window width), **Fixed** (always visible), or **Floating** (opens on demand) in **Settings > Preferences > Appearance > Right sidebar**.
{% endhint %}


# Interface FAQ

Common questions about Missive's interface, navigation, and layout.

### Sidebar

<details>

<summary>How does Missive work if I belong to multiple organizations?</summary>

Your single Missive account can belong to multiple organizations at the same time. All organizations appear together in the same sidebar — there is no way to view only one organization at a time. Each organization has its own section in the sidebar with its own team inboxes, labels, and chats.

Your personal **Inbox** aggregates activity from all organizations: mentions, assignments, and emails from all of them appear together.

Conversations from different organizations are fully siloed — you cannot share a conversation from one organization with members of another.

To tell organizations apart at a glance, assign each one a distinct color in **Settings** > **Organizations** > select your organization > **Conversations color**. This color appears as the left border on conversations belonging to that organization.

Note that billing is per organization. If you are a member of two paid organizations, you are charged separately for your seat in each one.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the Activity feed?</summary>

The **Activity feed** is a panel that collects your personal notifications: @mentions in comments, emoji reactions to your messages, and calendar reminders. Click the bell icon at the top of the sidebar to open it.

An unread dot on the bell indicates new activity -- blue for mentions or reactions, orange for calendar reminders. Use the filter dropdown at the top to view a specific type, and the settings icon at the bottom to control which types are displayed and counted as unread.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does my app badge show unread messages when I have none?</summary>

The app badge (the number shown on the Missive icon or in the title bar) counts:

* Unread conversations in your personal inbox
* Unread conversations in team inboxes where you are an **Active member**
* Unread conversations in your unified **Team Inboxes** view
* 1 point if you have any unread **calendar reminders** in the Activity feed
* Unread messages or comments in conversations pinned to your sidebar

**Check your Activity feed first.** Click the bell icon at the top of the sidebar. If unread calendar reminders are contributing to the count, open the Activity feed settings and uncheck **Unread** for **Calendar reminders**.

**Check your Team Inboxes.** Open the unified view from **+ More** > **Main section** > **Team Inboxes**. If you see unread conversations there, it's because you're an **Active member** of one or more teams. To stop those from affecting your badge, go to **Settings** > **Teams**, click **Edit** on the relevant team, and change your role from **Active member** to **Observer**. If you're not an admin, ask your organization admin to make the change.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What shows up in my Inbox?</summary>

Your **Inbox** contains everything that needs your attention:

* An email arrives in one of your accounts
* A colleague @mentions you in a conversation
* A colleague invites you to a conversation
* A colleague posts in a conversation you're watching
* A colleague assigns you to a conversation
* A closed conversation assigned to you is reopened
* A snoozed conversation comes due

</details>

<details>

<summary>What's the difference between Inbox and All?</summary>

**Inbox** shows what needs your attention now. **All** shows your complete history across every channel: archived conversations, chats, drafts, sent items, and snoozed conversations. If you can't find something, check All.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is a Team Inbox?</summary>

A Team Inbox is a shared space where messages from shared accounts (email, SMS, WhatsApp, etc.) arrive. Unlike your personal Inbox, conversations in a Team Inbox aren't assigned to anyone yet. They wait there until someone claims or assigns them.

Once assigned, the conversation moves to the assignee's Inbox and appears in the team's Tasks view. Archiving from a Team Inbox removes the conversation for everyone on the team.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I create custom sections in the sidebar?</summary>

You can organize your sidebar by creating custom sections to group labels, views, or other items. There are two ways to create a new section:

**Option 1: Using the "More" menu**

1. Click the **More button**
2. At the bottom of the list, select Add custom section
3. Give your section a name

Your new section will appear in the sidebar, ready for you to organize items into it.

**Option 2: Using drag and drop**

1. Drag any label or view down to the "New section" drop zone at the bottom of the sidebar
2. Name your new section
3. Drag other items into this section to organize them

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ngvVMBthEVIuAQ8zdlY2" alt="Screenshot showing how to create custom sections in the sidebar by dragging labels" width="263"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="success" %}
Drag other items into this section to organize them. You can reorder sections at any time by dragging them up or down in the sidebar.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I reorder account sub-mailboxes in the sidebar?</summary>

Missive does not offer a way to manually reorder email accounts, but you can customize the description of each account in your **Accounts** settings, as shown here:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/dOtrcq10m8HG1QYn0HHl" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Email accounts are listed in alphabetical order, so if you want to reorder them in a certain way, you can simply enter descriptions that start with a number:

1 - \[Description for account 1]\
2 - \[Description for account 2]\
3 - \[Description for account 3]

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I hide or collapse the left sidebar?</summary>

On desktop, set the left sidebar to **Floating** in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Appearance** > **Left sidebar**. Floating collapses the sidebar to the left edge to give you more room; it slides back open when you hover the edge or click the toggle button in the top bar.

You can also toggle the sidebar at any time with the button in the top bar, or by pressing <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>S</kbd> in the Mac, Windows, and mobile apps. (In the web app, that shortcut is reserved by the browser, so use the button instead.)

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I open the right sidebar (fourth column)?</summary>

You can open the right sidebar (integrations + contacts) with <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>E</kbd>, then:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Q69l4IiiDiHYu4TT6irO" alt="" width="513"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my label (mailbox) disappearing from my sidebar?</summary>

It's because you enabled the Watch option on the label or mailbox, which automatically hides it when there are no unread conversations left in it.

**Here are the steps to remediate the issue:**

1. Click the + More option in the sidebar
2. Open the label or mailbox
3. Right-click on it, and uncheck the **Watch** option:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/t7n0tCZbm1IYVihHdEZG" alt="" width="471"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Or simply hover the eye icon and click **Stop watching**.

</details>

### Accessibility

<details>

<summary>Can I change the size of the text in the app?</summary>

Yes. Go to **Settings** > **Appearance** and choose from X-Small to X-Large.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/BxOwbrZcoEMRycJ1phmu" alt="Image showing where to change the text size" width="981"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you have a dark mode?</summary>

Yes. We have 5 different themes. In the **Appearance settings**, you can manually select one or choose the Auto option (the theme will be based on your OS appearance settings).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/x8LoVFEG9ySv4VDG2yZw" alt="Image showing where to change the appearance of the app" width="935"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are some emails still white in dark mode?</summary>

Some emails force a white background even in dark mode because of how the sender formatted their email. This is controlled by the email's HTML and cannot be overridden by Missive.

To enable full dark mode for all messages that support it, uncheck the **Light messages** option in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Appearance**.

Keep in mind that Missive will still display some emails with a light background when it detects they would be illegible in dark mode due to font colors.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I reactivate a warning prompt?</summary>

Yes, the following prompts can be re-enabled at the very bottom of the **Settings > Preferences > General > Prompts** section:

* Archiving assigned conversations
* Archiving conversations from shared labels
* Trashing conversations from shared labels
* Closing conversations from Team Inboxes
* Removing conversations from Team Inboxes
* Trashing conversations from Team Inboxes
* Trashing team inboxes conversations from somewhere else
* Forgetting to add attachments
* Watching a conversation
* Unwatching a conversation

</details>

### Apps & Browsers

<details>

<summary>Can I change the language of the app?</summary>

No, you can't change the language of the app, we only offer Missive in English. But you can [create a feature request](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/) for your language.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to open Missive conversation links in the desktop app?</summary>

Missive supports opening links directly in the app by using **missive://** links instead of **https\://**.

You can press <kbd>⌥/Alt</kbd> on your keyboard before clicking **Copy link** in order to copy the missive:// link, as shown here:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/65JwjgBKzzGYIoXCcL91" alt="" width="208"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

This is the best option if you share these links in an app that will make missive:// links clickable, like Slack and Todoist.

However, some apps don’t recognize missive:// links and won’t make them clickable, which isn’t very friendly.

The solution to this is to use https\:// and install a browser extension that automatically catches **<https://mail.missiveapp.com>** links and redirects to the desktop app. We recommend [Redirector for Chrome](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/redirector/ocgpenflpmgnfapjedencafcfakcekcd) or [Redirector for Firefox](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/redirector/). It lets you configure custom rules, so you can redirect **<https://mail.missiveapp.com/\\>**\* to **missive://mail.missiveapp.com/$1** as shown here:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/AyVa2rorxEm8phg2J3l4" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why doesn’t Missive work in Safari’s private browsing mode?</summary>

Safari doesn’t allow data to be written in `localStorage` while in private browsing mode. Among other things, Missive uses `localStorage` to store your session token and identify requests to our server.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where can I download the Windows app?</summary>

You can download the Missive desktop app for Windows at [missiveapp.com/download](https://missiveapp.com/download).

The download page includes apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you offer a Linux version?</summary>

No, we don't offer a desktop Linux app. Linux users can still use the web version of Missive at [mail.missiveapp.com](https://mail.missiveapp.com/), which is just as full-featured as the Windows and macOS desktop apps.

You are more than welcome to [upvote the feature request](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/p/linux-support).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use Missive with a Chromebook?</summary>

Yes. You can do so by opening Chrome and going to [mail.missiveapp.com](https://mail.missiveapp.com/).

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I fix the Windows Missive app being blurry?</summary>

This issue affects NVIDIA computers with the NVIDIA control panel. The fix is to disable **FXAA** for Missive.

**Steps**

1. Open NVIDIA control panel
2. Go to Manage 3D settings
3. Go to the Program Settings tab
4. Select missive.exe as the program
5. Turn off Antialiasing - FXAA

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to run Missive automatically at startup in Windows?</summary>

To run Missive automatically at startup in Windows 10, you need to add it to your Startup folder. See how in [this Microsoft guide](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-which-apps-run-automatically-at-startup-in-windows-9115d841-735e-488d-e749-9ba301d441e6#ID0EBD=Windows_10).

</details>

<details>

<summary>I can't see the unread message badge in my Windows taskbar?</summary>

You most likely have the "Use small taskbar buttons" options enabled. This automatically disables badges on taskbar buttons. To fix this, disable the "small taskbar" option in your Taskbar settings.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I enable trackpad swiping in macOS?</summary>

No, some other apps support swiping from the trackpad. However we find trackpad swipe is hard to get right both from a user perspective and technically speaking, as app developers. We tried several Mac apps that support swiping with the trackpad and found it brittle; it’s easy to swipe too far or not enough. Also, trackpads on Windows computers often aren’t as good as Mac trackpads which would make it harder to offer all users the same experience.

Missive’s current desktop swiping was quick for us to implement, and it also works great with our unique multi-swipe behavior as shown here:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/GBKzCpdOCiJGOPC19BCk" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

<br>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I troubleshoot desktop notifications on Windows?</summary>

If you're not receiving notification banners on Windows, the system may be blocking them even though Missive is sending them. Follow these steps to verify your Windows notification settings:

**Check Windows notification settings:**

Press <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>I</kbd> to open Settings.

* On **Windows 11**: Go to System > Notifications
* On **Windows 10**: Go to System > Notifications & actions

In the **Notifications from apps and other senders** list, find Missive and make sure its main switch is On. Click Missive to open its sub-menu and enable **Show notification banners**. Keep sound enabled if you want an audible alert.

**Check Do Not Disturb / Focus Assist:**

Verify that **Do Not Disturb** (called **Focus Assist** on Windows 10) is turned Off or scheduled so it does not silence banners during your work hours.

**Restart Windows Push Notifications System Service:**

If you're still not seeing banners, restart the Windows Push Notifications System Service:

1. Press <kbd>Win</kbd> + <kbd>R</kbd>
2. Type `services.msc` and press Enter
3. Locate **Windows Push Notifications System Service**
4. Right-click and choose **Restart**

**Check Missive notification settings:**

Within Missive, check **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Notifications** to ensure desktop notifications are enabled for Mentions and Chats. Make sure the **Send notifications to mobile device(s)** option is not suppressing desktop alerts while you are active.

**Check conversation-specific settings:**

In the conversation or chat room, click the eye icon (Watch feature) at the top and make sure notifications are enabled for that specific conversation.

**Browser users:**

If running Missive in a browser, allow notifications for mail.missiveapp.com in your browser permissions and keep a Missive tab open.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the desktop notification behavior in macOS?</summary>

This needs to be changed in your MacOS preferences:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/xipfYISQV6VzRViQ2Wka" alt="MacOS notification settings" width="668"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Alerts** stay on screen until closed. They do offer a Close button as shown here:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/MnJN5IhTVnMPd2TZRYuM" alt="Missive alter style notifications"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Banners** dismiss themselves automatically after a couple seconds, but they do also give you a way to dismiss them manually. You need to click and hold the notification, then slide your cursor to the right a bit and release it, akin to a "swipe" gesture:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/QGjvGtpyDdSsjqLtZnOk" alt="Missive alter style notifications"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to make Missive default email client app in macOS?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** and search for *default*.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/in74ZodJIGw4KNV5KhVl" alt="Preferences panel, default email client"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>I would like to change the default file saving location for Missive on Mac?</summary>

When downloading attachments Missive offers two options:

1. Download: Downloads directly into your system’s default “Downloads” folder
2. Save as…: Asks you where you want to download and will remember the location the next time

When double-clicking on an attachment, Missive downloads the attachment in a TMP folder provided by your system. Something like:

`/private/var/folders/vs/4cfg6_bd3vgcx3l_r272_m9m0000gn/T/missive/medias`

It is possible to open a file without it being on your system. If you right-click on the attachment and choose Open original, it will open it with your web browser. That’s the only way not to download it on your system. Your browser might automatically download some files, but that’s up to your browser.

You can change the default download folder in Settings > General > Download localtion. Please note that if you change this setting while using Missive in a browser, it will not affect the download location in the desktop app, and vice-versa.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I’m frequently prompted to install a helper tool. How can I resolve this issue?</summary>

**Follow these steps to resolve the issue:**

1. Uninstall Missive from your Mac. Make sure all related files are removed as well. We recommend using [AppCleaner](https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner), a tool that effectively removes all associated files. Simply drag the Missive app into AppCleaner, select all the files, and remove them.
2. Once all files are removed, reinstall Missive. You can download a fresh copy from our [download page](https://missiveapp.com/download).
3. After opening the downloaded DMG file, remember to move the Missive icon into the Applications folder before opening it. This step is crucial for the proper installation of the app.

By following these steps, you should be able to use Missive without the persistent 'install helper tool' prompt. If you're still encountering issues, our support team is ready to help.

</details>

### General

<details>

<summary>Can I undo actions?</summary>

Yes, many actions can be undone. There are two ways to do this:

* Use the shortcut <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Z</kbd>
* Click the undo banner button. You can enable it in the "Actions" section of the preferences

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Gy8xrW9GIeR7c9STmFZP" alt="Image showing the undo action banner" width="650"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How are time zones managed in Missive?</summary>

In Missive, your time zone is automatically set based on your computer clock.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to load and read messages while offline?</summary>

You can load emails in advance by clicking specific folders; the 25 most recent conversations in each folder you click will remain loaded while offline. It’s also possible to compose replies offline. However, if you close the app, reopening it while offline won’t show any emails. But your offline draft edits won’t be lost. When you get an Internet connection again, emails will load, and your drafts will be available again.

This can be somewhat workable on a computer but is trickier on mobile since the device can decide to close the app whenever it’s put in the background (ie. you move to another app or the device goes to sleep). So if keeping your emails loaded is critical at a given moment, try to keep Missive always in the foreground and prevent the device from going to sleep.

You can upvote the feature request for [better offline support here](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/p/download-emails-locally-for-offline-access).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where to enable or disable notifications?</summary>

**Preferences > Notifications**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/J5aXE8woVAjY49NNmAAg" alt="" width="1109"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

### Mobile apps

<details>

<summary>How can I access or change the integration loaded in my phone app?</summary>

You first need to select a conversation, then open the last selected integration:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/kHxCjrhYJFjGJKs4Zk3y" alt="" width="300"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Then you can select any other integration that you’ve also linked to your account by tapping the name of the current integration at the top:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/58o6GqcuVYwxwRMXjpJ4" alt="" width="300"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the time format on mobile?</summary>

In Missive, you can change the time format on mobile from AM/PM to 24 hour.

On mobile, go to **Settings** > **Preferences** and look for the time format.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/BF9RDIw7uDl6VBOd8Cqv" alt="Change time format on mobile" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I do a bulk action on many conversations?</summary>

Missive has a multi-swipe feature. When you swipe a conversation, you can move your finger up or down as well to select multiple conversations. You can only select conversations that are right next to the one you swiped first, but once you get used to it, you can clear your inbox quickly!

Here's an image showing the behavior; it was recorded on a desktop to show the cursor acting as a finger. On desktop, it works by holding down the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key and dragging conversations to swipe.

<figure><img src="/files/xLHsN2PvvAayMDCegb3X" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**This is helpful for:**

* Marking multiple emails as read
* Archiving multiple emails
* Starring multiple emails
* Trashing multiple emails
* etc.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I disable multi conversations swipe?</summary>

If you fear you often mass-swipe conversations by mistake, it’s possible to disable this behavior. Note that this setting must be changed directly on your mobile device (not on your desktop), as it is device-specific.

**Preferences** > **Swipes**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/eTjW90e0qSKQdivWjaj8" alt="" width="282"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I forward an older message in a conversation?</summary>

Forwarding an email earlier in a thread is possible, just click the **...** icon at the top of the email then select the **Forward** option.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why I'm not receiving notifications from Missive on my phone?</summary>

Make sure you have set this setting **Send notifications to mobile device(s)** to *Always*:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/V94DhKHcMNiRwheM2eEc" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Unless you did, no notification would be sent until you are inactive from the desktop application.

Also, make sure you also have enabled mobile notifications for all desired types of notification events:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ZGKnt9qugBs8qwzzi8Zd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>


# Connected accounts

Connect email, SMS, WhatsApp, social media, live chat, and voice to Missive.

Missive is the best email client for teams. But communication happens everywhere - SMS, WhatsApp, Instagram, voice calls, and more. Connect all your accounts to handle every conversation in one place.

## Account types

### Email accounts

Email is Missive's primary focus. Connect any email provider with full two-way sync, labels, calendar integration, and team collaboration.

* [Gmail / Google Workspace](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace)
* [Outlook / Office 365](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365)
* [Microsoft Exchange](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/microsoft-exchange)
* [iCloud](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/icloud)
* [IMAP](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/imap)

### Other channels

Beyond email, Missive connects to SMS, social, voice, live chat, and custom channels.

* [SMS](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms)
* [WhatsApp](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp)
* [Social](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/social)
* [Voice](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/voice)
* [Live Chat](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat)
* [Custom channels](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/custom-channels)

## How to connect an account

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open Settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select account type**

Choose **Email** for email providers or **Others** for SMS, social, voice, and chat.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure import and sharing**

For email accounts, choose how much history to import (1 month to all).

For all account types, decide if this is a personal or shared account:

* **Personal account:** Private, only you see messages
* **Shared account:** Messages visible to selected users or teams
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

For OAuth providers (Gmail, Outlook, Facebook, etc.), sign in and grant permissions. For IMAP or API-based accounts, enter your credentials.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Personal vs Shared accounts

Any account type can be personal or shared. You choose when you connect it.

### Personal accounts

Private accounts that only you can access. Conversations go to your Inbox unless you explicitly share them.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/60JwWCiorHiR7K3gLP8Y" alt="Examples of personal accounts"><figcaption><p>Personal accounts in <strong>Settings > Accounts</strong></p></figcaption></figure></div>

### Shared accounts

Accounts shared with users and teams in your organization. Your support email, your company's WhatsApp Business number, your shared Messenger account. Everyone with access sees new messages and can collaborate.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/niufisLedSTzfytxhZWY" alt="Examples of shared accounts"><figcaption><p>Shared accounts in <strong>Settings > Accounts</strong></p></figcaption></figure></div>

Learn more about [sharing options](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/sharing-options) including Team Inboxes and delivery modes.

## Common scenarios

See [Common scenarios](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/common-scenarios) for step-by-step guides on:

* Sharing all emails in an account
* Sharing only specific aliases
* Setting up Google Groups
* Ad-hoc collaboration via mentions
* Selective auto-sharing with Rules


# Sharing options

Share accounts with teams, individuals, or keep them private. Configure who sees what.

In Missive, shared accounts and addresses come with different sharing options to support a variety of workflows. When you share an account, you can choose whether incoming messages go to:

* **A team inbox:** A shared inbox for triaging and assignment between team members.
* **Regular inbox:** Messages appear in each user's personal inbox (or are auto-archived)

Below, we’ll explore the key differences so you can pick the option that best fits your team.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/yX1OTCvbgbLMFW3JvqiY" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Team Inbox

When choosing **Team Inbox**, new messages appear in the **Team Inbox** instead of the Inbox. The **Team Inbox** is shared among its team members, meaning that whenever a message is assigned / archived / closed, it will be removed from the **Team Inbox** for everyone. This is useful for teams who want a “triage” step that will clean up messages for all coworkers at once.

Let’s say we enable the **Team Inbox** flow for the account **<support@conferencebadge.com>** and select the ⛑️ **Support** team. All team members can now see incoming messages in the ⛑️ **Support** team inbox from the left sidebar.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4YrENlrkQdmwJ3ypXwN6" alt="Every conversations can be assigned" width="1189"><figcaption><p>You can easily assign conversations to anyone.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

**When** [**creating a team,**](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes/creating-a-team-space) **you can define two types of users:**

**Active members** receive notifications for new messages. They see conversations listed in the [Team Inboxes](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) mailbox in addition to the team inbox.

**Observers** do not receive notifications and see conversations listed in the team inbox only. This is perfect for **managers** who want to monitor the work being done but don’t want to be flooded with notifications.

These settings are available in **Settings** > **Teams**. You can read more about [triaging and assignment in this guide](/docs/core-features/triage-and-assignment).

## Inbox

When choosing **Inbox**, new messages are received in each user's **Inbox** or are automatically archived (based on the sharing settings, see image below).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/spdKDsXANZ9uit6LL6qv" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For users receiving new messages in their Inbox, conversations remain unread in their Inbox until they read / archive / trash it themselves. This is useful for people who want to stay master of their Inbox and see all messages that have been received and answered by anyone.

### Auto-archive option

For users in the **Auto-archive** section, conversations are automatically archived from their Inbox but remain fully accessible:

* Conversations won't appear in their Inbox
* No notifications are sent
* All emails are accessible via the **All** mailbox in the sidebar
* Searchable at all times

This is useful for:

* Managers who need visibility without inbox clutter
* Team members who need occasional access but aren't primary responders
* Temporary access during someone's leave (can search and respond when needed)

## Shared addresses

For email accounts, you can share specific addresses without sharing the entire account. This lets you route emails to different teams based on the recipient address.

Add a shared address in **Settings** > **Accounts**. Click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab. Existing shared addresses are listed there too, alongside your accounts. (You can also manage them in **Settings** > **Organizations** > **Message sharing**.)

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/iGqrP640BqKZeYAoEkfH" alt="Shared accounts and shared addresses" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Use cases

**Aliases**

Share emails sent to support@ with the Support team, sales@ with the Sales team, all from a single admin@ account.

**Google Groups**

Share emails sent to a Google Group with specific users or teams. See [Google Group address](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/google-group-address) for setup instructions.

**Forwarded addresses**

Share emails from domain forwarders (GoDaddy, Gandi, Dreamhost, cPanel) with your team.


# Email accounts

Connect Gmail, Outlook, Exchange, iCloud, or IMAP email accounts to Missive.

Email is Missive's primary focus. Connect any email provider with full two-way sync, labels, calendar integration, and team collaboration.

{% hint style="info" %}
**True two-way sync.** Unlike other help desks and collaboration tools, Missive keeps your email account fully synchronized. Emails don't pile up unread or disappear—what you see in Missive matches your email server exactly.
{% endhint %}

## Supported providers

| Provider                                                                                                 | Features                                   |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| [Gmail / Google Workspace](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace) | OAuth, labels, smart categories, calendar  |
| [Outlook / Office 365](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365)         | OAuth, folders, calendar, shared mailboxes |
| [Microsoft Exchange](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/microsoft-exchange)           | IMAP connection for on-premises Exchange   |
| [iCloud](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/icloud)                                   | App-specific password required             |
| [IMAP](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/imap)                                       | Any provider with IMAP/SMTP access         |


# Gmail / Google Workspace

Connect Gmail or Google Workspace to Missive. Full two-way sync with labels.

Connect your Gmail or Google Workspace account to Missive with full two-way sync. Labels, contacts, calendar - everything stays in sync between Gmail and Missive.

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Gmail or Google Workspace**

Under the **Email** tab, select **Gmail or Google Workspace**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose import options**

Select how much email history to import:

* No history - start fresh
* 1 month to 10 years - recent emails only
* All history - everything (paid plans only)

Choose if this is a personal or shared account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Sign in with Google**

Click **Connect with Google**. A Google sign-in window opens.

1. Select your Google account
2. Review and grant the requested permissions
3. Complete the authorization

Missive connects using Gmail's official OAuth API.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure sidebar**

Choose how your Gmail labels appear in your sidebar:

* **Pin all labels** - All labels appear in a new sidebar section automatically.
* **I'll choose which labels to show** - Use the **+ More** button to add labels manually later.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Archive old emails (optional)**

If your inbox has many emails, Missive offers to archive older messages so you can start fresh. Archived emails remain searchable.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Terminology

A few terms differ between Gmail and Missive:

| Gmail                                    | Missive                            | Notes                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ---------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Labels                                   | Labels                             | Both support multiple labels per email; Missive syncs these directly with Gmail.                                                                                                  |
| Categories (Primary, Social, Promotions) | Labels (system labels)             | Gmail's default categories can be [mimicked](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/using-gmail-smart-categories) inside Missive as labels. |
| All Mail                                 | All                                | Shows every message that exists in your Gmail account.                                                                                                                            |
| Archive                                  | Archive                            | Archiving in Missive behaves the same as Gmail (removes Inbox but keeps the email in All Mail).                                                                                   |
| Filters                                  | Rules                              | Gmail filters run server-side before Missive's rules.                                                                                                                             |
| Delegation                               | Shared accounts / Shared addresses | Missive provides more granular collaboration than Gmail delegation.                                                                                                               |

## History

When connecting a Gmail account, you choose how much email history to import.

* All imported emails keep their original read/unread state, labels, and system labels (Inbox, Sent, Archive, etc.)
* Gmail's folder-less structure syncs naturally with Missive's label-based model
* Paid plans allow importing unlimited history

You can adjust the amount of imported history later in **Settings** > **Accounts**.

## Contacts

Missive syncs your Google contacts automatically with full two-way sync.

If auto-sync was disabled, re-enable it:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select your Gmail account
3. Click **Contacts**
4. Click **Sync contacts**

## Calendar

Connect your Google Calendar to see events in Missive:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Calendars**
2. Click **Add a calendar account**
3. Select **Google Calendar**
4. Sign in and follow the prompts

Your calendars appear in Missive and update automatically.

## Google Groups

Google Groups are supported through Missive's Shared addresses feature.

Google Groups forward emails to recipients' personal inboxes - they can't be connected directly as accounts. Instead, use Shared addresses to turn any Google Group into a team inbox.

See [Google Group address](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/google-group-address) for setup instructions.

## Search operators

Missive supports Gmail's search operators:

| Operator             | Description                          |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| `from:`              | Search by sender                     |
| `to:`                | Search by recipient                  |
| `subject:`           | Search by subject keywords           |
| `label:`             | Search inside a specific Gmail label |
| `in:anywhere`        | Search all mail (including archived) |
| `is:unread`          | Show unread messages                 |
| `has:attachment`     | Emails with attachments              |
| `after:` / `before:` | Search by date ranges                |
| `filename:`          | Search attachments by filename       |
| `-"..."`             | Exclude keyword or label             |


# Google Group address

Connect Google Groups to Missive for shared team email management.

Share emails sent to a Google Group with your team in Missive. Everyone sees the same conversations and can collaborate without duplicates.

## How it works

Google Groups forward emails to each member's personal inbox. In Missive, you add the group address as a **Shared address** so these emails become collaborative conversations instead of separate copies.

## Setup

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Connect a Gmail account

At least one team member must connect their Gmail account to Missive. This is the account that receives emails from the Google Group.

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account** and connect Gmail.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add the group as a shared address

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab.

Enter your Google Group email (e.g., <support@yourcompany.com>) and select the organization to share it in.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/iGqrP640BqKZeYAoEkfH" alt="Message sharing settings" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Choose the delivery method

Select how shared emails should be delivered:

* **Team Inbox:** Messages appear in a shared Team Inbox for triage
* **Inbox:** Messages appear in each user's personal Inbox

See [Sharing options](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/sharing-options) for details on each method.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/kOekxb0JzM6IWB6qtf9R" alt="Shared address delivery options" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Verify the address

Missive sends a verification email to the group address. Click the link to confirm you receive emails at this address.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Not seeing the verification email?** Try these steps in your Google Group:

* Open the group in Google and go to **Conversations** > **Alerts** > **Pending** to approve any pending messages, including the verification email from Missive.
* Go to **Group Settings** > **General** > **Who can post** and set it to **Anyone on the web** to ensure messages from outside addresses reach the group.
  {% endhint %}
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Enable sending from the group address

To let team members reply from the group address (e.g., <support@yourcompany.com>), you have two options:

**Option A: Share your alias**

One user adds the group as an alias and shares it with the team:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > select your Gmail account > **Aliases**
2. Edit the group alias
3. Enable **Allow others to send emails from this alias**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/45qkbKjW3njMWkxC7SAU" alt="Share alias setting" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Option B: Each user adds the alias**

Each team member adds the group address as an alias in their own account settings.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Configure Gmail aliases

For either option, each user must also add the group address as a "Send mail as" alias in Gmail. Otherwise Gmail rewrites the From address to their personal email.

See [Google's guide on sending from a different address](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Why use a shared address?

Without a shared address, each team member receives group emails in separate conversations. They'd need to @mention each other to collaborate.

With a shared address, everyone sees the same conversation automatically. No duplicates, no manual sharing needed.

{% hint style="info" %}
Each person still has their own read/unread status, just like in Gmail.
{% endhint %}

## Google Groups with aliases

If your Google Group has aliases (alternate addresses that forward to the same group), you may need to add both the alias and the primary group address as shared addresses.

When an email arrives, Missive reads headers that identify the group's primary address. If you only added an alias as the shared address, Missive may not recognize the primary address and will fail to route the conversation correctly -- leaving it in everyone's personal Inbox instead of the shared team inbox.

**To fix this:** Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and add the group's primary address as an additional shared address, shared with the same team.

You can find the primary address in the `Mailing-list` header when you [download the email](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/core-features/faq.md#how-to-export-and-download-an-email-to-the-.eml-format) (.EML file). It will look different from the alias you use day-to-day.


# Configuring Google Aliases

Set up Google Workspace aliases to send from multiple addresses in Missive.

In order for Gmail to use the aliases you set on Missive, you will also need to [set them on Gmail](https://mail.google.com/mail/u/#settings/accounts).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Adding an alias only on Missive isn't enough for Gmail to validate that you can indeed use that address and that you're not using an address from a domain that you don't own. Without setting them up on Gmail as well, recipients will see and reply to the default email account address.
{% endhint %}

## Add the alias in Google Admin (Google Workspace only)

If you're using Google Workspace, an admin must first create the alias:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Sign in to Admin console**

Go to the [Google Admin console](https://admin.google.com) with an administrator account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Open user settings**

Navigate to **Menu > Directory > Users** and click the user's name.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add the alias**

Under the user's name on the left, click **Add Alternate Emails**, enter the alias name (the part before @), and click **Save**.

You can add up to 30 email aliases per user at no extra cost.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Set up "Send mail as" in Gmail

Once the alias exists, configure Gmail to send from it:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open Gmail settings**

Open [Gmail](https://mail.google.com), click **Settings** (gear icon) > **See all settings**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add the alias address**

Go to the **Accounts and Import** tab. In the **Send mail as** section, click **Add another email address**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure and verify**

Enter your name and the alias address, check **Treat as an alias**, then click **Next Step** and complete the verification.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

After setup, click **From** when composing to select your alias.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/2srMGACbzxJmweZRhWwh" alt="Setup aliases on Gmail"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For more details, see [Google's official documentation](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370).

{% hint style="danger" %}
If you skip this Gmail setup, Missive will show an error on outgoing emails:

**"From" address reverted**\
Gmail changed `alias@example.com` to `you@example.com` in the outgoing email. You must define `alias@example.com` as an alias in your Gmail settings.

Go back through the steps above to add the alias in Gmail.
{% endhint %}


# Using Gmail smart categories

Use Gmail categories (Primary, Social, Promotions) with Missive.

Gmail's smart categories (Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums) don't sync to third-party apps like Missive. But you can recreate this behavior using Gmail filters to keep your Missive inbox focused on important emails.

## The approach

Create Gmail filters that automatically move categorized emails to labels. These labels sync to Missive, giving you the same inbox separation Gmail provides.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/eIuD3frjH7phmdBbeKmr" alt="Gmail rules" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Example setup:**

* Promotions + Social → **Ads & Social** label
* Updates + Forums → **Feeds** label

Your primary emails stay in your inbox. Everything else goes to these secondary labels.

## Setup

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Create the Ads & Social label in Gmail**

1. Open [Gmail](https://mail.google.com)
2. In the left sidebar, scroll down and click **+ Create new label**
3. Name it **Ads & Social**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ccscsxOMGKXRkSKUbJxZ" alt="Create label in Gmail" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create a filter for promotions and social**

1. In the Gmail search bar, type:

   ```
   (category:promotions OR category:social)
   ```
2. Click the dropdown arrow on the right side of the search bar
3. Click **Create filter**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/l09585AgDwHHAhYErmhV" alt="Create filter in Gmail" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure the filter**

Check these options:

* **Skip the Inbox (Archive it)**
* **Apply the label:** Ads & Social
* **Also apply filter to matching conversations** (optional, to apply retroactively)

Click **Create filter**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/cOtBi8tC4uCLprl4WzyM" alt="Filter settings" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create the Feeds label**

Repeat step 1 to create a label named **Feeds**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create a filter for updates and forums**

Repeat steps 2-3 with this search:

```
(category:updates OR category:forums)
```

Apply the **Feeds** label instead.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Pin the labels in Missive**

In Missive, the new labels appear in your mailbox list. Pin them to your sidebar for quick access:

1. Find the label in your mailbox list
2. Right-click and select **Pin to sidebar**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/EceyzBzw0RBFtgOtbFK6" alt="Pinned labels in Missive" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Result

Your inbox now only receives primary emails. Promotions, social updates, newsletters, and forum notifications go to their respective labels. Check them when you want, not when they arrive.


# Gmail FAQ

Common questions about Gmail and Google Workspace integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I search using Gmail search operators?</summary>

If your email provider is Gmail or Google Workspace, you can use Gmail search operators like has:attachment.

To find all emails with the word invoice and an attachment, your search would look like: "invoice has:attachment".

</details>

<details>

<summary>Will moving a Google Workspace user to an Archived License preserve their emails in Missive?</summary>

No. Archiving a Google Workspace user breaks their connection to Missive.

An archived Google Workspace user can no longer sign in, which means they can no longer authenticate with Missive. The email account connection breaks because archived accounts are read-only, making two-way sync impossible.

To keep emails accessible in Missive, at least one copy of those emails must exist in an email account that remains actively connected to Missive. Consider transferring the data to another active account before archiving the user.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I update my Google account email following a rename or domain change?</summary>

If your Google account email address was renamed or your domain was changed in Google, update it in Missive:

1. If you use **Log in with Google**, log out from Missive then log back in. This updates your login email.
2. Reconnect your email account: open **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account** > **Gmail or Google Workspace**, and select your same account. This won't duplicate the account, it will only refresh the email address. The options for **Email history**, **Team Inbox**, etc. will be ignored when reconnecting an existing account.

This ensures Missive properly syncs with Google's servers using the updated address.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use a custom SMTP server with my Gmail account?</summary>

Yes. You can configure Gmail to send emails through a custom SMTP server instead of Gmail's servers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can we sync Gmail smart categories?</summary>

Gmail categories (Primary, Promotions, Social, Updates, Forums) don't sync to third-party apps like Missive. But you can recreate this behavior using Gmail filters.

See [Using Gmail smart categories](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/using-gmail-smart-categories) for setup instructions.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I bulk archive emails from my Gmail account?</summary>

**In Missive:** Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > select your Gmail account > **Mass-archive**. Select a predefined timeframe or pick a specific date. This archives emails from both Missive and Gmail.

**In Gmail:** You can also use Gmail's search to bulk archive. Enter a search like `in:inbox before:YYYY/MM/DD`, select all emails in view, select all conversations that match this search, and hit Archive. Changes sync back to Missive automatically.

See [How to Mass Archive Gmail Emails](/docs/support/mass-archive-gmail-emails) for detailed steps on using Gmail's interface.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I bulk mark as read my emails?</summary>

You can bulk mark Gmail emails as read by selecting conversations and using the Mark as read action in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How many Gmail accounts can I have?</summary>

There's no limit to the number of Gmail accounts you can have, but Google may force you to verify the account authenticity via a phone number. One number can be linked to a limited amount of accounts.

In Missive you can add as many Gmail accounts as you want.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to add Gmail to Outlook?</summary>

If you're trying to consolidate both your Outlook and Gmail accounts in a single place, then Missive is the way to go. It's as simple as:

1\. Creating a free Missive account\
2\. Adding your Gmail account\
3\. Adding your Outlook account

Now all your email is available from a single web/desktop/mobile interface.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to mark all emails as read in Gmail?</summary>

You can mark all emails as read using Gmail's tools. Changes will be reflected in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I disable Google contacts syncing with Missive?</summary>

By default, when connecting a Google email account, you grant Missive the right to sync the account contacts. You can disable the syncing from your settings immediately after.

To stop syncing Google contacts:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select your Gmail or Google Workspace account
3. Click the **Contacts** tab
4. Click **Stop syncing**

When you stop syncing, contacts already imported from that account are removed from Missive. They remain intact in Google Contacts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens if I change my Google account password?</summary>

Changing your Google account password outside of Missive can revoke Missive's access. The account will show as disconnected or you'll see an authentication error.

To reconnect, go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, select your account, and click **Reconnect account**. This reconnects without duplicating it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I'm getting an error when reconnecting my revoked Google account, how can I fix?</summary>

Instead of clicking Reconnect account in the yellow revoked banner, click the Add account button at the bottom of the Accounts settings and follow the steps. A new account should appear in the list, then you may delete the previous one.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why am I getting "Access blocked: Missive is not approved by Advanced Protection"?</summary>

Google's Advanced Protection program restricts sign-in to a limited set of approved apps. Missive is a hosted SaaS product and does not qualify as an approved app under Advanced Protection by default.

**For Google Workspace admins:** You can work around this by marking Missive as a trusted app in the Google Admin Console.

{% hint style="warning" %}
If your organization uses nested organizational units, make sure to apply the trusted app setting at the correct level. Changes to a parent organizational unit do not automatically override settings already configured on a sub-organizational unit.
{% endhint %}

For personal Google accounts with Advanced Protection enabled, you must disable Advanced Protection to connect to Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the meaning of error 5.7.0 when sending a message?</summary>

Error 5.7.0 generally indicates a Gmail or Google authentication or delivery restriction issue. The exact error text from Gmail can vary, but it often means a policy or permission problem on the provider side rather than Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are my Gmail account emails not importing?</summary>

One common reason is you configured your Gmail to not make the All Mail folder available on IMAP, which is required for Missive to sync your emails properly. You need to enable the All Mail folder in your Gmail settings for full import.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my Gmail email history not fully imported?</summary>

Gmail may limit how much history can be fetched over IMAP at once. Missive continues importing emails, and older messages may appear gradually as the sync continues.

</details>

### Google Groups

For setup instructions, see [Google Group address](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/google-group-address).

<details>

<summary>Why are old conversations reopened when I connect a new employee's account?</summary>

This happens when your team uses a distribution list or Google Group where each member receives emails in their own personal inbox.

When you connect a new employee's account to Missive, their inbox is imported. Any emails already in their inbox that Missive hasn't seen before - for example, a reply they sent directly from their personal account without CCing the group - will be treated as new messages. This causes the related conversations to reopen.

**Solution:** Before connecting a new employee's account in Missive, have them mass-archive their inbox first. This ensures Missive doesn't treat their existing inbox emails as new activity.

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > select the account > **Mass-archive**, and archive everything before today. Once their inbox is clear, connect the account in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why am I not receiving my Google Groups (shared address) validation email?</summary>

If you're not receiving your Google Groups validation email, check your group's posting permissions. The issue may be that your Google Group is not set to allow posts from "Anyone on the web".

**To fix this:**

1. Go to your Google Group settings
2. Navigate to "Group settings"
3. Check the "Who can post" section
4. Make sure it's set to "Anyone on the web" (highlighted in the yellow box in Google Groups settings)
5. Save your changes

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Onl4zr1dJQKwfnwsgPzK" alt="" width="600"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

This setting allows the Google Group to receive emails from non-members (Missive).

</details>


# Outlook / Office 365

Connect Outlook or Microsoft 365 to Missive with full two-way sync.

Connect your Office 365 or Outlook.com account to Missive with full two-way sync. Folders, contacts, calendar, and shared mailboxes - everything works seamlessly.

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open account settings

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Select your account type

Under the **Email** tab, select:

* **Office 365:** for Microsoft 365 / Office 365 work accounts
* **Outlook.com:** for personal Outlook.com, Hotmail, or Live accounts
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Choose import options

Select how much email history to import:

* No history - start fresh
* 1 month to 10 years - recent emails only
* All history - everything (paid plans only)

Choose if this is a personal or shared account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Enter your details

For Office 365, enter your display name and email address before signing in.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Sign in with Microsoft

Click **Connect with Office 365** or **Connect with Outlook**. A Microsoft sign-in window opens.

1. Enter your Microsoft credentials
2. Review and grant the requested permissions
3. Complete the authorization
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Configure sidebar

Choose how your Outlook folders appear in your sidebar:

* **Pin all labels** - All labels appear in a new sidebar section automatically.
* **I'll choose which labels to show** - Use the **+ More** button to add labels manually later.

{% hint style="info" %}
What Outlook calls folders, Missive calls labels. Same thing.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Archive old emails (optional)

If your inbox has many emails, Missive offers to archive older messages so you can start fresh. Archived emails remain searchable.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Terminology

| Outlook          | Missive          |
| ---------------- | ---------------- |
| Folders          | Labels           |
| Categories       | Not supported    |
| Flags            | Not supported    |
| Recall a message | Undo send        |
| Favorites        | Sidebar sections |
| Archive Folder   | All mailbox      |
| In-Place Archive | Not supported    |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Folders vs Categories:** In Outlook, folders and categories serve different purposes. Folders store emails in specific locations and sync to Missive as labels. Categories are color-coded tags that don't affect storage location and don't sync to Missive.
{% endhint %}

## History

When you connect an Office 365 account to Missive, you choose how much email history to import. This can be changed later in settings.

All emails retain their read/unread status and location (inbox, folders, etc).

{% hint style="info" %}
Paid plans allow importing unlimited history.
{% endhint %}

## Sync behavior

| Action in Missive                        | Syncs | Effect in Office 365                              |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| New email in Inbox                       | Yes   | New email in Inbox                                |
| New email in Team Inbox                  | Yes   | New email in Inbox                                |
| Email is sent                            | Yes   | Email appears in Sent                             |
| Email is archived (personal account)     | Yes   | Email appears in Archive                          |
| Email is archived (shared account)       | Yes   | Email appears in Archive only when owner archives |
| Email read                               | Yes   | Email read                                        |
| Email marked as unread                   | Yes   | Email marked as unread                            |
| Apply email label (e.g. Receipts)        | Yes   | Email appears in folder (e.g. Receipts)           |
| Apply organization label (e.g. Feedback) | No    | Email will not show in folder                     |
| Email is deleted (personal account)      | Yes   | Email appears in Trash                            |
| Email is deleted (shared account)        | Yes   | Email appears in Trash only when owner deletes    |
| Email marked as spam                     | Yes   | Email appears in Spam                             |
| Email is in drafts                       | No    | Email will not appear in Drafts                   |

## Contacts

Missive syncs your Outlook contacts automatically with full two-way sync.

If auto-sync was disabled, re-enable it:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select your Office 365 / Outlook account
3. Click **Contacts**
4. Click **Sync contacts**

## Calendar

Connect your Office 365 / Outlook calendar:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Calendars**
2. Click **Add a calendar account**
3. Select **Office 365** or **Outlook**
4. Sign in and follow the prompts

## Shared mailboxes

Office 365 shared mailboxes work like any shared account in Missive:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**
2. Select **Office 365** or **Outlook**
3. In the Microsoft popup, select an account that has access to the shared mailbox

## Distribution lists / Groups

Office 365 groups (distribution lists) forward emails to recipients' personal inboxes - they can't be connected directly. Use Missive's **Shared addresses** feature instead.

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab to set one up.

See [Google Group address](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/google-group-address) for setup instructions - the process is identical for Office 365 groups.

## Search operators

Missive supports Outlook search operators. See [Microsoft's full list](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-search-in-outlook-d824d1e9-a255-4c8a-8553-276fb895a8da).

| Operator         | Description                | Example                 |
| ---------------- | -------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `from:`          | Search by sender           | `from:john@example.com` |
| `to:`            | Search by recipient        | `to:sarah@example.com`  |
| `subject:`       | Search by subject keywords | `subject:meeting`       |
| `hasattachment:` | Emails with attachments    | `hasattachment:true`    |
| `cc:`            | Emails CC'd to someone     | `cc:mike@example.com`   |
| `bcc:`           | Emails BCC'd to someone    | `bcc:jane@example.com`  |
| `received:`      | Emails received on a date  | `received:today`        |
| `size:`          | Emails by size             | `size:>500KB`           |
| `folder:`        | Search within a folder     | `folder:inbox`          |
| `isread:`        | Read/unread emails         | `isread:false`          |

## Microsoft Exchange

For on-premises Exchange servers, see [Microsoft Exchange](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/microsoft-exchange) to connect via IMAP.


# Outlook FAQ

Common questions about Outlook and Office 365 integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I disable Office 365 / Outlook contacts syncing with Missive?</summary>

By default, when connecting an Office 365 or Outlook account, you grant Missive the right to sync the account contacts. You can disable the syncing from your settings immediately after.

To stop syncing Office 365 / Outlook contacts:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select your Office 365 or Outlook account
3. Click the **Contacts** tab
4. Click **Stop syncing**

When you stop syncing, contacts already imported from that account are removed from Missive. They remain intact in Outlook.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you support Microsoft Exchange?</summary>

Yes, via IMAP. See [Microsoft Exchange](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/microsoft-exchange) for setup instructions.

Most Exchange servers have IMAP enabled. If yours doesn't, contact your IT administrator.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you have tips for users transitioning from Outlook to Missive?</summary>

Yes, we [made a video](https://youtu.be/fYw7SY-qTzA):

1. Where are my folders?
2. Can I move an email to a folder?
3. Where is my Archive folder?

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you support Office 365 shared mailbox account?</summary>

Yes, when adding the email account:

1. Open your **Accounts** settings, click **Add account**, select **Office 365**.
2. Enter the shared mailbox email address.
3. Then, in the Microsoft connection popup, select an Office 365 account that has access to that shared mailbox.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I'm getting "Need admin approval" when connecting my Office 365 account</summary>

This error means your Microsoft tenant requires admin consent before non-admins can authorize third-party apps like Missive.

**What your Microsoft admin needs to do:**

The simplest fix is for the admin to go through the Missive connection flow themselves and click **"Consent on behalf of your organization"** in the Microsoft popup. This approves all required permissions at once.

Alternatively, the admin can grant consent manually in the **Microsoft Entra admin center** (formerly Azure AD) under **Enterprise applications > Missive > Permissions**.

**Required Microsoft Graph API scopes for email:**

* `User.Read`
* `Mail.ReadWrite`
* `Mail.ReadWrite.Shared`
* `Mail.Send`
* `Mail.Send.Shared`
* `Contacts.ReadWrite`
* `offline_access`
* `email`
* `openid`
* `profile`

**Additional scopes required if connecting the calendar:**

* `Calendars.ReadWrite`
* `Calendars.ReadWrite.Shared`

{% hint style="info" %}
After the admin grants consent, it can take anywhere from a few minutes up to 72 hours for the change to take effect on Microsoft's side.
{% endhint %}

**If users can't request admin approval:**

Some organizations haven't enabled the Microsoft admin consent request flow, so users have no way to send a request to their admin. To enable it:

1. In **Microsoft Entra ID**, go to **Consent and permissions > User consent settings**. Select **"Let Microsoft manage your consent settings (Recommended)"** and enable the **"Enable user consent for popular Mail clients"** checkbox.
2. Still in **Microsoft Entra ID**, go to **Consent and permissions > Admin consent settings**. Set **"Users can request admin consent to apps they are unable to consent to"** to **Yes**.
3. Connect the Office 365 account to Missive and go through the **Request admin approval** flow. This sends a request in Microsoft Entra ID.
4. An Office 365 admin goes to **Enterprise applications > Admin Consent Requests > All (Preview)**, finds Missive, and clicks **Review permission and consent**.
5. Once admin approval is granted, go back to Missive and connect the account via **Settings > Accounts > Add account**. Granting admin approval does not automatically connect the accounts that requested it -- each user must go through the connection flow again.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I granted admin consent but users are still prompted for admin approval</summary>

If your admin has already granted consent for Missive in **Microsoft Entra**, sign-in logs show all conditional access policies are satisfied, but users are still prompted for admin approval when connecting their account, check the **Assignment required?** setting on the Missive enterprise application.

When **Assignment required?** is set to **Yes**, only users who are explicitly assigned to the app can use it. Anyone who isn't assigned keeps getting prompted for approval, even though consent was granted at the tenant level.

**How to check and fix it:**

1. In the Azure portal, go to **Enterprise applications > Missive**.
2. Under **Manage**, open **Properties**.
3. Check **Assignment required?**. If it's set to **Yes**, either set it to **No** and **Save**, or leave it as **Yes** and assign the users in the next step.
4. If you keep **Assignment required?** set to **Yes**, open **Users and groups**, click **Add user/group**, and assign each user who needs to connect their account to Missive.

Once the affected users are assigned, have them go back to Missive and reconnect their account via **Settings > Accounts > Add account**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What are Missive's Microsoft Entra app details for IT admin pre-approval?</summary>

If your IT admin wants to review and approve Missive in **Microsoft Entra** before users start connecting their mailboxes, share these details:

* **Application name:** Missive
* **Application ID (Client ID):** contact <support@missiveapp.com> and we'll send it to you.

**Requested Microsoft Graph delegated permissions:**

* `User.Read`
* `Mail.ReadWrite`
* `Mail.ReadWrite.Shared`
* `Mail.Send`
* `Mail.Send.Shared`
* `Contacts.ReadWrite`
* `Calendars.ReadWrite`
* `Calendars.ReadWrite.Shared`
* `email`
* `openid`
* `profile`
* `offline_access`

These are delegated permissions, used when each user connects their Microsoft 365 mailbox, contacts, and calendar to Missive.

To grant consent ahead of time, the admin can go through the Missive connection flow once and click **"Consent on behalf of your organization"** in the Microsoft popup, or approve the app manually in the **Microsoft Entra admin center** under **Enterprise applications > Missive > Permissions**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Missive is blocked by Microsoft conditional access policies</summary>

If your organization uses Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) conditional access (CA) policies, those policies may block Missive from accessing mailboxes.

This typically happens when a broad CA policy targets all Microsoft applications and requires enrolled, compliant devices -- and the mailboxes you want to connect to Missive are not excluded from that policy.

**How to diagnose the issue:**

Check your Microsoft Entra ID sign-in logs to identify exactly which CA components are being blocked. The logs show which attributes Missive needs in order to authenticate successfully.

**How to fix it:**

1. Exclude the affected mailboxes (those you intend to connect to Missive) from your existing CA policies that broadly target all Microsoft applications.
2. Create a new, dedicated CA policy that targets those mailboxes.
3. In the new policy, set **Target Resources** to **All Resources**, then exclude the enterprise applications Missive requires: **Missive**, **Office 365 Exchange Online**, and **Windows Azure Active Directory**.
4. Under **Grant** access controls, select **Block access**.
5. Optionally add device and identity conditions to further restrict the access surface.

This approach follows zero-trust principles: block everything by default, then explicitly allow only what is required for Missive to function.

{% hint style="info" %}
Conditional access configurations vary by organization. It is also recommended to have other catch-all CA policies in place (for example, requiring MFA or blocking legacy authentication). Work with your IT administrator to tailor this approach to your specific security requirements.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>I can't add a specific Office 365/Outlook account?</summary>

If you try to connect a different Office 365 account and you are always forced to select the same one, it’s a bug on Microsoft’s side, completely out of our control. The workaround is to log in to Missive and connect your Office 365 / Outlook account(s) from a private browser window.

**Here’s how to do so (on a desktop computer, mobile is not supported):**

1. Open a private / incognito browser window (see instructions for [Google Chrome](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop), [Firefox](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/private-browsing-use-firefox-without-history) and [Safari](https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/safari/ibrw1069/mac)).
2. Type mail.missiveapp.com in the address bar.
3. Log in to Missive.
4. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, click Accounts, then Add account.
5. Connect your account.

For each account, you may need to start over at step 1. Otherwise, the Microsoft popup may keep forcing you to select the account you previously selected.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where can I find my folders?</summary>

Missive fully supports folders and sub-folders (they are called Labels in the Missive interface, but they really are the same thing). You just need to open the **+ More** menu in the left sidebar to list all your available labels, grouped per email account. When you click on a label from there, it will get pinned to the sidebar.

You can also open/pin all your folders hierarchy by clicking on the **Open all** option.

[Video: Tips for the Outlook users using Missive for the first time.](https://youtu.be/fYw7SY-qTzA)

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do Outlook categories sync to Missive?</summary>

No. Outlook categories don't sync to Missive. Only folders sync as labels.

In Outlook, folders and categories work differently. Folders store emails in specific locations and sync to Missive. Categories are color-coded tags that don't affect where emails are stored and don't sync.

If you use Outlook rules to organize emails with categories, consider switching to folder-based rules instead so your organization syncs to Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I access my Junk Email folder?</summary>

To access default mailboxes like Junk Email:

1. Click **+ More** in the left sidebar
2. Select **Main Section**
3. Click **Spam** to pin it to your sidebar

{% hint style="info" %}
Outlook calls it "Junk Email", but Missive calls this mailbox **Spam**. They're the same thing.
{% endhint %}

You can also access other default mailboxes (Drafts, Sent, Trash, All) using the same method.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens if I change my email address in Exchange/Office 365?</summary>

If you rename or change an email address on the Microsoft/Exchange side, Missive won't automatically detect the change. You need to refresh the account connection.

**For user mailboxes:**

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Click **Add account** > **Office 365**
3. Enter the new email address
4. Click through the setup wizard (the options you select don't matter)
5. In the Microsoft authentication window, select the account

This refreshes the connection without duplicating the account. All existing conversations, assignments, comments, and labels remain intact.

Each user must do this for their own accounts.

**For shared mailboxes:**

Shared mailboxes cannot be refreshed by users. Contact <support@missiveapp.com> and provide the old and new email addresses. The support team will manually update the domain in the database.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens if I change my Outlook or Office 365 password?</summary>

Changing your Microsoft account password outside of Missive invalidates the OAuth connection. The account will show as disconnected in Missive.

To reconnect:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select your account
3. Click **Reconnect account**

This reconnects without duplicating the account. All existing conversations and data remain intact.

</details>

## Composing

<details>

<summary>Can I mark outgoing emails as "High Importance"?</summary>

No. Missive does not support marking outgoing emails with the "High Importance" flag like Outlook does (RFC 4021).

Gmail also doesn't support this feature. When importance flags are easily accessible, users tend to over-apply them to non-critical messages to ensure faster responses. This leads to "priority inflation" where recipients ignore the flags entirely, making them useless for actual emergencies.

If you need to filter incoming emails marked as important by other Outlook users, see [detecting high importance emails with rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules/faq#can-i-detect-high-importance-emails-from-outlook-users).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why aren't emails from my Microsoft 365 archive mailbox showing in Missive?</summary>

Missive syncs all standard folders in your Microsoft 365 account, including Inbox, Sent, Trash, and the regular **Archive** folder. However, Microsoft's **In-Place Archive** feature (also called archive mailboxes) is not supported.

In-Place Archive is a separate storage extension that Microsoft uses to expand a mailbox beyond the standard per-account limit (typically 50-100 GB). It is a distinct secondary mailbox, not a regular folder. When Missive connects to an Office 365 account via the Microsoft Graph API, emails stored in an In-Place Archive are not accessible and will not be synced.

If you need those emails accessible in Missive, move them back to your primary mailbox using Outlook.

</details>

### Deliverability

<details>

<summary>I'm getting "Access denied, traffic not accepted from this IP" when sending emails - what does this mean?</summary>

This error message is misleading. It sounds like the recipient's server is rejecting your email, but it's actually your Office 365 installation refusing to send it.

**Two possible causes:**

#### Microsoft trial account

Trial accounts have limitations that prevent them from sending emails through third-party apps like Missive.

**Solution:** Purchase a paid Office 365 subscription.

#### Office 365 blocking Missive's IP addresses

New Office 365 installations often block third-party apps by default until the IPs are explicitly allowed.

**Solution:** Open a support ticket with Microsoft asking them to allow your account/tenant to send emails through Missive's IP addresses.

Get the complete list of Missive's IP addresses in the [Email deliverability guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/email-deliverability#ip-address-whitelisting). When contacting Microsoft Support, include those IP addresses and explain that they are used by Missive (your email client) to connect to Microsoft servers.

</details>


# Microsoft Exchange

Connect Microsoft Exchange Server to Missive. On-premises and hybrid support.

Connect your Microsoft Exchange account to Missive using IMAP. This option is for on-premises Exchange servers or hosted Exchange environments that don't support OAuth-based Office 365 authentication.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you use Office 365 or Outlook.com, use the [Office 365 / Outlook](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365) connection instead - it's simpler and supports more features.
{% endhint %}

## Prerequisites

Before connecting, ensure your Exchange server has:

* IMAP enabled (port 993 with TLS or port 143 with STARTTLS)
* SMTP enabled (port 587 with STARTTLS or port 465 with TLS)
* Your account has IMAP access permissions

Contact your IT administrator if you're unsure about these settings.

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Microsoft Exchange**

Under the **Email** tab, select **Microsoft Exchange**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose import options**

Select how much email history to import:

* No history - start fresh
* 1 month to 10 years - recent emails only
* All history - everything (paid plans only)

Choose if this is a personal or shared account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter credentials**

Fill in your account details:

* **Display name:** How your name appears when sending
* **Email address:** Your Exchange email
* **Password:** Your Exchange password
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure IMAP settings**

Enter your Exchange server's IMAP details:

* **Hostname:** Your Exchange server (e.g., mail.company.com)
* **Port:** Usually 993 for TLS or 143 for STARTTLS
* **Encryption:** SSL/TLS (recommended) or STARTTLS

{% hint style="info" %}
Your username defaults to your email address. Some servers require a different format like DOMAIN\username.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure SMTP settings**

Enter your Exchange server's SMTP details:

* **Hostname:** Your Exchange server (e.g., smtp.company.com or same as IMAP)
* **Port:** Usually 587 for STARTTLS or 465 for TLS
* **Encryption:** STARTTLS (recommended) or SSL/TLS
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure sidebar**

Choose how your Outlook folders appear in your sidebar:

* **Pin all labels** - All labels appear in a new sidebar section automatically.
* **I'll choose which labels to show** - Use the **+ More** button to add labels manually later.

{% hint style="info" %}
What Outlook calls folders, Missive calls labels. Same thing.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

Click **Connect** to add your account. Missive will verify the connection and start syncing your email.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Sync behavior

Actions in Missive sync back to your Exchange server:

| Action in Missive    | Syncs to Exchange                |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| New email in Inbox   | Yes                              |
| Email sent           | Yes - appears in Sent            |
| Email archived       | Yes - appears in Archive folder  |
| Email read/unread    | Yes                              |
| Label applied        | Yes - appears in matching folder |
| Email deleted        | Yes - appears in Trash           |
| Email marked as spam | Yes - appears in Junk            |
| Draft saved          | No                               |

## Contacts

Missive does not sync contacts from Exchange IMAP accounts. Use [Office 365 / Outlook](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365) if you need contact sync.

## Calendar

Calendar sync is not available for Exchange IMAP accounts. Use [Office 365 / Outlook](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365) if you need calendar integration.

## Troubleshooting

### Connection fails

* Verify IMAP is enabled on your Exchange server
* Check the hostname, port, and encryption settings with your IT team
* Ensure your account has IMAP access permissions
* Try both TLS and STARTTLS encryption options

### Authentication errors

* Some Exchange servers require DOMAIN\username format instead of email
* Verify your password is correct
* Check if your account requires app-specific passwords

### Sync issues

* Large mailboxes may take time to fully sync
* Folders with special characters may not sync correctly
* Contact support if specific folders aren't appearing


# Microsoft Exchange FAQ

Common questions about Microsoft Exchange integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>What's the difference between Exchange and Office 365?</summary>

**Office 365** (now Microsoft 365) is Microsoft's cloud-based email service with OAuth authentication. It's the simpler option with more features like contact sync and calendar.

**Microsoft Exchange** in Missive refers to connecting via IMAP to on-premises Exchange servers or hosted Exchange that doesn't support OAuth. Use this when Office 365 OAuth isn't available.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why doesn't Missive support the Exchange protocol directly?</summary>

Exchange is a proprietary protocol that requires licensing from Microsoft. Missive uses IMAP instead, which most Exchange servers support and provides the same email sync functionality.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I know if my Exchange server supports IMAP?</summary>

Ask your IT administrator. Most modern Exchange deployments have IMAP enabled. They can provide the correct hostname, ports, and encryption settings.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Which option should I choose for my company's Exchange?</summary>

* **Office 365/Outlook.com accounts:** Use the [Office 365](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365) connection
* **On-premises Exchange server:** Use Microsoft Exchange (IMAP)
* **Hosted Exchange (not Microsoft 365):** Use Microsoft Exchange (IMAP)

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I sync contacts and calendar from Exchange IMAP?</summary>

No. Contact and calendar sync require OAuth integration, which is only available through the [Office 365 / Outlook](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365) connection.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What port and encryption should I use?</summary>

Common configurations:

**IMAP:**

* Port 993 with SSL/TLS (most common)
* Port 143 with STARTTLS

**SMTP:**

* Port 587 with STARTTLS (most common)
* Port 465 with SSL/TLS

</details>

<details>

<summary>My username format isn't working</summary>

Some Exchange servers require specific username formats:

* Email address: `user@company.com`
* Domain format: `DOMAIN\username`
* UPN format: `user@domain.local`

Check with your IT team for the correct format.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use Exchange with shared mailboxes?</summary>

Shared mailbox access via IMAP depends on your Exchange server configuration. Some setups allow it, others don't. For reliable shared mailbox support, use [Office 365 / Outlook](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365) with OAuth.

</details>


# iCloud

Connect iCloud Mail to Missive using app-specific passwords.

Connect your iCloud Mail account to Missive. iCloud requires an app-specific password for third-party apps like Missive - your regular Apple ID password won't work.

## Prerequisites

Before connecting your iCloud account, you need:

1. **Two-factor authentication enabled** on your Apple ID
2. **An app-specific password** generated for Missive

{% hint style="warning" %}
You cannot use your Apple ID password directly. Apple requires app-specific passwords for third-party mail apps.
{% endhint %}

## Generate an app-specific password

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Sign in to Apple ID**

Go to [appleid.apple.com](https://appleid.apple.com) and sign in with your Apple ID.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enable two-factor authentication**

If not already enabled, go to **Sign-In and Security** > **Two-Factor Authentication** and follow the setup.

See [Apple's guide on two-factor authentication](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204915) for details.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Generate app-specific password**

1. Go to **Sign-In and Security** > **App-Specific Passwords**
2. Click **Generate an app-specific password** (or the + button)
3. Enter a label like "Missive"
4. Copy the generated password

See [Apple's guide on app-specific passwords](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397) for details.

{% hint style="info" %}
Save this password somewhere safe. You'll need it to connect Missive and you won't be able to see it again.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select iCloud**

Under the **Email** tab, select **iCloud**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose import options**

Select how much email history to import:

* No history - start fresh
* 1 month to 10 years - recent emails only
* All history - everything (paid plans only)

Choose if this is a personal or shared account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter credentials**

Fill in your account details:

* **Display name:** How your name appears when sending
* **Email address:** Your iCloud email (@icloud.com, @me.com, or @mac.com)
* **Password:** Your app-specific password (NOT your Apple ID password)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Verify server settings**

Missive pre-fills the correct iCloud server settings:

**IMAP:**

* Hostname: `imap.mail.me.com`
* Port: `993`
* Encryption: SSL/TLS

**SMTP:**

* Hostname: `smtp.mail.me.com`
* Port: `587`
* Encryption: STARTTLS

These settings work for all iCloud email addresses (@icloud.com, @me.com, @mac.com).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure sidebar**

Choose how your labels appear in your sidebar:

* **Pin all labels** - All labels appear in a new sidebar section automatically.
* **I'll choose which labels to show** - Use the **+ More** button to add labels manually later.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

Click **Connect** to add your account. Missive will verify the connection and start syncing your email.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Sync behavior

Actions in Missive sync back to iCloud:

| Action in Missive    | Syncs to iCloud                  |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| New email in Inbox   | Yes                              |
| Email sent           | Yes - appears in Sent            |
| Email archived       | Yes - appears in Archive         |
| Email read/unread    | Yes                              |
| Label applied        | Yes - appears in matching folder |
| Email deleted        | Yes - appears in Trash           |
| Email marked as spam | Yes - appears in Junk            |
| Draft saved          | No                               |

## Contacts and Calendar

Missive does not sync contacts or calendar from iCloud. For those features, use your Mac or iOS device's native apps, or iCloud.com.

## Multiple iCloud addresses

If you have multiple iCloud email addresses (@icloud.com and @me.com, for example), they share the same mailbox. Connect once with your primary address.

To send from different addresses, configure aliases in iCloud Mail settings at [icloud.com/mail](https://www.icloud.com/mail).


# iCloud FAQ

Common questions about iCloud Mail integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Why can't I use my Apple ID password?</summary>

Apple requires two-factor authentication for all Apple IDs and mandates app-specific passwords for third-party email apps. This is a security measure to protect your account.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I create an app-specific password?</summary>

1. Go to [appleid.apple.com](https://appleid.apple.com)
2. Sign in and go to **Sign-In and Security** > **App-Specific Passwords**
3. Generate a new password labeled "Missive"

See [Apple's guide](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397) for detailed instructions.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I lost my app-specific password</summary>

You can't retrieve an existing app-specific password. Generate a new one at [appleid.apple.com](https://appleid.apple.com) and update your Missive account settings.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Which email address should I use?</summary>

Use whichever iCloud address you prefer:

* @icloud.com
* @me.com
* @mac.com

They all access the same mailbox.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send from my @me.com or @mac.com address?</summary>

Yes. Configure aliases in iCloud Mail settings at [icloud.com/mail](https://www.icloud.com/mail), then select the alias when composing in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why isn't my connection working?</summary>

Common issues:

* **Using Apple ID password:** You must use an app-specific password
* **Two-factor not enabled:** Enable it at [appleid.apple.com](https://appleid.apple.com)
* **Wrong email format:** Use your full iCloud email address
* **Expired app-specific password:** Generate a new one and reconnect

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I sync contacts and calendar?</summary>

No. Missive only syncs email from iCloud accounts. Use iCloud.com or your Apple devices for contacts and calendar.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I use my iCloud custom domain address?</summary>

Connect your iCloud account (@icloud.com or @me.com) and add the custom domain as an alias:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and select your iCloud account
2. In the **Aliases** section, click **+** and enter your custom domain address

You can now send emails from your custom domain. To make it the default sender, go to **Preferences** > **Composer** and change the default sender address.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does iCloud support shared mailboxes?</summary>

No. iCloud is designed for personal use and doesn't support shared mailbox features. For team email, consider Gmail with Google Workspace or Office 365.

</details>


# IMAP

Connect any IMAP email account to Missive. Works with most email providers.

Connect any email provider that supports IMAP to Missive. This includes providers like Fastmail, Zoho, and many others.

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select IMAP**

Under the **Email** tab, select **IMAP**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose import options**

Select how much email history to import:

* No history - start fresh
* 1 month to 10 years - recent emails only
* All history - everything (paid plans only)

Choose if this is a personal or shared account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter your credentials**

Fill in your account details:

* **Display name:** How your name appears when sending
* **Email address:** Your email
* **Password:** Your email password (or app-specific password if required)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure IMAP settings**

Enter your provider's IMAP server details:

* **Hostname:** e.g., imap.provider.com
* **Port:** Usually 993 for SSL/TLS or 143 for STARTTLS
* **Encryption:** SSL/TLS (recommended) or STARTTLS

Your username usually defaults to your email address.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure SMTP settings**

Enter your provider's SMTP server details:

* **Hostname:** e.g., smtp.provider.com
* **Port:** Usually 587 for STARTTLS or 465 for SSL/TLS
* **Encryption:** STARTTLS (recommended) or SSL/TLS
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure sidebar**

Choose how your labels appear in your sidebar:

* **Pin all labels** - All labels appear in a new sidebar section automatically.
* **I'll choose which labels to show** - Use the **+ More** button to add labels manually later.
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

Click **Connect** to add your account. Missive will verify the connection and start syncing.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Find your provider's IMAP/SMTP settings in their documentation. Search for "\[provider name] IMAP settings".
{% endhint %}

## Terminology

| IMAP                                 | Missive            | Notes                                   |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------ | --------------------------------------- |
| Folders                              | Labels / Mailboxes | Missive displays IMAP folders as labels |
| Special folders (Inbox, Sent, Trash) | System labels      | Automatically detected and aligned      |
| Server-side filters                  | Provider rules     | These run before Missive's rules        |

## History

When you connect an IMAP account, you choose how much history to import.

* Missive retains read/unread state and folder structure
* Special folders (Inbox, Sent, Trash, Drafts, Archive) sync automatically
* Paid plans allow importing unlimited history

You can change the amount of imported history anytime in **Settings** > **Accounts**.

## Contacts

IMAP does not provide contact syncing.

Missive only syncs contacts for providers with API support (Google, Microsoft). For IMAP-only providers, manage contacts outside Missive or import via CSV.

## Calendar

IMAP does not include calendars. CalDAV is not currently supported.

## Sharing and team workflows

Most IMAP servers don't support shared mailboxes like Gmail or Office 365. You can still create shared workflows:

1. Connect the IMAP account normally
2. Share the account with your team in **Settings** > **Accounts**
3. Convert it to a Team Inbox for collective triage

## Server-side rules

If your IMAP provider has server-side filtering:

* Server rules execute before Missive's rules
* Emails auto-filed by the server arrive in those locations in Missive
* Consider disabling server rules to avoid conflicts with Missive workflows

## Known limitations

IMAP behavior varies by provider. You may encounter:

* Slower syncing for large mailboxes
* Missing or non-standard special folders
* Connection throttling
* Limited mobile push notification support

Missive handles most IMAP conventions, but the experience depends on your provider's implementation.


# IMAP FAQ

Common questions about IMAP email integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Do you support ProtonMail account?</summary>

Unfortunately, you cannot connect ProtonMail accounts to Missive.

[As explained on this page](https://proton.me/support/protonmail-bridge-install), the way to use ProtonMail with desktop email apps is by installing the ProtonMail Bridge. This bridge is an application that must be installed on the same computer as the email app used to read and send emails (Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, etc).

In our case, Missive is a cloud application that runs on servers. Thus, it’s not possible for us to install and run the ProtonMail Bridge on our servers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you support Zoho email account?</summary>

Yes, you need to select the **IMAP** option after clicking to add your account in the **Accounts** section of Missive's preferences.

[See this page](https://www.zoho.com/mail/help/imap-access.html) for the IMAP / SMTP connection details you need to enter in Missive.

Depending on your Zoho settings -- notably Two Factor Authentication -- Zoho may refuse to connect your account to Missive with your main Zoho password. In such cases, you need to [generate an app-specific password](https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/bigin/channels/email/articles/generate-an-app-specific-password) for Missive instead of using your main account password.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I connect an AOL email account?</summary>

To connect an AOL account to Missive, you need to select the IMAP option when adding an account and use [AOL’s IMAP and SMTP details](https://help.aol.com/articles/how-do-i-use-other-email-applications-to-send-and-receive-my-aol-mail).

Also, you may be required to enable [two-step verification](https://help.aol.com/articles/2-step-verification-stronger-than-your-password-alone) on your AOL account and generate a [third-party app password](https://help.aol.com/articles/Create-and-manage-app-password) for Missive (instead of using your main AOL password).

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I connect a Yahoo email account?</summary>

To connect a Yahoo account to Missive, you need to select the IMAP option when adding an account and use [Yahoo’s IMAP and SMTP details](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/SLN4075.html).

Also, you may be required to enable [two-step verification](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/turn-two-step-verification-sln5013.html) on your Yahoo account and generate a [third-party app password](https://help.yahoo.com/kb/generate-third-party-passwords-sln15241.html) for Missive (instead of using your main Yahoo password).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I change the hostname of my IMAP or SMTP account?</summary>

Missive does not let you modify the hostname of an IMAP or SMTP account directly in the interface. Changing a hostname in-place is risky because the new hostname could point to a completely different email account, which would corrupt existing Missive conversations.

Contact <support@missiveapp.com> and tell us the new hostname you want to set for IMAP and/or SMTP, and which accounts are affected. Do not send your password -- only the hostname. We will check whether we can safely change the hostname in-place, or whether you'll need to connect the account as a new account instead.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Should I use IMAP or POP?</summary>

Use IMAP. POP is an older, more restricted protocol and we strongly recommend against it.

With IMAP, your emails are stored on the server and accessible from any device. POP downloads emails to a single device and removes them from the server, which means you lose access from other devices and risk losing emails if that device is lost or crashes.

IMAP also provides two-way synchronization: read/unread status, starred or flagged emails, and folder organization all stay in sync. POP supports none of this -- no folders, no state sync.

For the best experience, we recommend Google Workspace (Gmail) or Office 365 (Outlook), as these are the two email servers Missive is most deeply integrated with.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I fix the 'Mailboxes not configured' or 'Mailboxes not defined' error?</summary>

This error means your IMAP server has not defined folders for specific actions -- for example, a Trash folder to trash emails or an Archive folder to archive them.

The owner of the email account must open their Missive settings on the **Accounts** tab, select the account, select the **Mailboxes** tab and make sure there is a mailbox selected for each mailbox type (Archive, Sent, Trash and Spam). You may need to create a new mailbox if none are available.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is there a delay between my webmail and Missive?</summary>

Actions are synchronized between Missive and your webmail, but IMAP is an older protocol and this process can take time. It is normal for synchronization to take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is search slow or returning incomplete results for my IMAP account?</summary>

Search performance depends on your email service provider. Generic IMAP servers often have poor search capabilities compared to Gmail and Office 365. Some providers offer a setting to enable "search indexing," which helps, but it still may not match the quality of major providers.

Email clients like Outlook and Apple Mail feel faster because they download all emails to your device and search locally. Missive is a cloud-based collaboration tool, so everything is stored on our servers. For now, we rely on the search functionality provided by your email server. Gmail, Office 365, and Fastmail have excellent search; most other providers do not.

We do not have a timeline for indexing and searching emails on our own servers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Search with special characters or accents (diacritics) doesn't return results</summary>

Your mail server may not support UTF-8 in the IMAP protocol. Without UTF-8 support, Missive cannot send accented characters in search queries, so words like "Solución" or "Façade" may not return results.

The fix must be done on your email provider's side. Ask them to enable UTF-8 support by advertising either `IMAP4REV2` or `UTF8=ACCEPT` in the server's IMAP capabilities.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I improve IMAP search performance?</summary>

The IMAP extension that can significantly improve search speed is `SEARCH=FUZZY` ([RFC 6203](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc6203)). Few independent email providers support it by default.

Fastmail supports it and offers search performance comparable to Gmail and Office 365.

Some web hosting providers run Dovecot -- the most popular IMAP server software -- which supports `SEARCH=FUZZY` since version 2.1, but the extension must be manually enabled. If your host uses Dovecot, you can ask them to enable fuzzy search support. The following Dovecot documentation pages are useful references to share with them:

* [IMAP server configuration](https://doc.dovecot.org/configuration_manual/protocols/imap_server/)
* [Full-text search (FTS) configuration](https://doc.dovecot.org/configuration_manual/fts/)

You can also find a list of supported IMAP extensions at [imapwiki.org/Specs](https://imapwiki.org/Specs).

If search quality is a priority, switching to Gmail, Office 365, or Fastmail will give you the best results.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my IMAP email account disconnected from Missive?</summary>

Missive disconnects your email account(s) if it cannot connect to your server for 30 consecutive minutes. If this is a temporary issue, you just need to click Reconnect on the yellow banners to open the Credentials settings panel, then click Reconnect. This will attempt to reconnect your accounts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens if I change my IMAP account password?</summary>

Changing your IMAP account password outside of Missive means Missive can no longer authenticate with your mail server. The account will show as disconnected.

To reconnect:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select your account
3. Click **Reconnect account**
4. Enter your new password and click **Reconnect**

For providers that require app-specific passwords (Yahoo, AOL, Zoho), generate a new app password and use that instead of your main account password.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I get an invalid SSL / TLS certificate error when trying to add my email account, what should I do?</summary>

If you receive this error when adding your email account:

> Your SSL / TLS certificate is invalid, so Missive can’t establish a secure IMAP connection. If this is not a concern to you, choose “none” under Encryption.

It means you probably have an expired certificate or a self-signed certificate. You can contact [support@missiveapp.com](mailto:support@missiveapp.com?body=Hello%20Missive%20Team%2C%20%0A%0D\&subject=Invalid%20SSL%20certificate) to know why your certificate is invalid.

**Expired certificate**

If your server’s SSL/TLS certificate is expired you should contact your certificate authority to get a new one.

**Self-signed certificate**

Missive currently refuses to connect to IMAP servers with a self-signed certificate, because if we allowed it, it would mean our connections to users’ IMAP servers wouldn’t actually be secure. A self-signed certificate can be generated by anyone, so if our algorithm accepted any self-signed certificate, it means our connection to your server could be intercepted by a hacker who could swap your certificate for theirs, and Missive wouldn’t notice because it accepts anybody’s self-signed certificate. Simply put: someone could read your email data over our connection to your server, and neither us or you would notice.

{% hint style="info" %}
If a server’s SSL/TLS certificate is self-signed, it is not signed by a recognized certificate authority. This is often the case on default server installations.
{% endhint %}

However, people using a self-signed certificate and not planning on purchasing an authority-signed one for their IMAP server is something common. To remain secure by default while supporting this setup, what email applications usually do when people connect an IMAP account is:

1. First, refuse to accept a self-signed certificate
2. Show a warning to the user
3. Offer the user a checkbox that says “Allow the use of my self-signed certificate”
4. If checked, the setting will be remembered for this user only

The procedure above is exactly what we plan to do. We have no ETA yet, but we will offer support for self-signed certificates at some point.

Note that if the above isn’t a concern to you, you should be able to successfully import your IMAP account by choosing “none” as the Encryption method. Same for SMTP.

</details>


# Spam and blocking

Block unwanted senders and manage spam across all your email accounts.

Missive has built-in blocking that works across all email account types (Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, etc.). You can block specific email addresses or entire domains.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Mark as spam** is only available for email accounts you own or shared accounts you have a delegated access to. It is not available when you are mentioned in someone else's private email.
{% endhint %}

## Blocking senders

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Select the conversation from the unwanted sender**
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Click Mark as spam**

From the toolbar or right-click menu.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose your blocking option**

* **Block the specific address** (e.g., `sender@example.com`)
* **Block the entire domain** (e.g., all emails from `@example.com`)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Click Block**

Future emails from blocked addresses or domains are automatically marked as spam.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
The domain blocking option is not available for popular email providers like Gmail or Outlook to prevent accidental broad blocks.
{% endhint %}

## Unblocking senders

To unblock a sender, find an email from the blocked sender in your spam folder and click **Mark as not spam**.

## Accessing spam

To view emails marked as spam:

1. Click **+ More** in the left sidebar
2. Select **Main Section**
3. Click **Spam** to pin it to your sidebar

You can then click the Spam mailbox to view all spam emails.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you're looking for a "Junk" folder, Missive calls it **Spam**.
{% endhint %}


# Spam FAQ

Common questions about spam, email filtering, and domain authentication.

## Incoming spam

<details>

<summary>Does Missive filter spam?</summary>

No. Missive does not perform any spam filtering. All spam filtering happens at your email server level, before emails ever reach Missive.

This is by design -- your spam filter works regardless of what email app or device you use, so you get consistent filtering everywhere.

The trade-off is that filtering quality varies by provider. Gmail and Office 365 have highly sophisticated spam filters. Generic IMAP servers tend to have much weaker filtering. If spam is a persistent problem on a generic IMAP server, switching to Google Workspace or an established provider like Fastmail would give you significantly better filtering.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Legitimate emails are being marked as spam -- what can I do?</summary>

Missive does not control spam filtering -- that happens on your email server. When you click **Mark as not spam** in Missive, it moves the email out of your Spam folder so your server can hopefully learn from it, but this does not always work on generic IMAP servers.

If your server is too aggressive and keeps flagging legitimate emails, you have a few options:

* **Disable spam filtering on your server.** This is usually doable through your provider's webmail interface or admin settings.
* **Create a rule in Missive** to automatically mark emails as not spam. For example: condition is **From - is a past recipient**, action is **Mark as not spam**. This ensures emails from people you've corresponded with never get buried in spam.
* **Notify the sender.** Sometimes the issue is on the sender's end -- their email server is misconfigured and their emails get flagged as spam by many recipients, not just you.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Legitimate emails are being marked as spam (Office 365)</summary>

Missive does not perform any spam filtering. The filtering happens on your Office 365 server before emails reach Missive.

When you click **Mark as not spam** in Missive, it moves the email out of your Spam folder so Office 365 can hopefully learn from it -- but sometimes it does not stick, and adding the sender as a contact is not enough either.

The most reliable fix is to add the sender to your **Safe Senders** list via the Outlook web interface. Emails from safe senders bypass the spam filter entirely.

{% hint style="info" %}
If a sender's emails keep getting flagged as spam, the issue is often on their end -- a misconfigured mail server that triggers spam filters for many recipients. Letting the sender know can help them fix the root cause.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>Legitimate emails are being marked as spam (Gmail)</summary>

Missive does not perform any spam filtering. The filtering happens on Gmail before emails reach Missive.

When you click **Mark as not spam** in Missive, it moves the email out of your Spam folder so Gmail can hopefully learn from it -- but sometimes it does not stick.

The most reliable fix is to create a Gmail filter for the sender's address or domain that applies **Never send it to Spam**. You can set this up in Gmail's filter settings.

{% hint style="info" %}
If a sender's emails consistently land in spam, the issue is often on their end -- a misconfigured mail server that triggers spam filters broadly, not just for you. Letting the sender know can help them fix the root cause.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are my emails going to Gmail spam folders?</summary>

Missive cannot see why Gmail marks emails as spam. This information is not available to third-party apps.

To find out why, you need to check directly on Gmail.com:

Open the spam folder on Gmail.comGo to Gmail.com (not Missive) and open the Spam folder.Open the email and look for the noticeOpen the email in question and look for the grey or red notice at the top.Important: Check this before anyone clicks "Mark as Not Spam" anywhere (Missive, Gmail, etc.). Marking it as not spam removes the diagnostic notice.Review the reasonThe notice explains why Gmail classified the email as spam. Common reasons include:Domain authentication failures (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)Content pattern matchesUser reports from similar emailsSending patterns

For general deliverability troubleshooting, see [Email deliverability](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/email-deliverability).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Gmail says it couldn't verify my domain - what does this mean?</summary>

If recipients see "Gmail couldn't verify that \[domain.com] actually sent this message" when they receive your emails, your domain is missing an SPF record.

**Fix this:**

Check if your domain has an SPF recordUse an SPF lookup tool to check if your domain has an SPF record.If no SPF record exists, continue to the next step.Add an SPF record to your domain's DNSAdd this TXT record to your domain's DNS:v=spf1 include:\_spf.google.com \~allHow to add the record:Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.)Find the DNS management sectionAdd a new TXT record with the SPF value aboveSave the changesDNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, though it usually happens faster.Configure DKIM and DMARC for even better resultsSee Google's help documentation on email authentication for detailed instructions on setting up DKIM and DMARC.

For more information on email authentication, see [Email deliverability](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/email-deliverability).

</details>

## Outgoing spam

<details>

<summary>Why are emails I send from Missive landing in recipients' spam folders?</summary>

There is no single answer -- spam filters consider dozens of signals, and Missive has no visibility into why a specific recipient's server flagged your email.

Common causes include:

* **Email authentication issues** -- missing or misconfigured SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records on your domain
* **Email content** -- certain phrases, formatting, or attachments that trigger spam filters
* **SMTP configuration issues** -- problems with your sending server's reputation

The best way to diagnose this is to use an email deliverability testing tool. These services give you a test email address to send to, then analyze your email and report on anything that could hurt your deliverability -- authentication, content, sending infrastructure, and more.

For more on email authentication setup, see [Email deliverability](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/email-deliverability).

</details>

<details>

<summary>My signature has a large image -- could that be causing spam issues?</summary>

Yes. A signature image that is visually small but has a large file size can trigger spam filters. Spam filters look at the raw file size, not how it appears on screen.

To fix this, scale the image down using a desktop or online image editor to reduce its actual file size, then replace the image in your signature. Aim for the smallest file size that still looks good at the size it will be displayed.

</details>

## Managing spam

<details>

<summary>How can I access my Spam folder in Missive?</summary>

To view emails marked as spam:

1. Click **+ More** in the left sidebar
2. Select **Main Section**
3. Click **Spam** to pin it to your sidebar

You can then click the Spam mailbox to view all spam emails.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you're looking for a "Junk" folder, Missive calls it **Spam**.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I empty the Spam folder?</summary>

Missive lets you select up to 100 conversations at a time. If you have more than that in your Spam folder, you cannot empty it all at once from within Missive. For a bulk cleanup, clear the folder directly from your email provider's web interface (Gmail.com, Outlook.com, etc.).

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens to blocked senders when an organization member is removed?</summary>

When you remove a member from your organization, their blocked senders are preserved at the organization level -- as long as those senders were blocked in the context of conversations linked to the organization (e.g., emails sent to a shared account).

The blocked senders remain in effect for the organization even after the member is gone.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I remove a sender from the organization block list?</summary>

Any member of the organization can unblock a sender. Find an email from the blocked sender in the Spam folder and click **Mark as not spam** (or remove the spam label). This removes the sender from the organization's block list for everyone.

</details>


# Email deliverability

Improve email deliverability with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC configuration.

Emails landing in spam? Want to ensure your messages reach recipients? This guide explains how email authentication works with Missive and how to maintain good deliverability.

## How Missive sends emails

Missive acts as an email **client**, not a **server**. When you send an email through Missive, it goes through your email provider's SMTP server using the credentials you provided when connecting your account.

This is exactly how traditional email clients work (Apple Mail, Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird). The difference is that Missive operates in the cloud to enable team collaboration.

**What this means:**

* You don't configure SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records specifically for Missive
* Your email provider handles all authentication
* Deliverability depends on your domain and email provider configuration
* Issues are usually related to your domain's DNS records, not Missive itself

## Email authentication basics

Three DNS records determine whether your emails are trusted by recipient servers.

### SPF (Sender Policy Framework)

SPF tells receiving servers which mail servers are allowed to send emails from your domain.

**Why it matters:** Without a valid SPF record, your emails are much more likely to land in spam or be rejected entirely. This is the most common cause of deliverability issues.

**How to set it up:**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Contact your email hosting provider**

Ask your email hosting provider or IT team for the SPF record value for your domain.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add a TXT record to your DNS**

Log in to your domain registrar or DNS hosting provider (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, Namecheap, etc.) and add the SPF record as a TXT record.

For Gmail/Google Workspace:

```
v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all
```

For other providers, the `include:` part will be different based on your email server.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Verify your SPF record**

Use an [SPF record checker](https://mxtoolbox.com/spf.aspx) to confirm your domain has a valid SPF record.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, proving they came from your domain and haven't been tampered with.

**How to set it up:**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Request your DKIM record**

Contact your email hosting provider and request your DKIM DNS record (usually a TXT record).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add it to your DNS**

Add the DKIM record to your domain's DNS settings.

Some hosting providers offer a one-click setup option in their control panel.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication)

DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM, telling receiving servers what to do when authentication fails.

Set this up after you have SPF and DKIM working. DMARC is optional but recommended for better deliverability.

## Diagnosing deliverability issues

If your emails are landing in spam or not being delivered, use Mail Tester to diagnose the problem.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Get a temporary test address**

Go to [Mail Tester](https://www.mail-tester.com/) and copy the temporary email address shown.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Send a test email**

Send a test email from Missive to the Mail Tester address. Use the same content and sending address you're having issues with.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Review your diagnosis**

Click the link Mail Tester provides to see your score and detailed results.

Mail Tester checks:

* SPF, DKIM, DMARC configuration
* Content quality
* IP reputation
* Email formatting
* Spam triggers
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Follow the recommendations**

Mail Tester will show specific issues and how to fix them. Most issues relate to missing or incorrect DNS records.

If you need help understanding the results, send the report link to <support@missiveapp.com>.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## DNS propagation timing

After adding or updating SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records:

* Changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate globally
* Most changes take effect within a few hours
* Test your configuration with [Mail Tester](https://www.mail-tester.com/) after 2-4 hours

## IP address whitelisting

Some email providers and corporate firewalls require you to whitelist IP addresses for third-party email clients.

If your IT administrator or email hosting provider asks for Missive's IP addresses, provide this complete list. These are all IP addresses that Missive uses to connect to outside servers (IMAP, SMTP, APIs, MCPs).

### Global

```
34.225.82.230
35.169.119.22
35.170.20.232
44.205.86.208
50.19.195.90
52.200.230.40
52.207.174.201
54.205.47.14
54.235.68.71
100.29.148.139
107.23.138.182
```

### Asia / Pacific

```
13.201.161.208
13.238.137.175
54.251.158.174
```

### Europe

```
15.188.192.95
18.135.169.252
51.20.148.86
54.247.159.27
```

### South America

```
54.94.55.61
54.232.217.132
```

### US / Canada

```
3.98.31.195
3.99.69.237
15.156.105.122
15.222.57.53
15.223.17.48
18.190.12.187
18.190.172.14
18.191.103.174
18.216.35.59
18.224.226.78
52.10.128.84
52.53.135.85
```

{% hint style="info" %}
Whitelisting all addresses ensures reliable use of Missive with no interruptions as Missive may use different IPs based on your region and for redundancy.
{% endhint %}

## Marketing emails and newsletters

Don't send high-volume marketing emails through your regular SMTP server (whether using Missive or any other email client).

**Why:** SMTP servers aren't designed for bulk sending. High volumes hurt deliverability for all your emails, including regular business correspondence. Your emails may start landing in spam.

**Use instead:** Dedicated email marketing services like Mailchimp, SendGrid, or Mailgun. These services are designed for bulk sending and handle authentication and reputation management.

## Provider-specific issues

Some deliverability issues are specific to your email provider:

* **Gmail/Google Workspace:** See [Gmail FAQ](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/faq) for Gmail-specific spam diagnosis and SPF setup
* **Office 365/Outlook:** See [Outlook FAQ](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365/faq) for "Access denied" errors and IP whitelisting
* **Other providers:** See [IMAP FAQ](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/imap/faq) for general IMAP server issues

## Getting help

### Contact your email provider if:

* You need help setting up SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records
* You're unsure what values to use for your DNS records
* You need DNS hosting credentials
* Your hosting provider manages both DNS and email delivery

### Contact your IT team if:

* You don't have access to DNS settings
* Your company has a dedicated IT department
* You need approval for DNS changes
* Your firewall requires IP whitelisting

### Contact Missive support if:

* Mail Tester shows issues with Missive's sending IP
* You need help interpreting Mail Tester results
* You suspect a Missive-specific issue

Email us at <support@missiveapp.com> and include your Mail Tester report link if you have one.


# Other channels

Connect SMS, WhatsApp, social media, live chat, and voice to Missive.

Beyond email, Missive connects to SMS, social media, voice, live chat, and custom channels. Bring all your customer conversations into one place.

## Supported channels

### Messaging

| Channel                                                                      | Description                                                           |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [SMS](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms)             | Send and receive text messages through Twilio, SignalWire, or Dialpad |
| [WhatsApp](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp)   | Connect directly to WhatsApp Business Platform                        |
| [Live Chat](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat) | Embed a chat widget on your website                                   |

### Social

| Channel                                                                                               | Description                                          |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| [Messenger Business](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/social/messenger-business) | Messages from your Facebook Page                     |
| [Instagram Business](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/social/instagram-business) | Direct messages from your Instagram Business account |

### Voice

| Channel                                                                        | Description                                |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| [Aircall](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/voice/aircall) | View call logs, voicemails, and recordings |
| [Dialpad](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/voice/dialpad) | See calls, voicemails, recordings, and SMS |

### Custom

| Channel                                                                                  | Description                         |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| [Custom channels](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/custom-channels) | Build your own integrations via API |


# SMS

Send and receive SMS in Missive with Twilio, SignalWire, or Dialpad.

Send and receive text messages in Missive through your business phone number. SMS conversations appear alongside your email, chat, and other channels.

## Supported providers

* [**Twilio**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms/twilio-sms)**:** Most popular, pay-as-you-go pricing
* [**SignalWire**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms/signalwire-sms)**:** Lower costs, similar features to Twilio
* [**Dialpad**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms/dialpad-sms)**:** Includes voice and SMS in one platform

All three providers let you rent a new phone number or port your existing one.

## Features

**Two-way messaging**

Send and receive SMS directly in Missive.

**Team collaboration**

Share SMS accounts with your team, assign conversations, add internal comments.

**MMS support**

Send and receive images and media (varies by provider and region).

**Contact matching**

Messages from known contacts show their name and history.

**Rules and automation**

Apply the same workflow rules to SMS as email.

## Choosing a provider

| Provider   | Best for                     | Pricing                 |
| ---------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| Twilio     | Most use cases, global reach | Pay per message         |
| SignalWire | Cost-conscious teams         | Lower per-message rates |
| Dialpad    | Teams also needing voice     | Monthly subscription    |

## Quick start

1. Create an account with your chosen provider
2. Purchase or port a phone number
3. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account**
4. Click the **Others** tab
5. Select your SMS provider
6. Enter your credentials and phone number

See individual provider pages for detailed setup instructions.


# Twilio SMS

Connect Twilio SMS to Missive for team text messaging.

Connect your Twilio phone number to send and receive SMS in Missive.

## Prerequisites

* A [Twilio account](https://www.twilio.com)
* A phone number purchased from Twilio

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Get your Twilio credentials**

1. Log in to the [Twilio Console](https://www.twilio.com/console)
2. Find your **Account SID** and **Auth Token** on the right side of the dashboard

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/z4a9nAqTotJr1PpueTwK" alt="Twilio console showing Account SID and Auth Token" width="1020"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Get your phone number**

1. In Twilio Console, go to **Phone Numbers** > **Manage** > **Active Numbers**
2. Copy your phone number including the country code (e.g., +1 555-123-4567)

If you don't have a number yet, click **Buy a Number** to purchase one.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add account in Missive**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Twilio SMS**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **SMS by Twilio**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter credentials**

Fill in your Twilio details:

* **Account SID:** e.g., AC3hj2a7nj3bdde93...
* **Auth Token:** Your secret auth token
* **Phone number:** Your Twilio number with country code (e.g., +1 555-123-4567)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

Click **Connect** to add your Twilio SMS account.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Features

* Send and receive SMS and MMS
* Team collaboration with assignments and comments
* Contact matching with your organization contacts
* Rules and automation support

## Billing

Twilio charges per message sent and received. See [Twilio SMS pricing](https://www.twilio.com/sms/pricing) for current rates.


# SignalWire SMS

Connect SignalWire SMS to Missive for affordable team messaging.

Connect your SignalWire phone number to send and receive SMS in Missive. SignalWire offers competitive pricing compared to other SMS providers.

## Prerequisites

* A [SignalWire account](https://signalwire.com)
* A phone number purchased from SignalWire

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Get your SignalWire credentials**

1. Log in to the [SignalWire Dashboard](https://signalwire.com/signin)
2. Find your **Space URL**, **Project ID**, and **API Token**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/DjgjsFe8F34jxYIFtqr2" alt="SignalWire dashboard showing credentials" width="1124"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Get your phone number**

1. In SignalWire Dashboard, go to **Phone Numbers**
2. Copy your phone number including the country code

If you don't have a number yet, purchase one from the Phone Numbers section.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add account in Missive**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select SignalWire SMS**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **SMS by SignalWire**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter credentials**

Fill in your SignalWire details:

* **Space URL:** e.g., yourspace.signalwire.com
* **Project ID:** e.g., a7fe7f39-6d96-420d...
* **API Token:** Your secret API token
* **Phone number:** Your SignalWire number with country code (e.g., +1 555-123-4567)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

Click **Connect** to add your SignalWire SMS account.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Features

* Send and receive SMS and MMS
* Team collaboration with assignments and comments
* Contact matching with your organization contacts
* Rules and automation support

## Billing

SignalWire charges per message. See [SignalWire pricing](https://signalwire.com/pricing) for current rates.


# Dialpad SMS

Connect Dialpad SMS to Missive for business text messaging.

Connect your Dialpad account to send and receive SMS in Missive. Dialpad provides business phone and messaging in one platform.

## Prerequisites

* A [Dialpad account](https://www.dialpad.com)
* A phone number assigned in Dialpad

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Dialpad**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Dialpad**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Sign in with Dialpad**

Click **Connect with Dialpad**. A Dialpad sign-in window opens.

1. Enter your Dialpad credentials
2. Review and grant the requested permissions
3. Complete the authorization
   {% endstep %}
   {% endstepper %}

## Features

**SMS and MMS**

Send and receive text messages.

**Call logs**

See incoming, outgoing, and missed calls.

**Voicemail**

Access voicemail recordings.

**Team collaboration**

Share with your team, assign conversations, add comments.

## What syncs

| Data         | Syncs to Missive |
| ------------ | ---------------- |
| Incoming SMS | Yes              |
| Outgoing SMS | Yes              |
| Call logs    | Yes              |
| Voicemails   | Yes              |
| Recordings   | Yes              |

## Billing

Dialpad includes SMS in their subscription plans. See [Dialpad pricing](https://www.dialpad.com/pricing) for current rates.


# SMS FAQ

Common questions about SMS integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I have the same phone number for Twilio, Aircall and WhatsApp?</summary>

Yes, it’s possible. You will need to purchase a phone number on Twilio and [redirect its SIP trunk to Aircall](https://support.aircall.io/hc/en-gb/articles/10375356158109-SIP-Trunking-Using-your-Twilio-Numbers-with-Aircall). This enables calls via Aircall.

For WhatsApp, you need to add the number as your sender in the Twilio WhatsApp integration.

This way, you can use the same number for calls, SMS, and WhatsApp messages (WhatsApp calls are not supported).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I import my mobile phone SMS in Missive?</summary>

No. Missive cannot integrate with regular mobile phone numbers from carriers like AT\&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.

Missive is a cloud service that communicates with providers like Gmail, Office 365, and Twilio over the Internet. Mobile carriers don't provide open protocols or documented APIs that would allow third-party services like Missive to access SMS messages the way we can with email servers.

To use SMS in Missive, you need a new phone number from a service provider:

* [Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/)
* [SignalWire](https://signalwire.com/)
* [Dialpad](https://missiveapp.com/integrations/dialpad)

These services provide phone numbers that work through Internet APIs. Your team sends and receives texts through Missive, but to recipients it appears like regular texting. This setup is commonly used by companies offering customer support through SMS.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I import past SMS history from Twilio or SignalWire?</summary>

When you connect an SMS account to Missive, only new messages received or sent after connecting will appear. Past SMS history is not automatically imported like it is with email accounts.

However, you can import historical SMS messages using the Missive API. The messages will be imported as **posts** to conversations, not as native SMS messages. This means they'll appear in Missive with the sender's name, but you'll still be able to respond to new messages normally.

**Key requirements when using the API:**

Use the `/posts` endpoint with these important parameters:

* `created_at` - Unix timestamp of when the SMS was originally sent/received
* `references` - Array with concatenated phone numbers in format `["+1222333444+1555666777"]` where both numbers (To and From) are sorted alphabetically and concatenated. This ensures new SMS messages from that contact appear in the same conversation as the imported history.

For technical details, see the API documentation for creating posts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send an SMS to multiple recipients at once?</summary>

Yes, it is possible with both Twilio and SignalWire SMS accounts. It's important to know that a separate message will be sent to each recipient.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send links in SMS?</summary>

Yes, supposing you're using our Twilio SMS integration. You simply need to copy and paste the link to the body of the SMS. The receiving party should be able to click on it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can users unsubscribe or stop receiving my SMS messages?</summary>

If you are using the Twilio integration, they can simply reply STOP, STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, or QUIT to any of your SMS. No new messages will be sent to their phone number.

They will receive the next message: "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe."

</details>

<details>

<summary>How should I configure Twilio Studio with Missive?</summary>

To receive your Twilio SMS in multiple applications (e.g. Missive) you need to use Twilio Studio and create two different webhooks: One webhook to Missive, and one to another software.

**Here's how you can configure your first Webhook to Missive:**

Create a Flow in Twilio Studio: Go to Twilio Studio and create a new flow. Give it a name that's easily identifiable.

1. Trigger Widget: Your flow begins with a Trigger widget, which is the entry point for incoming messages.
2. HTTP Request Widget for Missive: Add an HTTP Request widget to your flow. Configure this widget with the following settings:

   **Request URL**: <https://callback.missiveapp.com/twilio>

   **Request Method**: Choose POST.

   **Content Type**: Set to application/json.

   **Request Body**: Insert the following JSON structure:

   ```
   {
     "SmsSid": "{{trigger.message.MessageSid}}",
     "SmsMessageSid": "{{trigger.message.MessageSid}}",
     "ToState": "{{trigger.message.ToState}}",
     "From": "{{trigger.message.From}}",
     "MessageSid": "{{trigger.message.MessageSid}}",
     "AccountSid": "{{trigger.message.AccountSid}}",
     "ToCity": "{{trigger.message.ToCity}}",
     "FromCountry": "{{trigger.message.FromCountry}}",
     "ToZip": "{{trigger.message.ToZip}}",
     "FromCity": "{{trigger.message.FromCity}}",
     "To": "{{trigger.message.To}}",
     "FromZip": "{{trigger.message.FromZip}}",
     "ToCountry": "{{trigger.message.ToCountry}}",
     "Body": "{{trigger.message.Body}}",
     "NumMedia": "{{trigger.message.NumMedia}}",
     "FromState": "{{trigger.message.FromState}}"
   }
   ```
3. Connect the Trigger to the HTTP Request Widget: Link the incoming trigger to the Missive HTTP Request widget.

**Configuring the Second Webhook for Another Service:**

1. **Add Another HTTP Request Widget**: Add a second HTTP Request widget for the other service.
2. **Configure the Second Widget**: Input the necessary webhook URL and format for the second service. Ensure the method, content type, and request body are correctly set up as per the second service's specifications.

**Link Widgets Appropriately:**

1. **Sequential Processing**: Link the Missive widget to the second service's widget for sequential processing.
2. **Parallel Processing**: Link the Trigger widget directly to both HTTP Request widgets for simultaneous processing.
3. **Save and Publish**: After setting up, save the flow and publish it.
4. **Assign to a Phone Number**: In the Twilio console, assign this Studio Flow to handle incoming messages for your chosen phone number.

This approach should successfully configure two SMS webhooks for one phone number, with one being Missive, in Twilio Studio.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to block SMS numbers?</summary>

There is no out-of-the-box option, but it is possible to create an incoming SMS rule that matches a [contact group](https://missiveapp.com/features/contacts). The group can be named Blocked numbers, and the rule could trash the conversation. (Screenshot of the rule below)

To block a number, simply add it to the contact group Blocked numbers.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/mSXkCbupRutYVuLrlXDK" alt="Rule to block SMS number" width="600"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to import an SMS (SignalWire) account?</summary>

Missive needs your Project ID, Space Url and API Token, plus your phone number. All fields are available in your [SignalWire dashboard](https://signalwire.com/signin).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/DjgjsFe8F34jxYIFtqr2" alt="Image showing how to import an SMS SignalWire account" width="1124"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to import an SMS (Twilio) account?</summary>

Missive needs your Twilio SID and Auth Token, plus your phone number. Both SID and Auth Token should be available in your [Twilio console page](https://www.twilio.com/console). Look for them on the right side of your screen.

Still from the console, you can access your Phone Numbers by the “three dots” button in the sidebar. It should be under the Super Network category. Here’s the [link](https://www.twilio.com/console/phone-numbers/incoming) in case you can’t find it. From there, you should have the option to buy a number. Once bought, that is the full number you will need to enter back on Missive. Don’t forget to enter the country code as well (your number should start with a plus + sign).

<figure><img src="/files/z4a9nAqTotJr1PpueTwK" alt="Image showing how to import an SMS Twilio account" width="1020"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to send group texts or SMS?</summary>

You can send SMS to Contact **groups** and/or **organizations**. When doing this, a separate message will be sent to each recipient.

[Contacts](https://missiveapp.com/features/contacts) can be grouped into both organizations and groups:

* Organizations are typically used to map a group of related contacts (businesses). Each contact in an organization can have a title, department, and location.
* Groups are used to group unrelated contacts.

To quickly send an SMS to everyone in a group or organization, simply search for the group or organization name in the To field of your message draft.

Bulk SMS is capped at 100 phone numbers per message. If your group has more than 100 contacts, split it into smaller groups before sending.

**Note that it is not possible to send group SMS** (i.e. an SMS to multiple recipients simultaneously in one single conversation). Twilio actually limited access to the group MMS feature as of [March 15, 2022](https://www.twilio.com/changelog/limitation-to-group-mms).

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does MMS mean?</summary>

MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. Unlike text-only SMS, MMS can include graphic elements such as videos, images, audio, etc. Our Twilio integration allows you to send MMS messages.

You must use an MMS-enabled Twilio phone number. This service is currently available in the US and Canada.

</details>


# WhatsApp

Connect WhatsApp Business to Missive for team messaging.

Connect your WhatsApp Business account to Missive through our native Meta integration. Scale your support team without sharing mobile devices - everyone can collaborate on WhatsApp conversations directly in Missive.

<figure><img src="/files/FSy4c8yW5Fb3A8kK7bK5" alt="" width="597"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Prerequisites**

Before connecting, you need:

* A [Meta Business Account](https://business.facebook.com)
* Business verification completed with Meta
* Compliance with WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select WhatsApp Business**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **WhatsApp Business**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect with WhatsApp**

Click **Connect with WhatsApp**. A Meta sign-in window opens.

1. Sign in with your Meta Business account
2. Select or verify your WhatsApp Business phone number
3. Grant the required permissions
4. Complete the authorization
   {% endstep %}
   {% endstepper %}

For detailed setup instructions, see the [WhatsApp setup guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/setup).

## Key benefits

**Direct Meta Integration**

Connect directly to the WhatsApp Business Platform without third-party providers.

**Multiple Phone Numbers**

Manage multiple WhatsApp Business phone numbers from a single Meta Business Account.

**Team Collaboration**

Work together on WhatsApp conversations with assignments, comments, and shared drafts.

**Message Templates**

Send approved templates to initiate conversations or reply outside the 24-hour window.

**Media Support**

Send and receive images, videos, documents, and other media types.

**Contact Management**

Automatically match WhatsApp contacts with your existing Missive contacts.

## Billing

Meta bills directly for WhatsApp Business Platform usage. Missive does not charge additional fees for WhatsApp.

## Resources

* [WhatsApp setup guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/setup)
* [Message templates](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/templates)
* [WhatsApp customer support tutorial](https://missiveapp.com/blog/use-whatsapp-for-customer-support)


# Setup

Step-by-step WhatsApp Business setup guide for Missive.

Connect your WhatsApp Business account to Missive through Meta's WhatsApp Business Platform.

## Prerequisites

Before starting, you need:

* **Meta Business Account:** [Create one](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1710077379203657?id=180505742745347) if you don't have one
* **Business verification:** Your Meta Business Account must be verified. [Learn how to verify](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/2058515294227817?id=180505742745347)
* **WhatsApp Business Policy compliance:** Your business must comply with [WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy](https://business.whatsapp.com/policy)

## Connect your account

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select WhatsApp Business**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **WhatsApp Business**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Sign in to Meta**

Log in with your Meta Business Account credentials, or click **Continue as \[name]** if already logged in.

<figure><img src="/files/XOU781NxHzA9vTyMSkpX" alt="WhatsApp login screen" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Review permissions**

Review the permissions Missive needs and click **Get started**.

<figure><img src="/files/AF1raH32aTljDZHx51Jn" alt="WhatsApp permissions screen" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter business details**

Fill in your business information and click **Next**.

<figure><img src="/files/IMlvbjGJu0aZwBlurpIL" alt="Business information form" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select or create WhatsApp Business Account**

Choose an existing WhatsApp Business Account or create a new one, then click **Next**.

<figure><img src="/files/RShzy1o77b6pO7x8gW3A" alt="Select WhatsApp Business Account" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

If creating a new account, fill in your business details when prompted.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Confirm access**

Review Missive's access request and click **Continue**.

<figure><img src="/files/1ustSoq9EPM3f4gKVjcO" alt="Access confirmation" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Verify your phone number**

Enter the phone number you want to use for WhatsApp Business. Choose verification by text message or phone call.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you don't receive the text message code, try the phone call option. Verification texts sometimes get blocked.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add payment method (optional)**

Meta bills directly for WhatsApp Business Platform usage. You can add a payment method now or later.

<figure><img src="/files/oItMsyovqL5voVsZ547L" alt="Setup complete" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Done**

Your WhatsApp number is now connected to Missive. New messages will appear in your inbox.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Next steps

* [Message templates](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/templates) for initiating conversations
* [WhatsApp FAQ](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/faq) for common questions


# Templates

Create and manage WhatsApp message templates in Missive.

WhatsApp message templates are pre-approved messages that let you contact customers outside the 24-hour messaging window. Use them for appointment reminders, order updates, and starting new conversations.

## Why templates?

WhatsApp only allows businesses to send free-form messages within 24 hours of a customer's last message. After that, you must use an approved template.

Templates are useful for:

* Starting new conversations with customers
* Re-engaging after the 24-hour window closes
* Sending notifications and reminders
* Appointment confirmations

## Create a template in Meta

Templates must be created and approved in Meta Business Manager before you can use them in Missive.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open WhatsApp Manager**

1. Log in to [Meta Business Manager](https://business.facebook.com/)
2. Navigate to your WhatsApp Business Account
3. Go to **WhatsApp Manager** > **Message Templates**
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create template**

Click **Create Template** and fill in:

* **Category:** Choose what type of message this is
* **Language:** Select the language
* **Name:** Internal name for the template
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add content**

Build your template with:

* **Header (optional):** Text, image, video, or document
* **Body:** Main message text
* **Footer (optional):** Small text at the bottom
* **Buttons (optional):** Call-to-action or quick reply buttons

Use positional variables like `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, `{{3}}` for personalization.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Important:** WhatsApp templates require positional variables (`{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, etc.), not named variables like `{{Name}}` or `{{customer_name}}`. Using named variables will cause errors when sending templates from Missive.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Submit for approval**

Review your template and submit it to WhatsApp for approval. This usually takes a few hours to a day.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Approval tips:**

* Keep templates professional and clear
* Avoid promotional language in transactional templates
* Follow WhatsApp's [template guidelines](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/whatsapp/message-templates/guidelines/)
  {% endhint %}
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Use in Missive**

Once approved, templates automatically sync to Missive and are ready to use.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Send a template in Missive

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open the template picker**

**For new conversations:**

1. Click the new message button
2. Select **New WhatsApp Message**
3. Enter the recipient's phone number
4. Click the template icon in the composer

**For existing conversations:**

1. Open the conversation
2. Click the template icon in the composer
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select a template**

Choose the template you want to send from the list.

<figure><img src="/files/bEge8U505fydXne17ULZ" alt="Template selection" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Fill in variables**

If your template has variables, enter values for each one. Preview how the message will appear.

<figure><img src="/files/bfASBht6LLeKUDVKq09P" alt="Template variables" width="514"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Send**

Review your message and click **Send Template**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Auto-fill variables

Missive can automatically fill these variables when contact data is available:

| Variable              | Value                   |
| --------------------- | ----------------------- |
| `{{recipient.name}}`  | Contact's full name     |
| `{{recipient.email}}` | Contact's email address |
| `{{recipient.phone}}` | Contact's phone number  |
| `{{user.name}}`       | Your full name          |
| `{{user.email}}`      | Your email address      |

Other variables must be filled in manually when sending.


# WhatsApp FAQ

Common questions about WhatsApp integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I initiate new WhatsApp conversations?</summary>

Yes, you can start new conversations with contacts who've opted in to receive WhatsApp messages from you. You must use an approved WhatsApp message template for these initial messages.

Remember: sending unsolicited messages can hurt your business's quality rating, and Meta might take action against your account. Only message users who've explicitly opted in to receive WhatsApp messages from your business.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What types of messages can I send on WhatsApp?</summary>

With Missive's WhatsApp integration, you can send:

* Text messages
* Images, videos, and documents
* Location information
* Contact cards

All message types are subject to WhatsApp's guidelines and limitations. For rich media like images and videos, there are file size restrictions that apply.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I make WhatsApp voice calls in Missive?</summary>

No. When using Missive's WhatsApp integration, you're on the WhatsApp Business Platform, which doesn't support WhatsApp voice calls. Your number can still be used for regular phone calls and SMS outside of WhatsApp.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send and receive WhatsApp Voice Notes?</summary>

This is not possible at the moment, but you can [upvote this feature request](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/p/ability-to-send-and-receive-voice-notes-on-whatsapp).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I separate WhatsApp messages from a conversation?</summary>

Missive cannot separate WhatsApp messages from the same contact into different conversations. Similar to your phone, all messages from a single contact will be in one conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send or receive WhatsApp group messages?</summary>

No. Missive's WhatsApp integration does not support WhatsApp group messaging. The integration requires technical work to enable group support and is not available at this time.

If you need WhatsApp group messaging, you can vote for this feature on the [Missive roadmap](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/p/send-and-receive-messages-from-whatsapp-groups).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use an existing number and use it for WhatsApp?</summary>

Yes, you can import an existing phone number in Twilio, then use it with the WhatsApp integration. Please note that this is a long process (up to 4 weeks). It is commonly known as porting.

[Learn more about the porting process](https://support.twilio.com/hc/en-us/articles/223179348-Porting-a-Phone-Number-to-Twilio).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use multiple phone numbers with WhatsApp?</summary>

Yes! You can connect multiple phone numbers to Missive using a single Meta Business Account. Your Meta account can access multiple WhatsApp Business Accounts, each supporting multiple phone numbers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I assign WhatsApp conversations to team members?</summary>

In Missive, WhatsApp conversations can be assigned just like any other conversation:

1. Select the conversation you want to assign
2. Click the assignment button or use keyboard shortcuts
3. Choose the team member or group to assign it to

You can also set up rules to automatically assign WhatsApp conversations based on criteria like customer information, message content, or time of day. This helps ensure timely responses within WhatsApp's 24-hour window.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is WhatsApp Business?</summary>

WhatsApp offers two business solutions:

* ❌ **WhatsApp Business App**: A free mobile app for small businesses that runs on your phone. Missive doesn't integrate with this app.
* ✅ **WhatsApp Business Platform**: A paid service for medium to large businesses that need to manage WhatsApp conversations at scale. Missive integrates directly with this platform.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use both the WhatsApp Business app and Missive on the same number?</summary>

No. When you connect a phone number to the WhatsApp Business Platform (which is how Missive's integration works), Meta disables the WhatsApp Business App on that number. Running both simultaneously on the same number - known as coexistence mode - is not currently supported in Missive.

If you need this capability, upvote this [feature request](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/p/support-whatsapp-co-existence) to support its future implementation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I set up my WhatsApp Business profile?</summary>

Your WhatsApp Business profile is what customers see when they interact with your business. To set it up:

1. Log into your Meta Business Manager account
2. Navigate to the WhatsApp Manager section
3. Select your phone number
4. Add your business name, description, address, website, email, and profile picture

A complete, professional profile helps build customer trust. You can update your profile information at any time through Meta Business Manager.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How does WhatsApp billing work?</summary>

Meta bills customers directly for WhatsApp Business Platform usage. You'll need to enter your credit card information in your Meta Business Account to pay for:

* Business-initiated conversations (template messages)
* User-initiated conversations (24-hour customer service window)
* Additional services like WhatsApp Business verified accounts

Pricing varies by country and conversation type. Missive doesn't handle any WhatsApp billing - all charges come directly from Meta.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a time limit for responding on WhatsApp?</summary>

Yes. WhatsApp gives you 24 hours to respond to customer messages. If you try to reply after this window, you'll see an error.

To reply after 24 hours, you'll need to use approved WhatsApp message templates. Check out our [Templates guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/templates) for details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send a template with a media header?</summary>

No. Missive does not support supplying a media header (image, video, or document) when sending a WhatsApp template. If your template has a media header component defined in Meta Business Manager, there's no way to attach that file through Missive when triggering the template.

If you need this capability, you can submit a feature request on the Missive feedback page so others can upvote it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why am I getting "needs display name approval before message can be sent" error?</summary>

This error comes from Meta, not Missive, and the wording is misleading. It usually points to two things on the Meta side:

* **Business Verification isn't complete.** This is the main blocker. Until Meta verifies your business, WhatsApp keeps the number in a restricted state and won't let you send free-form messages.
* **The display name is still provisional.** Even if the number shows a green **Connected** badge in WhatsApp Manager, that badge only reflects the connection status, not display name approval. The name can read as set while WhatsApp's underlying status is still "display name has not been approved yet."

To fix both, complete **Business Verification** in **Meta Business Suite** > **Settings** > **Security Center**. Once your business is verified, Meta approves the display name and raises your messaging limit automatically. Nothing needs to change in Missive: the moment Meta lifts the restriction, your replies go through.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why am I getting "Number of parameters does not match" error?</summary>

This error occurs when your WhatsApp template uses named variables instead of positional variables.

**Problem:** Template created with `{{Name}}`, `{{customer_name}}`, or similar named variables.

**Solution:** Edit your template in Meta Business Manager to use positional variables like `{{1}}`, `{{2}}`, `{{3}}` instead. After updating your template, submit it for re-approval by WhatsApp.

For example, change `Hi {{Name}}, thanks for your message` to `Hi {{1}}, thanks for your message`.

WhatsApp requires positional variables for all templates to work correctly with Missive.

</details>


# Social

Connect Instagram and Facebook Messenger to Missive for team social messaging.

Connect your business social accounts to Missive and handle Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct messages alongside your email. Your team can collaborate on social messages with assignments, comments, and shared drafts.

## Supported platforms

* [**Messenger Business**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/social/messenger-business)**:** Messages from your Facebook Page
* [**Instagram Business**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/social/instagram-business)**:** Direct messages from your Instagram Business or Creator account

Both integrations use Facebook/Meta OAuth and require a Facebook Page.

## Why connect social accounts?

**Unified inbox**

See Messenger and Instagram DMs next to email, SMS, and other channels.

**Team collaboration**

Assign conversations, add comments, share drafts. No more "who's handling this?"

**Organization contacts**

Messages from the same person across channels appear in their contact profile.

**Rules and automation**

Apply the same workflow rules to social messages as email.

## How it works

Social messages appear as conversations in Missive. You can:

* Reply directly from Missive
* Assign conversations to team members
* Add internal comments
* Apply labels
* Use canned responses

{% hint style="info" %}
Missive only receives new messages. Existing message history from before you connected is not imported.
{% endhint %}

## Limitations

* **New messages only:** Historical messages before connection aren't imported
* **Business accounts required:** Personal Facebook/Instagram accounts aren't supported
* **Facebook Page required:** Both Messenger and Instagram require connection through a Facebook Page
* **Some message types:** Certain interactive message types (stories mentions, reactions) may have limited support


# Messenger Business

Connect Facebook Messenger to Missive for team customer support.

Connect your Facebook Page's Messenger to Missive. Receive and reply to customer messages from your Page's inbox directly in Missive.

## Prerequisites

* A Facebook Page (not a personal profile)
* **Admin** access to the Page (Editor isn't enough to add a Page)
* Facebook account with permissions to manage the Page

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open account settings

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Select Messenger Business

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Messenger Business**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Choose sharing options

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Connect with Facebook

Click **Connect with Facebook**. A Facebook login window opens.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Authorize Missive

1. Log in to your Facebook account
2. Select the Facebook Page you want to connect
3. Grant the requested permissions for Messenger access
4. Complete the authorization
   {% endstep %}
   {% endstepper %}

## Features

**Receive messages**

New Messenger conversations from your Page appear in Missive.

**Reply from Missive**

Send replies directly without switching to Facebook.

**Team collaboration**

Assign conversations, add comments, use shared drafts.

**Contact profiles**

See the customer's name and profile photo. Messages from the same person appear in their contact history.

**Labels and rules**

Organize Messenger conversations with labels and automate workflows with rules.

## Supported message types

**Direct messages**

Standard text messages and attachments (images, videos, files).

**Reactions**

When someone reacts to a message, the reaction appears as a new message in the thread containing the emoji.

**Message deletions**

If the sender deletes a message on their end, it's also removed in Missive.

## Limitations

* **New messages only:** Existing Messenger history isn't imported
* **Page messages only:** Personal Facebook messages aren't supported
* **7-day window:** Facebook limits third-party apps like Missive to sending replies within 7 days of the customer's last message. After this window closes, reply directly on Facebook, Messenger, or Meta Business Manager
* **Some message types:** Certain interactive elements like games or complex attachments may not display fully

## Multiple Pages

Connect multiple Facebook Pages by repeating the setup process. Each Page appears as a separate account in Missive.

## Disconnecting

To disconnect Messenger:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select the Messenger account
3. Click **Delete account**

This removes the connection from Missive. To fully revoke access, also remove Missive from your Facebook Page's Business Integrations settings.


# Instagram Business

Connect Instagram Business to Missive for team DM management.

Connect your Instagram Business or Creator account to Missive. Receive and reply to Instagram Direct messages alongside your other conversations.

## Prerequisites

* An Instagram Business or Creator account (not a personal account)
* A Facebook Page connected to your Instagram account
* Admin access to both the Instagram account and Facebook Page

{% hint style="info" %}
Instagram Direct integration requires a connected Facebook Page because Meta manages Instagram business permissions through Facebook.
{% endhint %}

## Convert to Business or Creator account

If you have a personal Instagram account, convert it first:

1. Open Instagram and go to **Settings**
2. Select **Account** > **Switch to professional account**
3. Choose **Business** or **Creator**
4. Follow the prompts to connect a Facebook Page

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Instagram Business**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Instagram Business**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect with Facebook**

Click **Connect with Facebook**. A Facebook login window opens.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Authorize Missive**

1. Log in to your Facebook account (the one linked to your Instagram)
2. Select the Instagram account you want to connect
3. Grant the requested permissions for Instagram Direct access
4. Complete the authorization
   {% endstep %}
   {% endstepper %}

## Features

**Receive DMs**

New Instagram Direct messages appear in Missive.

**Reply from Missive**

Send replies directly without switching to Instagram.

**Team collaboration**

Assign conversations, add comments, use shared drafts.

**Contact profiles**

See the customer's Instagram username and profile photo.

**Labels and rules**

Organize Instagram conversations with labels and automate workflows with rules.

**Media support**

View images and videos sent by customers.

## Supported message types

All of these message types appear within the same DM conversation thread with the contact -- they don't create separate conversations.

**Direct messages**

Standard text messages and attachments (images, videos, files).

**Story replies**

When someone replies to your Instagram story, it appears with a "Replied to your story" label linking back to the story, followed by their reply text.

**Story mentions**

When someone mentions your account in their Instagram story, it appears as "Mentioned you in their story" with a link to the story.

**Reel shares**

When someone shares an Instagram Reel in a DM, it appears with a "Shared \[reel title]" label linking to the reel.

**Reactions**

When someone reacts to a message, the reaction appears as a new message in the thread containing the emoji.

**Message deletions**

If the sender deletes a message on their end, it's also removed in Missive.

## Limitations

* **New messages only:** Existing Instagram DM history isn't imported
* **Business/Creator accounts only:** Personal Instagram accounts aren't supported
* **7-day window:** Instagram limits third-party apps like Missive to sending replies within 7 days of the customer's last message. After this window closes, reply directly on Instagram or Meta Business Manager
* **Some features:** Voice messages, disappearing messages, and some interactive content may have limited support

## Multiple accounts

Connect multiple Instagram accounts by repeating the setup process. Each account appears separately in Missive.

## Disconnecting

To disconnect Instagram:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select the Instagram account
3. Click **Delete account**

To fully revoke access, also remove Missive from your Instagram's **Settings** > **Security** > **Apps and websites**.


# Social FAQ

Common questions about Instagram and Messenger integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I import my personal Facebook messages?</summary>

No. Facebook only allows third-party apps to manage messages sent to Facebook Pages. Personal messages aren't accessible. You connect your personal Facebook account only to access the list of Pages you manage.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I connect a Facebook Page?</summary>

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account**
2. Select **Messenger Business**
3. Connect your personal Facebook account
4. Select the Page you want to import

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4djrNBZGBK6YAZZCR9Ql" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

No past history is imported. Only new messages after connecting will appear.

Looking to delete a Messenger account? See [How do I disconnect a social account?](#how-do-i-disconnect-a-social-account)

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I connect an Instagram account?</summary>

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account**
2. Select **Instagram Business**
3. Connect your personal Facebook account
4. Select the Instagram account you manage

No past message history is imported. Only new messages after connecting will appear.

Looking to delete an Instagram account? See [How do I disconnect a social account?](#how-do-i-disconnect-a-social-account)

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why do I need a Facebook Page for Instagram?</summary>

Meta manages Instagram business integrations through Facebook. Even if you only want Instagram DMs, you need a Facebook Page connected to your Instagram Business account.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I connect my personal Instagram account?</summary>

No. Only Instagram Business or Creator accounts are supported. Convert your personal account to a professional account in Instagram settings.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why don't my messages appear in Missive?</summary>

No past history is imported. Only new messages after connecting appear.

If new messages still don't appear, your inbox may be configured as a "Secondary Receiver" (often due to a chatbot). To fix:

1. Open [facebook.com](https://www.facebook.com/)
2. Click your Facebook Page on the left
3. Click **Settings** > **Advanced Messaging**
4. Click **Configure** next to **Messenger receiver** or **Instagram receiver**
5. Change options until they all show **Select**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/MRAAuRA55QL604yyK8Eg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/YFoFhx4LzofEUu8PBVCr" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

If issues persist, revoke Missive from Facebook **Business integrations** settings and reconnect.

For Instagram, enable "Allow Access to Messages" in the Instagram mobile app.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What's the 7-day messaging window?</summary>

Facebook and Instagram limit third-party apps like Missive to sending replies within 7 days of the customer's last message. After this window closes, Missive can't send replies until the customer messages again.

If you need to reply after the window has closed, you can do so directly on Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, or Meta Business Manager.

This is a Meta policy, not a Missive limitation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send the first message to a customer?</summary>

No. On Messenger and Instagram, businesses can only respond to customers who message first. You cannot initiate conversations.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I block someone on Messenger?</summary>

Ban them from your Facebook Page:

1. Log in to your Facebook Page
2. Go to Inbox
3. Select the contact
4. Click the 3-dot menu
5. Click **Ban from page**

Banned people can't post, comment, or send messages. They won't be notified.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "Unsupported message - View on Instagram" mean?</summary>

The Instagram API doesn't provide all message types. Some messages show this placeholder because Instagram sends it instead of the actual content.

This is an Instagram limitation, not Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do reactions and emoji responses work?</summary>

Yes. Emoji reactions to messages are supported and appear in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I share a Messenger conversation with my team?</summary>

Yes. Connect the account as a shared account, or share individual conversations using Missive's standard sharing features.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What permissions does Missive need?</summary>

Missive requests permissions to:

* Read messages sent to your Page/Instagram
* Send messages on behalf of your Page/Instagram
* Access basic Page/account information

These are the minimum permissions required to receive and reply to messages.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I connect multiple Pages or Instagram accounts?</summary>

Yes. Repeat the connection process for each Page or Instagram account. Each appears as a separate account in Missive.

Use the **Add account** flow each time, not the **Reconnect** button. Reconnect only refreshes the permissions of the Page that's already connected, so nothing changes when you're trying to add a new one.

When Meta prompts you, make sure to tick the additional Page(s) you want. By default Meta often pre-selects only the previously connected Page, so you have to explicitly enable the new ones.

</details>

<details>

<summary>New Pages don't appear when I try to add another account</summary>

If Meta keeps redirecting you back to Missive without showing the new Pages, Facebook is usually reusing your previous app authorization instead of prompting fresh. Try these in order:

1. Revoke Missive from Facebook's **Business Integrations** settings (**Settings & Privacy** > **Settings** > **Business Integrations**), then run **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account** > **Messenger Business** again. Meta should now prompt you with the full list of Pages to tick.
2. Click **Refresh pages and accounts** on the existing Messenger account in **Settings** > **Accounts**.
3. Try the flow from a different browser or your phone. A cached Meta session on desktop can block the prompt where mobile gets through.

Also confirm the Pages are Business Pages and that your Facebook user has the **Admin** role on them. Editor access isn't enough to add a Page.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I disconnect a social account?</summary>

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select the Facebook account you want to remove
3. Before deleting, you may need to delete the connected Pages and Instagram accounts first. If required, this will be shown in the account settings.
4. In the Delete account section, click **Delete**

Also remove Missive from your Facebook Business Integrations or Instagram Apps and Websites settings.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my account showing as disconnected?</summary>

Facebook/Instagram tokens can expire or be revoked if:

* You changed your Facebook password
* You removed Missive's access in Facebook settings
* Facebook's security systems flagged unusual activity

Reconnect the account in **Settings** > **Accounts**.

</details>


# Voice

Connect phone systems to Missive for call logging and voicemail.

Connect your business phone system to Missive. See call logs, voicemails, and recordings alongside your other conversations.

## Supported platforms

* [**Aircall**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/voice/aircall)**:** Cloud phone system for teams
* [**Dialpad**](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/voice/dialpad)**:** Business phone and messaging platform

Both integrations use OAuth for secure authentication.

## Why connect voice accounts?

**Complete communication history**

See calls alongside emails, SMS, and chat in one place.

**Contact context**

When viewing a contact, see their full communication history including calls, voicemails, and recordings.

**Team visibility**

Shared voice accounts let your team see call activity and collaborate on follow-ups.

**Workflow integration**

Use rules to automatically label or assign conversations based on call activity.

## What syncs to Missive

| Data            | Aircall | Dialpad |
| --------------- | ------- | ------- |
| Incoming calls  | Yes     | Yes     |
| Outgoing calls  | Yes     | Yes     |
| Missed calls    | Yes     | Yes     |
| Voicemails      | Yes     | Yes     |
| Call recordings | Yes     | Yes     |
| SMS messages    | No      | Yes     |

## Limitations

* **Aircall:** View call logs via the account connection. Enable the Aircall **integration** to make calls directly in Missive.
* **Dialpad:** View call logs and SMS via the account connection. Enable the Dialpad **integration** to make calls directly in Missive.
* **SMS:** Dialpad includes SMS; for Aircall SMS use Twilio integration.


# Aircall

Connect Aircall to Missive for call history and voicemail in your inbox.

Connect your Aircall phone system to Missive. See incoming calls, missed calls, voicemails, and recordings alongside your other conversations.

## Prerequisites

* An Aircall account with admin access
* Active Aircall phone numbers

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Aircall**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Aircall**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team visibility, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect with Aircall**

Click **Connect with Aircall**. An Aircall login window opens.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Authorize Missive**

1. Log in to your Aircall account
2. Review the permissions requested
3. Click **Authorize** to complete the connection
   {% endstep %}
   {% endstepper %}

## What syncs to Missive

**Call logs**

Incoming, outgoing, and missed calls appear as conversations.

**Voicemails**

Voicemail messages appear with audio playback.

**Recordings**

Call recordings are accessible within conversations.

**Contact matching**

Calls from known contacts are linked to their contact profile.

## Features

**Call history**

See a complete log of calls for each phone number.

**Voicemail playback**

Listen to voicemails directly in Missive.

**Team collaboration**

Assign call follow-ups, add comments, share with team members.

**Contact context**

View calls alongside emails and messages from the same contact.

**Labels and rules**

Organize call activity with labels and automation.

## Aircall account vs. Aircall integration

Missive has two separate Aircall connections with different purposes:

**Aircall account (connected account)**

Set up in **Settings** > **Accounts**. Saves call logs, voicemails, and recordings as conversations in Missive. This is what the steps above configure.

**Aircall integration**

Set up in **Settings** > **Integrations**. Lets you make calls via your Aircall number directly inside Missive, without switching to the Aircall app.

Both can be active at the same time. Most teams use both: the account for call history and the integration for dialing.

## Limitations

**No SMS**

Aircall SMS isn't included. Use [Twilio SMS](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms) for text messaging.

**Sync delay**

Call data syncs after the call ends, not in real-time.

## Multiple numbers

Connecting Aircall syncs activity from all phone numbers in your Aircall account. Individual numbers appear in the call details.


# Dialpad

Connect Dialpad to Missive for unified voice and messaging.

Connect your Dialpad phone system to Missive. See calls, voicemails, recordings, and SMS messages alongside your other conversations.

## Prerequisites

* A Dialpad account with admin access
* Active Dialpad phone numbers

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Dialpad**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Dialpad**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team visibility, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect with Dialpad**

Click **Connect with Dialpad**. A Dialpad login window opens.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Authorize Missive**

1. Log in to your Dialpad account
2. Review the permissions requested
3. Click **Authorize** to complete the connection
   {% endstep %}
   {% endstepper %}

## What syncs to Missive

**Call logs**

Incoming, outgoing, and missed calls appear as conversations.

**Voicemails**

Voicemail messages appear with audio playback.

**Recordings**

Call recordings are accessible within conversations.

**SMS messages**

Text messages sent and received through Dialpad.

**Contact matching**

Activity from known contacts is linked to their contact profile.

## Features

**Unified communications**

See calls and SMS in one place.

**Voicemail playback**

Listen to voicemails directly in Missive.

**SMS conversations**

Read and reply to Dialpad SMS from Missive.

**Team collaboration**

Assign follow-ups, add comments, share with team members.

**Contact context**

View all Dialpad activity alongside emails and other messages.

**Labels and rules**

Organize activity with labels and automation.

## SMS in Missive

Dialpad SMS messages appear as conversations. You can:

* View incoming SMS
* Reply to SMS from Missive
* See SMS history for each contact

{% hint style="info" %}
For dedicated SMS features with more providers, see [SMS channels](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms).
{% endhint %}

## Making calls

To make and receive calls directly in Missive, enable the **Dialpad integration** in addition to connecting your Dialpad account.

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **Dialpad** to enable it.

With the integration enabled:

* Click the phone icon on a contact or conversation to start a call
* Incoming calls ring in Missive when the app is open
* Calls connect through your Dialpad number

{% hint style="info" %}
The Dialpad **account** (this page) syncs call logs and SMS. The Dialpad **integration** enables making calls from Missive.
{% endhint %}

## Multiple numbers

Connecting Dialpad syncs activity from your assigned Dialpad numbers. Individual numbers appear in the conversation details.


# Live Chat

Add a live chat widget to your website and handle conversations in Missive.

Add a chat widget to your website and handle conversations in Missive. Live chat is perfect for time-sensitive support and sales questions.

Messages from your website appear instantly in Missive alongside email, SMS, and other channels. Route them to a Team Inbox or individual inboxes.

## How to connect

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Create a Twilio account**

Missive Live Chat uses [Twilio Conversations API](https://www.twilio.com/messaging/conversations-api). [Sign up for Twilio](https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio) if you don't have an account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Get your Twilio credentials**

1. Log in to the [Twilio Console](https://www.twilio.com/console)
2. Find your **Account SID** and **Auth Token** on the dashboard
   {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Live Chat**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Live Chat by Twilio**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account. For team collaboration, choose **Yes, share this account** and select the users or Team Inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enter credentials**

Fill in your Twilio details:

* **Account SID:** e.g., AC3hj2a7nj3bdde93...
* **Auth Token:** Your secret auth token
* **Chat service name:** A name for this chat (appears in Missive and Twilio, cannot be changed later)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Connect**

Click **Connect** to create your Live Chat account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Install the widget**

After connecting, follow the [setup guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat/setup) to add the chat widget to your website.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Billing

You pay Twilio directly for usage. Under 200 active chats per month is free. Above that, see [Twilio Conversations pricing](https://www.twilio.com/messaging/pricing/conversations-api).

## Features

### Identify visitors & authenticate users

You decide whether you want your visitors to identify themselves (name, email address) or use the chat anonymously.

<figure><img src="/files/9uchQbsgSsJHa0nHSIWv" alt="Chat authentication" width="320"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Your signed-in users can be authenticated automatically so they don't have to enter their name and email address. Authenticated users will appear as verified in Missive. See the [setup guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat/setup) for authentication instructions.

### One-to-many

One chat can be handled by one or many support employees, either simultaneously or at different times.

Let's say, for example, a customer wants to know why she hasn't received a product she ordered through your website.

A support employee takes the chat, but things turn sideways, and now the customer wants a refund. Instead of telling the customer that he will pass the request to the appropriate team, he @mentions the Finance team, they immediately get access to the chat and refund the customer. The customer leaves happy with the swift response.

<figure><img src="/files/Xq0YWPPpGWjUYJ4peKDF" alt="Chat one to many" width="621"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Fits your branding

The chat widget is highly customizable. The chat's floating button will live in harmony with your website's look and feel. See the [setup guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat/setup) for customization options.

<figure><img src="/files/9mvTLrrnNt3gDSfeCFZy" alt="Chat Schedule" width="720"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Se habla español, or any other language

Is your website not in English? No problem, you can change (or translate) the text of the widget to anything you want.

<figure><img src="/files/0VxspCLHJi9M1Ofo5tzf" alt="Chat Schedule" width="620"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Schedules

With Missive Live Chat, you can have an online / offline status based on your team's presence in Missive or via a pre-defined schedule. You will never let a customer guessing whether you're there to respond or not.

<figure><img src="/files/lLl5X627x88lBA5j2tmS" alt="Chat Schedule" width="620"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### File exchange

Both you and the user can easily attach images, PDFs, and other files in the chat. A screenshot is worth a thousand words ;)

<figure><img src="/files/aacBVs0JnpDNoaLJUQGp" alt="Chat Schedule" width="320"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Automation

Harness the power of Missive and create automation rules to do actions or send messages when they match specific conditions. For example, when outside of business hours, let the system send a courtesy message to customers, letting them know you'll be back tomorrow.

<figure><img src="/files/VUWiQogdUplYIsAOkrLP" alt="Chat Schedule" width="680"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Read status

With read status, you always know if someone has read a message or not. This comes in handy when the customer no longer responds, but you want to see if they got the message.

<figure><img src="/files/Is8J5wVbaXnSnbnCuEO4" alt="Read status" width="580"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Automatic email follow up

Make sure your customers always get their answers! When configured to do so, anytime an answer is unread after a configured amount of time, Missive will send a summary of the conversation to the visitor's email address to make sure they see it.

<figure><img src="/files/84dJZTXnbCVorhqz3bP7" alt="Automatic email follow up" width="709"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Attach and display meta data

Missive Live Chat messages can include data to provide information about the person currently chatting with you. This data is displayed in the Contacts sidebar and will use the last message data.

<figure><img src="/files/MzX0j7BtVrnaEeKogk7p" alt="Messages Meta data" width="350"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Emojis!

I mean, who doesn't enjoy Emojis in a virtual conversation.

<figure><img src="/files/WkRMHRxAGs8x1uH2URdL" alt="Chat Schedule" width="320"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


# Setup

Install the Missive chat widget on your website.

Missive Live Chat works on top of Twilio’s [Conversations API](https://www.twilio.com/messaging/conversations-api). Before creating your chat account, you first need to [sign up](https://www.twilio.com/try-twilio) for a Twilio account to get your Twilio credentials.

Once it's done, head over to your **Accounts** settings on Missive and add a **Missive Live Chat** account.

### Get your Twilio credentials

Both your Account SID and Auth Token are available in your Twilio dashboard page:

<div data-with-frame="true"><img src="/files/nbn8v8PTKpSsMz5ffMdu" alt="Locate your SID and Auth Token on Twilio dashboard"></div>

### Install on your website

To install the chat on your website, select the **Setup** page where you can copy the HTML code snippet that you need to paste into your website.

<div data-with-frame="true"><img src="/files/d6e0c055ee1ec930193b6e254348f0a71c687ca2" alt="Missive Live Chat setup"></div>

### Customization

#### Configuration

Here’s an example of all the available options and their default value. Most of them can be set from the **Setup** page of your Missive Live Chat account settings and will be instantly applied to all your chat widget instances.

If an option is set both from your Setup page and in your HTML, the HTML one will be used.

{% code title="missive-chat-config.html" %}

```html
<!-- Missive Chat -->
<script>
  (function(d, w) {
    w.MissiveChatConfig = {
      id: '[MISSIVE-CHAT-ACCOUNT-ID]',
      chat: {
        position: 'bottom-right',
        hidden: false, // When true, Missive Live Chat can be opened with JS API only
        name: "", // Defaults to your Missive Live Chat account username on Missive
        avatarUrl: "", // Defaults to your Missive Live Chat account avatar on Missive
        hideWhenOffline: false,
        hideBranding: false, // Only works on Productive and Business plans
        showOnlineStatus: true,
        showAvatars: true,
        showNames: true,
        rememberOpenState: true, // Automatically open the chat widget if it was open when the user last visited the page
        variables: {
          'background-color': '#fff',
          'badge-background-color': '#f23131',
          'badge-border-radius': '100%',
          'badge-box-shadow': '0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0, .2)',
          'badge-color': '#fff',
          'badge-size': '24px',
          'border-color': 'rgba(0,0,0, .05)',
          'border': 'solid 1px rgba(0,0,0, .06)',
          'box-shadow': '0 5px 30px rgba(0,0,0, .1)',
          'bubble-dark-color': 'var(--main-color)',
          'bubble-light-color': '#f5f5f5',
          'button-border-radius': '10em',
          'close-button-color': '#fff',
          'closed-border-radius': '30px',
          'font-family': '-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"',
          'font-size': '15px',
          'header-opened-background-color': 'var(--main-color)',
          'header-subtitle-text-color': 'rgba(255,255,255, .65)',
          'header-title-text-color': '#fff',
          'height': '600px',
          'light-text-color': '#7b7c7f',
          'main-color': '#2866D1',
          'margin': '20px',
          'max-height': 'calc(100% - 40px)',
          'max-width': 'calc(100% - 40px)',
          'opened-border-radius': '10px',
          'status-connecting-color': '#fdd157',
          'status-offline-color': '#f23131',
          'status-online-color': '#00b351',
          'text-color': '#34363a',
          'transition-duration': '225ms',
          'transition-easing': 'cubic-bezier(.4, .0, .2, 1)',
          'width': '350px',
        },
      },

      // Upon connection issues, visitors are invited to contact you through these channels.
      // It will be added after the `messages.error` message.
      support: {
        email: "",
        phone: "",
      },

      // See “Identify and verify users” section in your Missive Live Chat account Setup page.
      user: {
        email: "",
        name: "",
        digest: "",
        avatarUrl: "",
      },

      visitor: {
        askName: true,
        requireName: false,
        askEmail: true,
        requireEmail: true,
        requireConsent: false,
      },

      // Attach custom data to messages
      meta: {},

      messages: {
        // Chat messages (string or array of strings)
        //
        // - Each string will appear in its own chat bubble
        // - URLs are clickable (i.e. 'On our website: https://missiveapp.com')
        // - Links can be formatted (i.e. 'On our {{ link:https://missiveapp.com website }}')
        welcome: "Hi there! 👋\n\nThe team will reply as soon as possible.",
        help: "How can we help?",
        identify: "First, identify yourself.",
        error: "Sorry, there is an issue connecting to our chat. Please check your Internet connection and try again.",

        // UI messages (string only)
        title: "Chat with us",
        online: "We’re online",
        offline: "We’re offline",
        connecting: "Connecting…",
        chat: "Message…",
        newMessage: "New message!",
        newMessages: "New messages!",
        internet: "Can’t send messages offline.",
        identifyName: "Name",
        identifyEmail: "Email",
        identifySubmit: "Submit",
        identifySkip: "Skip",
        identifyRequired: "Required field",
        identifyThanks: "Thanks",
        identifyConsent: "I accept this website privacy policy and terms of use.",
      },
    };

    var s = d.createElement('script');
    s.async = true;
    s.src = 'https://webchat.missiveapp.com/' + w.MissiveChatConfig.id + '/missive.js';
    if (d.head) d.head.appendChild(s);
  })(document, window);
</script>
<!-- /Missive Chat -->
```

{% endcode %}

#### JavaScript API

Missive Live Chat provides a JS API to let you programatically interact with the widget on your website.

It is required to wrap any usage of `window.MissiveChat` inside or after the `onReady` callback that you can define on your configuration object.

{% code title="missive-chat-api.html" %}

```html
<!-- Missive Chat -->
<script>
  (function(d, w) {
    w.MissiveChatConfig = {
      id: '[MISSIVE-CHAT-ACCOUNT-ID]',
      onReady: function() {
        // Automatically opens the chat widget
        w.MissiveChat.open()
      },
      onVisitorIdentified: function({ name, email }) {},
      onChatStarted: function({ name, email }) {},
      onNewMessage: function(body) {},
      onOpen: function() {},
      onClose: function() {},
    };

    var s = d.createElement('script');
    s.async = true;
    s.src = 'https://webchat.missiveapp.com/' + w.MissiveChatConfig.id + '/missive.js';
    if (d.head) d.head.appendChild(s);
  })(document, window);
</script>
<!-- /Missive Chat -->
```

{% endcode %}

| Method                             | Description                                                                                                                                                                   |
| ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `open()`                           | Opens the chat widget popup window.                                                                                                                                           |
| `close()`                          | Closes the chat widget popup window.                                                                                                                                          |
| `showButton()`                     | Shows the chat widget button. This doesn’t open the chat widget popup window, it only applies to the chat button.                                                             |
| `hideButton()`                     | Hides the chat widget button. This doesn’t close the chat widget popup window, it only applies to the chat button. Set `chat: { hidden: true }` in config to hide by default. |
| `setUser({ name, email, digest })` | Identify a logged in user. See “Identify and verify logged-in users” documentation below.                                                                                     |
| `setMeta({})`                      | Attach custom data to messages. Overwrites meta with the given object. `language`, `platform` and `browser` are always included and cannot be removed.                        |
| `addMeta({})`                      | Add custom data to your messages. Adds given object to the meta object without overwriting already set values.                                                                |
| `setVariables({})`                 | Update the styling variables.                                                                                                                                                 |

### Attach data to messages

Missive Live Chat messages include data to provide information about the person currently chatting with you. This data is displayed in the Contacts sidebar and will use the last message data.

**Defaults**

By default, each message will include `language`, `platform` and `browser`.

![Default data attached to messages](/files/MzX0j7BtVrnaEeKogk7p)

**Custom**

Custom data can be provided by setting a `meta` object on the `w.MissiveChatConfig` object or via the JavaScript API (see above). A simple key/value object is expected.

{% code title="set-meta.js" %}

```javascript
MissiveChat.setMeta({
  paid_user: 'true',
  member_since: '2018',
})
```

{% endcode %}

![Custom data attached to messages](/files/0c9f6158b375042e4a8dfaa350991bd119a18bce)

### Identify and verify logged-in users

#### Identify

To identify your logged-in users, you must define a **user** key on the `w.MissiveChatConfig` object. The **user** object must have an **email** and optionally a **name** property.

{% code title="identify-example.js" %}

```javascript
w.MissiveChatConfig = {
  "id": "c3a1b3de-5e3f-4283-baaa-8e1d63fea126",
  "user": {
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane@acme.com"
  }
}
```

{% endcode %}

Just like visitors entering a name/email themselves, these messages will be marked as \[Unverified] on Missive. That is so you’re aware that anyone could provide fake info.

#### Verify

You can verify your users by adding a **digest** property to the **user** object. The digest must be generated from the **Secret key** available in your Missive chat settings using the user’s email address as the encrypted content.

Get your secret key in your chat account settings:

![Get your secret key in your chat account settings](/files/1a3f72ca634a433c803bbb9e6360a03d4970423f)

Here’s how to encrypt with Ruby, Node.js and PHP. Other languages have equivalent functions.

{% code title="ruby-hmac.rb" %}

```ruby
# Ruby
digest = OpenSSL::HMAC.hexdigest(
  'sha256',
  'e72bvc5171hf23982d05j610514gfe2m',
  'jane@acme.com'
)
```

{% endcode %}

{% code title="node-hmac.js" %}

```javascript
// Node.js
digest = crypto.createHmac(
  'sha256',
  'e72bvc5171hf23982d05j610514gfe2m'
).update('jane@acme.com').digest('hex')
```

{% endcode %}

{% code title="php-hmac.php" %}

```php
// PHP
digest = hash_hmac(
  'sha256',
  'jane@acme.com',
  'e72bvc5171hf23982d05j610514gfe2m'
);
```

{% endcode %}

You must then define this computed digest in the **user** object of the `w.MissiveChatConfig` object.

{% code title="verified-user-config.js" %}

```javascript
// digest == 'd78c55fe6579a12831b5e0cdc5765ff7d110fefb2e386a43067accb51ce242f2'
w.MissiveChatConfig = {
  "id": "c3a1b3de-5e3f-4283-baaa-8e1d63fea126",
  "user": {
    "name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane@acme.com",
    "digest": "d78c55fe6579a12831b5e0cdc5765ff7d110fefb2e386a43067accb51ce242f2"
  }
}
```

{% endcode %}

Messages marked with \[Cannot verify]? That means that while a digest was provided, it doesn’t match with the one generated by our server. Someone may be trying to impersonate one of your users or your encryption is incorrect.


# Live Chat FAQ

Common questions about live chat integration with Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I send live chat email follow-up?</summary>

Missive Live Chat can be set to send an automatic email follow-up so you can be sure your customers always get their answers. When configured, anytime an answer is unread after a set amount of time, a summary of the conversation will be sent to the visitor's email address.

**To enable email follow-up in the live chat, follow the steps:**

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, then select the live chat account.
2. Select the **Setup** tab
3. Open the Configure menu
4. Configure the Email follow-up section

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/kPmDGAZ2hkJdugr5MdPq" alt="How to configure live chat email follow-up" width="800"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can the live chat be in multiple languages?</summary>

Yes, this is possible using Javascript. Everything you can customize in your live chat settings (in Missive) you can also customize via JavaScript when initiating your widget. See the [setup guide](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat/setup) for configuration options.

The text strings to translate are under the **messages** property:

<figure><img src="/files/LKh5Ncls9bfOkYsolpOv" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can the live chat be translated into another language?</summary>

Yes, this is possible; you can translate the chat texts in the live chat account settings:

**Accounts > Live Chat account > Setup > Configure**

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the location of the live chat bubble on my website?</summary>

Here are the steps to change the live chat position on your website:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, select the live chat account.
2. Select the **Setup** tab
3. Click the **Configure** option
4. Change the position option

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/EBhh1a9EUEcdyWs5tIuG" alt="" width="568"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I fix if the live chat is not loading and throws an error?</summary>

You probably need to add `https://webchat.missiveapp.com` to your allowed domains in your policy header or CSP headers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where can I find my Twilio account SID and Auth Token?</summary>

Both SID and Auth Token should be available in your [Twilio console page](https://www.twilio.com/console).

<figure><img src="/files/nbn8v8PTKpSsMz5ffMdu" alt="Image showing how to find your Twilio credentials" width="1020"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "anyone is online" mean for the online schedule?</summary>

The **Online schedule** setting (in **Settings** > **Accounts** > your Live Chat account > **Setup**) controls when the chat widget appears as online on your website. It has three options:

* **When anyone is online on Missive** - the widget shows as online whenever at least one relevant person has an active Missive session (desktop app, browser, or mobile app).
* **When anyone is online on Missive within the following schedule** - both conditions must be true: someone must be online *and* the current time must fall within the defined schedule.
* **Within the following schedule** - only the schedule is checked, regardless of whether anyone is online.

"Anyone" refers to whoever the live chat account is shared with:

* Shared with a **team** - any active member of that team counts.
* Shared with the **whole organization** - any member of the organization counts.
* Shared with **specific users** - any of those specific users must be online.

{% hint style="info" %}
Users with [Out of Office](/docs/core-features/status-and-out-of-office) status enabled do not count as being online, even if they have an active Missive session.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does the live chat need a Twilio account?</summary>

There are two advantages to this approach:

1. Users pay per usage fee directly to Twilio (low price for average volume).
2. It lets us offer it on all plans with no surcharge.

{% hint style="info" %}
For both you and your users, Twilio won't be visible; it is just the backend.
{% endhint %}

</details>


# Custom channels

Build custom channels to bring any messaging platform into Missive.

Build your own integrations with Missive using custom channels. Receive messages from any source via API and optionally send outgoing messages through webhooks.

Custom channels are for developers who want to integrate proprietary systems, niche platforms, or internal tools with Missive.

## Use cases

* **Internal ticketing systems:** Route support tickets to Missive
* **CRM integrations:** Sync customer communications
* **Proprietary platforms:** Connect platforms without native Missive support
* **IoT and monitoring:** Receive alerts as conversations
* **Custom chat widgets:** Build your own chat solution

## Message types

When creating a custom channel, choose a message type. This cannot be changed after creation.

| Type      | Description                                        | Use case                           |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **Text**  | Basic text with emojis, attachments, bubble colors | Chat-like messages, alerts         |
| **HTML**  | Rich-text HTML content with attachments            | Formatted notifications, reports   |
| **Email** | Subject, From/To/Cc/Bcc, HTML body                 | Email-like messages (receive only) |

## How to create

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Select Custom**

Click the **Others** tab, then select **Custom**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose sharing options**

Select if this is a personal or shared account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure basic settings**

Enter:

* **Username:** Display name for this channel in Missive
* **Message type:** Text, HTML, or Email (cannot be changed later)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure message settings**

Set up outgoing message options:

* **Allow sending new messages:** Enable to compose new messages
* **Allow replying:** Enable to reply to incoming messages
* **Allow editing recipients:** Let users change recipient fields

Configure recipient fields:

* **Allow recipient ID:** Custom identifier for routing
* **Allow recipient name:** Display name for recipients
* **Allow recipient username:** Username or handle
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Set up aliases (optional)**

Add sender identities your team can use when sending:

* **ID:** Internal identifier
* **Name:** Display name
* **Username:** Handle or email-like address
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Configure webhook (if sending enabled)**

If outgoing messages are enabled:

* **Outgoing webhook URL:** Endpoint that receives message payloads
* **Signature secret:** HMAC SHA256 key for request validation

{% hint style="info" %}
The webhook receives a POST request when messages are sent from Missive.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create the channel**

Click **Connect** to create your custom channel. Note the channel ID for API integration.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Receiving messages

Send messages to your custom channel via the Missive REST API.

```
POST /v1/messages
```

Include the `channel_id` in your request. See the [Custom Channels API documentation](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/docs-developers/custom-channels/README.md) for details.

## Sending messages (webhook)

When users send or reply from Missive, your webhook receives a POST request with:

* Message content
* Recipient information
* Sender alias details
* Conversation context

### Webhook validation

If you set a signature secret, validate requests using HMAC SHA256:

1. Get the `X-Missive-Signature` header
2. Compute HMAC SHA256 of the raw request body using your secret
3. Compare signatures using constant-time comparison

## Customization

**Bubble colors** (Text type)

Set custom colors for incoming message bubbles.

**Aliases**

Define multiple sender identities for your team.

**Recipient fields**

Control which recipient fields users can set.

## Developer documentation

For complete API details, see:

* [Custom Channels API](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/docs-developers/custom-channels/README.md)
* [REST API reference](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/docs-developers/rest-api/README.md)
* [Webhooks](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/docs-developers/webhooks/README.md)


# Common scenarios

Common account connection scenarios: personal vs shared, multiple domains, team routing.

## Share all emails in an account

Your team needs access to all emails in an account like <support@acme.com>.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Add the account

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and click **Add account**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Choose shared account

Select **Yes, share this account** during setup.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Select delivery method

Choose **Team Inbox** (recommended) or **Inbox**.

See [Sharing options](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/sharing-options) for the differences.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
With a shared account, you don't need shared addresses. Shared addresses are for sharing only specific aliases from an account, not the entire account.
{% endhint %}

## Share only a specific alias

You have <admin@acme.com> as a personal account but want to share only emails sent to <help@acme.com> (an alias).

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Connect as personal account

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account** and connect <admin@acme.com> as a personal account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add the shared address

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab.

Enter <help@acme.com> and select the organization to share it in.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Select delivery method

Choose **Team Inbox** or **Inbox** and select who should receive these emails.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Verify

Click the link in the verification email sent to <help@acme.com>.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
This doesn't let teammates send from <help@acme.com> automatically. To enable that, [share an alias from your account](https://missiveapp.com/help/share-alias-private-account) or have each teammate add it as an alias on their own account.
{% endhint %}

## Collaborate on Google Group emails

<help@acme.com> is a Google Group that forwards to everyone on your team.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Connect personal accounts

Each team member connects their personal Gmail account (the one receiving Google Group forwards).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add shared address

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab.

Enter <help@acme.com> and select the organization to share it in.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Skip auto-sharing

Don't select anyone to auto-share with. Users already receive these emails in their personal accounts.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Verify

Each user clicks the link in the verification email.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add alias for sending (optional)

If teammates need to send from <help@acme.com>, each adds it as an alias on their personal account.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

See [Google Group address](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/google-group-address) for detailed setup.

## Ad-hoc collaboration with mentions

You don't want automatic sharing. You just want to collaborate on specific emails when needed.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open the conversation

Find the email you want to share.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Mention teammates

Type **@** in the comment composer and select the teammate you want to share with.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### They get access

Your teammate can now see the conversation and collaborate with you.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

You can remove access later if needed.

## Auto-share emails from specific senders

Your account is personal, but you want to automatically share emails from certain senders (like a vendor).

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Connect as personal account

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > **Add account** and connect your email as a personal account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Create a rule

Go to **Settings** > **Rules** and create a new **personal** rule.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add condition

Set the condition: **From is** <vendor@company.com>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add action

Choose an action:

* **Move to team inbox** to share with a team
* **Assign user(s)** to share with specific people
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}

## Temporarily share access during leave

A team member is going on leave and you need to monitor their inbox while they're away.

**Option 1: Share as team inbox (appears separately in sidebar)**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Share the account

The team member opens **Settings** > **Accounts**, selects their account, and clicks the **Share this account** button.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Select Team Inbox

Choose **Team Inbox** and select an existing team or create a new one.

This makes the inbox appear as a separate item in the sidebar, keeping emails separate from your personal inbox.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Make private again later

When the team member returns, they open **Settings** > **Accounts**, select the account, and click **Edit sharing**, then **Make account private**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

**Option 2: Share as personal account with auto-archive**

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Share the account

The team member opens **Settings** > **Accounts**, selects their account, and clicks the **Share this account** button.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Select Inbox sharing

Choose **Inbox** as the delivery method.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Configure recipients

Select who needs access:

* Users in **Inbox** section will see new emails in their personal Inbox
* Users in **Auto-archive** section can access all emails via the **All** mailbox without notifications

Auto-archive is useful when you want access to search and review emails without being notified for every new message.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Make private again later

When the team member returns, they open **Settings** > **Accounts**, select the account, and click **Edit sharing**, then **Make account private**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Auto-collaborate when both you and a teammate are recipients

You want to automatically share emails when both <claire@acme.com> and <hubert@acme.com> are recipients.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Connect personal accounts

Each user connects their email as a **personal account**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add shared addresses

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab.

Add a shared address for both <claire@acme.com> and <hubert@acme.com>.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Don't select auto-share recipients

Leave the sharing selection empty. This means:

* Emails to only Claire stay private to Claire
* Emails to only Hubert stay private to Hubert
* Emails to both Claire and Hubert are automatically shared between them
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Verify

Each user clicks the link in their verification email.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}


# Connected Accounts FAQ

Common questions about connecting and managing accounts in Missive.

{% hint style="info" %}
[Gmail/Google Workspace](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/faq), [Outlook](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365/faq), [Microsoft Exchange](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/microsoft-exchange/faq), [iCloud](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/icloud/faq), [IMAP](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/imap/faq), [WhatsApp](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/whatsapp/faq), [Social](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/social/faq), [Live Chat](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/live-chat/faq), and [SMS](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/other-channels/sms/faq) have dedicated FAQ pages.
{% endhint %}

### Email

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to disable (turn off) conversation view (email threading)?</summary>

Missive does not offer a way to disable conversation threading. Being a collaborative app where conversations are shared between coworkers and emails intertwined with internal chat comments, we consider threading to be part of the core experience.

Also, offering a way to disable threading would require substantial efforts on a technical level so we do not plan to work on this. We prefer investing energy in more features that make Missive’s offering so unique.

That said, we offer a way to move an email out of its original conversation into a new conversation. We believe this can be an alternative for people who are used to having each email in its own conversation as it lets you (with a single click) move an email that is more important than others out of the rest of the original conversation which may be too noisy.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I import more than one email account?</summary>

Yes. As a full-featured email client, Missive supports multiple email accounts. You can use it for work and personal email.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on how many personal accounts I can connect?</summary>

Yes. Each user can connect up to **10 personal accounts**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on how many custom shared accounts an organization can have?</summary>

Yes. An organization can have up to **100 custom shared accounts**. This limit applies only to custom-type shared accounts. Email, WhatsApp, Messenger, and other channel types are unlimited.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I migrate to another email provider or change my IMAP server details?</summary>

#### Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) or Office 365

If you are migrating to or from Google Workspace or Office 365, you may skip to the section below.

#### IMAP servers

The Missive interface does not let users modify the hostname of an IMAP / SMTP account in-place because there’s a chance that the new hostname would point to a different email account with different emails, which would corrupt existing Missive conversations (lose assignment, chat comments, etc).

There are usually two different situations where people need to change the hostname of an email account:

* An internal change at your email hosting provider, requiring a simple hostname update.
* A migration to another provider, which involves transferring all emails between servers.

If you know your emails are still on the same physical IMAP server and only the hostname must be updated, just email us at <support@missiveapp.com> and tell us the new hostname (do not tell us the password). We will double-check that the emails still have the same internal IDs and then proceed to update the hostname in-place for you.

If you are migrating to a different email hosting provider, then it’s too risky to change the hostname in-place because copies of the emails on the new server will be almost guaranteed to have different internal IDs. This means you must connect your new account(s) to Missive and migrate past emails to these new accounts before removing your previous accounts from Missive.

#### Steps

**Here is the order in which things should be done:**

1. Keep your current email accounts connected to Missive. This is very important to avoid losing Missive data such as chat comments, assignment, labels, snoozes, etc.
2. Connect your new accounts to Missive. If some of these accounts are shared in Missive (team inboxes like info@, support@), configure your newly connected email accounts with the same sharing settings.
3. If you have aliases defined in Missive, you must recreate them on your new accounts.
4. Change your domain’s MX records to point to your new email provider. This is done through your domain registrar or DNS / hosting provider’s interface. Once this is done, you will start receiving emails @yourdomain.com into your new accounts instead of your old accounts.
5. If you have defined [incoming or outgoing email rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules) using the Email account condition, you must update these rules to reference the new account(s).
6. Transfer all your emails from your old email accounts to your new ones.

   If you are moving to Google Workspace, use their [Data Migration service](https://support.google.com/a/answer/9476255?hl=en). If you are moving to Office 365, see [this help article](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/mailbox-migration/mailbox-migration) from Microsoft. You may then skip to the next point below.

   If you are moving to an IMAP server, the process is usually done using a traditional email client like Apple Mail, Mozilla Thunderbird or Outlook. It should be a matter of having the two accounts connected to the app, selecting all emails from an account and drag-and-dropping them to the other account, like [explained in this guide](https://mediatemple.net/community/products/dv/204405444/how-do-i-migrate-email-between-servers-using-imap) by hosting provider MediaTemple. The process is the same for any provider.

   This step may take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on the number of emails. As soon as the transfer begins, Missive will start synchronizing copies of the emails from the new accounts.
7. Wait for all these emails to be re-imported in Missive via the new accounts. They will be linked to existing Missive conversations behind the scenes; no duplication will happen. You can contact us at <support@missiveapp.com> so we can check on our side to make sure that this process is completed.
8. When the previous steps are done, you can remove your old accounts from Missive. Since your conversations will now also reference the new copies of your emails, deleting the old copies won’t delete the Missive conversations, and neither their assignment nor comments.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I change the color of my default avatar?</summary>

The default user avatars admittedly aren’t perfect. Their color is generated based on your initials, so some colors can be close or identical.

To get the avatar you want, upload a custom one. It can be a photo or any other image. If you don’t have any handy, you can use this website to create nice-looking avatars.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I automatically share personal emails with my team?</summary>

Yes. Create a personal rule and, when conditions match, share the conversation using one of these actions:

1. Move to team inbox
2. Assign user(s)

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I set a different conversation color for each of my email accounts?</summary>

Yes. Use rules. Create one rule per email account and apply the color you want.

{% hint style="info" %}
This also works with time-based conditions. Example: apply a red color to conversations with no reply after 2 hours.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><img src="/files/OcDcxVBZlnHniIMjX6rw" alt="" width="563"></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send marketing emails (newsletters) with Missive?</summary>

Most likely not. Missive sends emails via your SMTP server. Sending high volumes through SMTP can hurt deliverability.

Your regular business emails may start landing in spam. This can affect Gmail, Office 365, and other providers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use email warmup services with Missive?</summary>

No, email warmup services are not compatible with Missive and should be disconnected before connecting an account.

Email warmup services gradually increase sending volume on a new or inactive email account to build sender reputation. External warmup services generate a constant high volume of automated emails flowing to and from your account. These emails are typically auto-archived in folders like "Instantly Warmup" or similar.

**Why this causes problems:**

Missive must sync all emails in your account, including these automated warmup emails. This high volume of disposable emails can significantly affect syncing reliability for the actual emails you care about.

**What to do:**

1. Disconnect any email warmup services before connecting your account to Missive
2. If already connected, remove the warmup service and wait for syncing to stabilize
3. Contact <support@missiveapp.com> if you need help resolving sync issues related to warmup services

Warmup strategies are typically meant to run for only a few days or weeks before sending automated email campaigns. If you need to send bulk emails, use dedicated email marketing services instead of your regular SMTP server.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I resend an email as a new message?</summary>

Yes. Open the message’s **More** menu and select **Resend**. You can send it in the same conversation or a new one.

Instead of forwarding, resending shows the original sent email. It looks like you originally sent it. It adds no extra forwarding context.

<div data-with-frame="true"><img src="/files/Ay6Idb9CCHfbpVvDR38R" alt="" width="563"></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I forward in a new private conversation?</summary>

If you use Forward In this conversation, your forwarded email will appear in the original Missive conversation (thread) of the email you are forwarding. Similarly, if someone replies to the forwarded email, their reply will appear in the original conversation.

On the other hand, Forward In private conversation creates a fresh new conversation with only the forwarded email. Reply will go to this new conversation instead of the original one. This can be useful if you want your forwarded email to fork off a new conversation that isn’t linked to the whole original thread.

<div data-with-frame="true"><img src="/files/msieO0zcNhzoGkY9ax1p" alt="" width="563"></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I connect a Yahoo email account?</summary>

To connect a Yahoo account to Missive, you need to select the IMAP option when adding an account and use Yahoo’s IMAP and SMTP details.

Also, you may be required to enable two-step verification on your Yahoo account and generate a third-party app password for Missive (instead of using your main Yahoo password).

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the order of my email accounts on the sidebar?</summary>

Missive does not offer a way to manually reorder email accounts, but you can customize the description of each account in your Accounts settings.

Email accounts are listed in alphabetical order, so if you want to reorder them in a certain way, you can simply enter descriptions that start with a number:

1. Description for account 1
2. Description for account 2
3. Description for account 3

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does Missive offer an email hosting solution?</summary>

Missive does not offer direct email hosting; it acts as an email client like Apple Mail / Outlook on your desktop, except it operates in the cloud to provide collaborative functionality.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you offer read tracking?</summary>

No, we used to offer read tracking, but we stopped for [these reasons](https://missiveapp.com/blog/life-and-death-of-read-tracking).

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to export and download an email to the .eml format?</summary>

You can download an email by clicking the message menu and selecting Download email.

This saves the message as a .eml file that can be opened in most email clients.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to delete only one individual email from a conversation?</summary>

To delete a single email from a thread:

1. Move the email to a new conversation.
2. Select this new conversation.
3. Trash the conversation by clicking the trash icon.
4. Go to the trash mailbox, select the conversation and click the **(x)** icon to delete it forever. This last step will only delete the email on the email server if the action is performed by the account owner.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to delete an email account?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, select the account, and click **Delete**.

Only the account connection is removed from Missive; emails remain on the mail server unless explicitly deleted.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "Message was deleted from [email account] outside Missive" mean?</summary>

This notice means the email was deleted from your mail server by something other than Missive. Since Missive syncs with your email provider, it mirrors what is stored there. When an email is removed on the server side, Missive detects the change and shows this notice in the conversation.

Common causes:

* Another email client (e.g., Gmail web interface, Outlook desktop app) deleted the message
* A server-side rule or filter automatically removed it
* On Outlook/Office 365, the in-place archive feature may have moved or removed it

The sender cannot delete emails from your inbox. This is strictly about changes happening on your own mail server, which Missive has no control over.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "Message was deleted because [User] was removed from the conversation" mean?</summary>

This notice appears when a user is removed from a conversation and that conversation contained emails from a personal email account they had connected to Missive. When a user is removed from a conversation, their personal account emails are automatically pulled out of shared conversations to preserve the privacy of their personal mailbox.

The messages are not gone. They moved into private conversations that only that user can see, either in their inbox or archived.

{% hint style="info" %}
This applies when the user is removed from a conversation but still belongs to the organization.
{% endhint %}

**To restore the messages:**

1. Re-add the user to the conversation where the notice appeared.
2. Ask them to locate the private conversations containing those messages (check their personal inbox and archived mailbox).
3. Have them merge those private conversations back into the original shared conversation.

To merge, they can right-click a message, click **Copy link**, then right-click the target conversation and click **Merge copied conversation**.

If you remove the user from that conversation again, the same thing will happen. If you need to remove the user from Missive entirely but still need access to their emails, migrate their email account to another Missive user before removing them.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to create an internal distribution list?</summary>

In Missive there’s no need for an internal distribution list to forward emails.

You simply need to share conversations with the appropriate teammates to make sure everyone has access.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to change my email account avatar in the conversation list?</summary>

Go into the Accounts preferences, select your account, click on your avatar, then choose Upload avatar to replace it with a custom image.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How much of email account history is imported in Missive?</summary>

The amount of email account history that is imported depends on your Missive plan and the email provider.

Some providers limit how much history can be fetched, while others allow full historical imports.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I change the icon that is displayed when I send emails?</summary>

Missive fetches sender icons from your email service provider or your website.

If you want to change it, you’ll need to update the icon at the source (for example, your Google account profile or your domain’s favicon). Missive will then automatically reflect the change.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I transfer an email account ownership to another user in my organization?</summary>

Missive will handle your email account ownership transition without a problem, but it’s important to do things in the right order to avoid losing access to emails or causing disruptions.

First, make sure the new owner is added as a delegated user on the email account. Once this is done, you can remove yourself from the account if needed.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I print all emails in a conversation?</summary>

To start printing from any message in a conversation you first have to open the message, click the dropdown arrow and select Print.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I mass-archive emails?</summary>

Missive has a built-in mass-archive feature to archive thousands of old emails at once.

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** > select your account > **Mass-archive**.

Select a predefined timeframe (last 30/90 days, last year) or pick a specific date. Emails older than your selection will be archived from both Missive and your email provider.

The process can take hours or up to a day depending on how many emails must be archived. Only the account owner can use this feature.

{% hint style="info" %}
For Gmail accounts, you can also use Gmail's interface to bulk archive. See [How to Mass Archive Gmail Emails](/docs/support/mass-archive-gmail-emails) for details.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I know if my emails are being tracked?</summary>

Missive auto blocks read trackers and 1x1 images to prevent senders from spying on what you do with their email.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Will my personal emails be shared with my coworkers?</summary>

No, your coworkers will never see your personal emails by default.

Personal emails are private unless you explicitly share them with others.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my teammate not able to send emails?</summary>

They do not have access to any alias address to use in the From field.

To send emails, a user must be granted access to at least one email address or alias.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why don’t the total count on my Inbox and its sub-mailboxes add up?</summary>

The counts should not necessarily add up.

Sub-mailboxes often overlap, meaning a single conversation can appear in more than one place and be counted multiple times.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can I change the title of an email thread? Is this change internal only?</summary>

Changing the title of an email thread only affects how the conversation is displayed internally in Missive.

The subject line of the original email remains unchanged for external recipients.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why aren't my colleague and I seeing the same BCC addresses in the same conversation?</summary>

BCC recipients are treated differently by mail servers.

Each recipient only sees the BCC addresses that were visible to them when the email was sent, which can result in different users seeing different BCC fields in the same conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are emails or conversations sometimes duplicated?</summary>

Sending emails from outside Missive (for example, directly from Gmail or Outlook) is known to cause duplicate conversations when the same messages are later synced into Missive.

This happens because Missive treats externally sent emails as new incoming messages.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to find archived emails?</summary>

As you might have noticed, there is no archived mailbox in Missive, just like in Gmail.

When you archive a conversation, it is simply removed from the Inbox. You can find archived conversations by using search or by browsing other mailboxes such as All.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I access my Spam folder?</summary>

{% hint style="info" %}
Missive calls this folder **Spam**. If you're looking for a "Junk" folder, it's the same thing - just called Spam in Missive.
{% endhint %}

To access your Spam folder:

1. Click **+ More** in the left sidebar
2. Select **Main Section**
3. Click **Spam** to pin it to your sidebar

You can also access other default mailboxes (Drafts, Sent, Trash, All) using the same method.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to send an email to a group of contacts?</summary>

Missive supports contact groups and companies, which both act as an alias for a group of people.

When you type the name of a group or company in the To, Cc, or Bcc field, it automatically expands to all associated contacts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>If I delete an email, is it deleted for everyone?</summary>

A delegated user cannot delete a conversation forever.

If the email account owner deletes the conversation forever, then it will be permanently deleted for everyone. Otherwise, the email may still exist for other users who have access to it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to delete a personal account but retain the messages?</summary>

Unfortunately, it is not possible.

Deleting a personal email account will also remove all its messages from Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>My company does not use Google Apps. Can we use Missive?</summary>

Yes, we support most IMAP servers.

This includes Office 365, iCloud, Outlook.com, and many other email providers.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Who has access to a new email sent from a shared email address?</summary>

When composing a new email, you can see if the email will be shared with colleagues at the bottom of the composer window.

By default, emails sent from shared addresses are visible to the team members who have access to that address.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do I have to configure Missive-specific SPF records?</summary>

Since Missive acts as an email *client* and not a *server*, you do not have to configure any SPF or DKIM specifically for it.

Missive sends emails through the SMTP credentials you provided when connecting your account, like any other email client would (e.g. Microsoft Outlook on Windows, Apple Mail on Mac / iOS, etc.)

DKIM is also handled by your email provider and requires DNS (domain name) configuration. Your email provider should give you a DNS record (usually TXT) that you will need to add through your domain provider interface. If your hosting provider handles both your DNS and SMTP email delivery, this can sometimes be enabled by simply clicking a button in their interface.

</details>

<details>

<summary>My emails are landing in spam or not being delivered - how do I fix this?</summary>

Email deliverability issues are almost always related to your domain's DNS configuration, not Missive.

**Start here:**

* Read the [Email deliverability](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/email-deliverability) guide for step-by-step troubleshooting using Mail Tester
* Most issues are caused by missing or incorrect SPF records

**Provider-specific help:**

* Gmail/Google Workspace: See [Gmail FAQ](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/gmail-google-workspace/faq) for Gmail-specific spam diagnosis
* Office 365/Outlook: See [Outlook FAQ](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/email-accounts/outlook-office-365/faq) for "Access denied" errors and IP whitelisting

</details>

### Attachments

<details>

<summary>Can I save an attachment for later?</summary>

Yes. You can save an attachment for later by clicking on it and selecting the Save for later option.

Saved attachments are accessible from the Attachments section, making it easy to find them again without reopening the original conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are image attachments displayed instead of showing their filename?</summary>

Some image attachments are displayed inline instead of showing their filename.

This happens when the email includes images meant to be viewed directly, such as screenshots or photos, rather than traditional downloadable files.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I forward an email attachment?</summary>

To forward an attachment, open the email containing it and use the Forward option.

You can also download the attachment and manually attach it to a new email if needed.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the attachment size limit?</summary>

The attachment size limit depends on your email provider, not Missive.

Missive follows the limits enforced by your mail server, such as Gmail or Office 365.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on file uploads within Missive?</summary>

Yes. Missive enforces file size and rate limits for files uploaded directly through the app (for example, attachments in internal chat).

**Per file:**

| Plan | Maximum file size |
| ---- | ----------------- |
| Free | 100 MB            |
| Paid | 1 GB              |

**Rate limits:**

| Plan | Window     | Limit  |
| ---- | ---------- | ------ |
| Free | Per day    | 400 MB |
| Paid | 15 minutes | 2 GB   |
| Paid | 2 hours    | 4 GB   |

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I delete an attachment from an email?</summary>

No, it is not possible to delete an attachment from an email without deleting the email itself.

Attachments are part of the original email message and cannot be removed independently.

</details>

### History

<details>

<summary>Can I import a PST email archive?</summary>

Missive does not support importing **.pst** files. It only supports synchronizing emails from “live” email accounts, so the way to get your .pst emails in Missive would be to use a regular email client such as Outlook to copy those .pst emails into one of the email accounts you have connected to Missive. Then Missive will automatically detect and import these new emails.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I import .eml files?</summary>

Missive does not support importing **.eml** files directly. To get .eml emails into Missive, import them into an email client (such as Apple Mail, Outlook, or Thunderbird) that is connected to one of your email accounts. Missive will automatically sync those emails from the account.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can more email history be synced after the initial import?</summary>

Yes, you can import more email history from your Accounts settings. However, please note that the reverse process is not possible.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/2JVWSPO7v7U8vUDPRZdp" alt="Import more email history" width="896"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How long should it take to import all of my emails?</summary>

It usually takes under one day to import an email account with many years of history, but if your account is massive it can take up to a few days.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to share past emails with shared account delegated users?</summary>

To do so you need to check the **Share past message history** in the sharing menu of your shared account. See:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/qiiDtNRz1OjLjBmfIEaC" alt="Image showing how share past history"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why aren’t all my emails imported?</summary>

This is probably just because you are on the free plan, which only imports your last 15 days of email history. You can import your full history by subscribing to any paid plans. See [our Pricing page](https://missiveapp.com/pricing).

If you are already on one of these plans, check this [help page](#can-more-email-history-be-synced-after-the-initial-import) on how to fetch all of your history.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens to my conversations when I delete a connected account?</summary>

The answer depends on the account type.

**Email accounts:** Your emails remain on your mail server outside Missive. Missive conversations are deleted unless the same emails are also present in another email account connected to Missive within your organization. If another connected account holds a copy of those emails, the conversations and their history (assignment, chat comments, labels, etc.) are preserved.

**Other channels (SMS, WhatsApp, social media, live chat, voice, custom channels):** All associated conversations are permanently deleted from Missive when the account is removed. There is no way to recover them. If you reconnect the same channel later, past conversation history is not restored.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Before removing an Other channels account, make sure you no longer need access to its conversation history.
{% endhint %}

</details>

### Notifications

<details>

<summary>How can I silence notifications for a specific email account?</summary>

For a team inbox, change your membership from **Active member** to **Observer**. Go to **Settings** > **Organizations** > **Teams**, select the team, click **Edit**, and update your role. If you're not an admin, ask one to do this for you.

If you want to disable notifications for one of your personal email accounts, this can be done by creating a personal rule that triggers the **Silence notifications** action. See this example, where emails sent to a specific **Email account** are set to silence mobile notifications:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/2HCFxoPZSN3aH2mz3FoI" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to snooze notifications during the weekend?</summary>

Missive offers a snoozing [rule](/docs/advanced-features/rules) action for this use case, see this image:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/9fVryJHSYLaULlC7oqZ4" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

### Sharing

For an overview of sharing options, see [Sharing options](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/sharing-options).

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on how many shared addresses an organization can have?</summary>

Yes. An organization can have up to **500 shared addresses**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>As the owner of a shared account, can I remove myself from the emails?</summary>

{% hint style="info" %}
The account owner is the user that imported the account in Missive.
{% endhint %}

No, sorry, as the *account owner*, you have access to all emails in it. If you want to control the email accounts without seeing their content, a work-around is to create one new user in your organization whose sole purpose is to import shared accounts. The downside is that it will cost your organization one more seat.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can an admin of the organization manage a shared account?</summary>

{% hint style="info" %}
The account owner is the user that imported the account in Missive.
{% endhint %}

Only the owner of the shared email account can manage the contact syncing, aliases, auto CC/BCC setting, history fetching limit and signatures of an email account.

But an admin can manage and update the sharing settings of a shared account.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do I need a "shared address" if my email account is already shared?</summary>

You most likely don't need any **shared address** if you have configured a **shared account**. Shared addresses are meant for situations where emails sent to multiple addresses end up in the same email account (e.g. **<admin@acme.com>**), but you only want to give your coworkers access to specific emails based on the alias they are sent to (e.g. **<support@acme.com>**, **<sales@acme.com>**). You could create two shared addresses in such a case, each with different auto-sharing settings.

[Read more about shared addresses](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts/sharing-options#shared-addresses)

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I make a shared account private again?</summary>

A shared account can be made private again by the account owner or an organization admin (for example, after someone returns from leave).

1. Open **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select the shared account
3. Click **Edit sharing**, then **Make account private**

Only the account owner will have access to this account and its messages going forward.

**What happens to existing conversations:**

* Conversations that contain only emails from this account become private, but all colleague chat comments in those conversations remain visible to the account owner.
* Conversations that also contain emails from other shared accounts remain visible to colleagues who have access to those other accounts.
* Colleagues who participated in conversations using their own personal email accounts continue to have access to those conversations.

**If the account is later shared with another organization:**

Previous conversations that included chat comments from the original organization will not be visible to the new organization. Instead, fresh copies of those conversations (without the original chat comments) will appear for members of the new organization.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to automatically share an email sent to multiple people?</summary>

By default, emails sent to the personal addresses of multiple Missive users are not shared. Each user gets the email in their own private conversation, requiring @mentions to bring people together and collaborate. However, there is a way to automate such sharing.

Let’s say <claire@acme.com> and <hubert@acme.com> want to automatically collaborate if someone sends an email like:

> **To:** <claire@acme.com>
>
> **Cc:** <hubert@acme.com>
>
> **Subject:** Hi guys

Here are the steps to allow the automatic sharing for such emails:

1. Each user connects their email account as a **personal account**. You may have done this already.
2. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, click **Add**, then choose **Shared address** under the **Email** tab.
3. Add **shared addresses** for “<claire@acme.com>” and “<hubert@acme.com>”.
4. Don’t select anyone to automatically share emails with. This way, emails sent only to Claire or Hubert will remain private, but emails sent to ***both*** Claire and Hubert will be shared between the two.

   <div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/qoMf1jj5NapAVVsN8v0q" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
5. Each user will receive a validation email with a link they must click.

Once all addresses are validated, Missive will start to automatically create shared conversations when multiple users receive the same email.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I prevent sensitive HR emails from being shared with the wrong people?</summary>

If HR sends an email to a distribution list that includes a shared address, or if someone replies through a shared account, those conversations become visible to everyone with access to that account. This is Missive working as designed, but it's a problem for confidential communications.

The solution is to create a separate organization for HR or other sensitive matters. Only authorized personnel are members, and email accounts are shared only within that organization. This makes accidental sharing impossible.

See [Sensitive communications](/docs/administration/sensitive-communications) for setup instructions.

</details>


# Conversations

Work on conversations together. Comment, assign, snooze, and collaborate with your team in real-time.

Conversations are where **collaboration** takes place in Missive. They bring together messages from different sources like email, SMS, live chat, and social media into a single workspace where your team can communicate and take action.

## What is a conversation?

A conversation can contain:

* Messages from external contacts (email, SMS, social media)
* Internal comments between teammates
* Drafts being prepared
* Tasks and assignments
* Labels and organization

<figure><img src="/files/3M6gyWJgL8E3uMO7Xx0v" alt=""><figcaption><p>Conversations in your unified inbox</p></figcaption></figure>

In the screenshot above:

1. An email with comments from coworkers
2. A scoped chat about a social media campaign
3. An email with tasks assigned to coworkers
4. A labeled email with tasks assigned to you

## Shared vs private conversations

Conversations can be shared with your team or kept private to you. Emails received on [shared accounts](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts) are automatically shared with the team, while emails on personal accounts stay private until you choose to share them.

### How to tell if a conversation is shared

1. **In the conversation list** shared conversations have a colored border
2. **Inside a conversation** avatars at the top show who has access

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/TJszq2F2tW0x9vo8JEer" alt="Colored border showing a shared versus private conversation" width="563"><figcaption><p>The "Grocery List" conversation has no border, it is private</p></figcaption></figure></div>

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ow5ycfdXDh5dIKeQz1gA" alt="" width="563"><figcaption><p>This conversation is shared with everyone whose avatar appears</p></figcaption></figure></div>

### Private conversations

When no avatars appear, the conversation is private. Only you can see it. You can share it at any time by @mentioning someone or using the **Add people** menu.

## Learn more

* [Collaboration](/docs/core-features/conversations/collaboration) — Mentions, sharing, read receipts, and watching
* [Internal chat](/docs/core-features/conversations/internal-chat) — Comments, chat rooms, and team spaces
* [Drafts](/docs/core-features/conversations/drafts) — Collaborative email writing
* [Snoozing](/docs/core-features/conversations/snoozing) — Defer conversations until later
* [Merging](/docs/core-features/conversations/merging) — Combine related conversations into one
* [Conversations FAQ](/docs/core-features/conversations/faq) — Common questions and answers


# Collaboration

Collaborate on emails with comments, @mentions, shared drafts, and assignments.

Conversations enable real-time collaboration with your team. Use @mentions to share conversations, discuss in the chat box, and stay updated on activity through watching.

## Mentions and sharing

When you @mention someone in a comment, they gain access to the conversation and it appears in their Inbox. Four types of mentions are available:

1. **@user** — Mention a specific person
2. **@team** — Mention all members of a team
3. **@all** — Mention everyone in the organization with access
4. **@group** — Mention a custom group of people (e.g., @design-leads, @Stockholm)

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/wFXok9gKVKAUmqkllT6Z" alt="When a teammate becomes active in the current conversation"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
If a conversation is private (not yet shared), adding a comment with a @mention automatically shares it with the mentioned teammate or team.
{% endhint %}

### Custom mention groups

Mention groups let you @mention multiple people at once with a custom group name. This is useful for projects, roles, or any group that doesn't map to a formal team structure. They can also be used as a way to differentiate people with the same name when they belong to different mention groups.

For example, you might create groups like:

* **@design-leads** — Senior designers across teams
* **@project-apollo** — Everyone working on a specific project
* **@Stockholm** — People in the Stockholm office

#### Setting up mention groups

To add someone to a mention group:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Users**
2. Click on a team member's name to open their profile
3. In the **@mention group** field, type the group name

You can add the same person to multiple groups by editing their profile multiple times.

#### Using mention groups

When typing a comment, type **@** followed by your group name. Missive will suggest matching groups. When you select a group, all members are mentioned at once.

### Alternative ways to share

Beyond mentions, you can also add people to a conversation through:

1. **Add people menu** — Click the avatars at the top of the conversation. You can choose whether to show the conversation in their Inbox or just give them archived access for reference.
2. **Assignment** — Assigning someone always shows the conversation in their Inbox and Tasks view.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/b9f8C00hCBDEa4Ry3pGk" alt="Screenshot showing how to add or remove users from a conversation" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Linking to labels and mailboxes

Reference a label, team inbox, or mailbox directly in a comment so teammates can jump to it in one click. Type **#** in the chat box, then start typing the name. Missive suggests matching labels and mailboxes, with your recently used ones listed first. Select one to insert a link.

Clicking the link takes the reader to that label or mailbox. If they don't have access to it, Missive shows a short message explaining that instead of opening it.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can also copy a link without writing a comment: right-click a label or mailbox in the sidebar (or open its **...** menu) and choose **Copy link**. Paste it into a comment, email, or anywhere else.
{% endhint %}

## Individual read/watch statuses

At the top of each conversation, avatars show who has access. Different styling indicates their current state:

<figure><img src="https://camo.missiveusercontent.com/16411247ce1ac0f34d3051667a8b42c3623094f6/68747470733a2f2f69382e636d61696c32302e636f6d2f65692f692f39322f3636322f3738352f3034313834302f6461792d30322f696d672d6430322d3031622d7374617475732e6a7067" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

| Indicator          | Meaning                                                  |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Orange clock**   | User has snoozed the conversation                        |
| **Blue dot**       | User has not read all emails in the conversation         |
| **Grey avatar**    | User has archived the conversation                       |
| **Colored avatar** | User has the conversation in their Inbox or Team Inboxes |
| **Blue ring**      | User is currently viewing the conversation               |

{% hint style="info" %}
If you don't see any avatars, the conversation is private. No one can see it but you.
{% endhint %}

## Internal read receipts

Read receipts show who in your team has read messages or comments within a shared conversation. Access the list by opening the **More menu** (three dots) on any message or comment.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/GlnTptGcf9m6kNthR1wj" alt="" width="424"><figcaption><p>Internal read receipts</p></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
On mobile, open the More menu for comments by double-tapping any comment.
{% endhint %}

Read receipts are enabled by default. To disable them:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Appearance**
2. Toggle off **Show internal read receipts** for messages or comments

## Watching and unwatching

Watching a conversation ensures you receive notifications for any new activity, even after archiving it.

| Status        | Behavior                                                                                |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Watched**   | The conversation returns to your Inbox for any new message, comment, or task change     |
| **Unwatched** | Returns to your Inbox only when you are @mentioned, assigned, or receive a direct reply |

### How to watch or unwatch

1. Open the conversation
2. Click the **eye icon** in the top-right corner
3. Select **Watch** or **Unwatch**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/xhpBoNULjjs5fvqDJHg2" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

From this menu you can also configure desktop and mobile notifications for the conversation.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can also press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> to open the command bar and type "watch" or "unwatch".
{% endhint %}

### Automatic watching

By default, certain actions automatically make you watch a conversation:

* Being assigned to the conversation
* Posting a comment
* Creating a draft (configurable)
* Creating a task (configurable)
* Starting a new conversation (configurable)

{% hint style="info" %}
Assignees always watch the conversation. To unwatch, you must first unassign yourself.
{% endhint %}

To adjust automatic watching preferences:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Preferences**
2. Search for "watch"
3. Enable or disable the options you prefer

### Watching with rules

Use [Rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules) to automatically watch or unwatch conversations when specific conditions are met, such as when a label is added or a conversation is assigned.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/RPhm4INIFA4qOh0FdMo3" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% embed url="<https://youtu.be/n30Ss0XtElk>" %}


# Internal chat

Start private conversations with teammates without leaving Missive.

In Missive, everything external is email, everything internal is chat—and both live together in unified conversations. No more switching between your email client and a separate chat app to collaborate with your team.

## When to use internal chat

Internal chats are useful in many situations:

* **External communication:** Discuss messages received from outside the company (email, SMS, social media, etc.)
* **Ask for help:** Need guidance on how to respond? @mention a colleague directly in the email thread
* **Share context:** Provide background information before someone else replies
* **Express opinions:** Discuss ideas before taking action

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/O5whljQEoegr1qudlf0E" alt="Internal chat screenshot" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Instead of forwarding an email or calling a manager, @mention someone and ask for help directly in the thread. They can access the full context instantly and guide you through the chat.

## Types of chat conversations

### Chat in any conversation

Every conversation has a chat box where you can talk with teammates. These internal chats are never seen by external recipients.

To start collaborating:

1. Open any conversation
2. Type in the chat box at the bottom
3. Use **@username** to mention specific people

{% hint style="info" %}
You can also click **New conversation** from the **+** menu to start a chat-only conversation with your team, or as notes for yourself.
{% endhint %}

### Team chat rooms

Teams can have dedicated chat rooms where all members can discuss together. Team rooms are automatically created when you configure a team with this option enabled.

<figure><img src="/files/YTTJtrhEC1hlKfqEj4vJ" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Team chat rooms make it easy to **@team** several people at once. Each team can also have a dedicated **team inbox** where messages from shared accounts are directed.

Teams can represent anything:

* **A function or role:** Support, Sales, Marketing
* **A client group:** Delta Materials, Disney
* **A project:** Construction Site ABC, Spring 2026 Campaign
* **A social space:** General room, Random Facts channel

To configure team chat rooms:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Teams**
2. Select your team and click **Edit**
3. Enable or disable **Chat room**

### Organization room

Missive automatically creates a general chat room for your organization where all members can connect and engage beyond emails.

### 1-1 room

Missive also creates private 1-1 rooms between each team member. Start a conversation by clicking on a coworker's avatar in the sidebar or using the command bar.

## Creating a chat room

Missive is flexible with internal chats. A chat can be short-lived for a single discussion, or long-lived for an ongoing project.

1. Click the **+** button, then **New conversation**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4PjcICGa2koUU2mfNttu" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
**New conversation** creates a conversation that behaves like email conversations: it can be labeled, archived, snoozed, assigned, etc.
{% endhint %}

2. Pick a title, choose who should have access, and start chatting

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/b9f8C00hCBDEa4Ry3pGk" alt="Screenshot showing how to add or remove users from a conversation" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

3. Optionally, customize the icon by prepending an emoji to the conversation title

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/SKJOOqyfdpohxHBPboAi" alt="Use an emoji has the conversation title first character" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Pin to sidebar

Pinned conversations stay right where you put them in your sidebar—unlike your Inbox where new conversations push older ones down. Use **Pin to sidebar** to keep important chat rooms easily accessible.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/oLfbsk2AybjelShuirVT" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
Create custom sections in your sidebar to group pinned items however you like.
{% endhint %}


# Drafts

Co-write email drafts in real-time. See teammates typing, leave notes, and prevent duplicate replies.

Missive brings collaboration to drafting, making it easy to prepare responses together with your team.

## Collaborative drafts

When multiple people have access to a conversation, they can view, edit, and collaborate on drafts in real time.

Teammates with access can:

* View the draft as it is being written
* Edit it simultaneously, like Google Docs
* Review content before sending
* Use [Canned responses](/docs/core-features/canned-responses) to insert pre-written content
* Use AI to generate or refine the message

When someone starts editing a draft that another person is already working on, Missive automatically enables collaborative mode. You see each other's cursors and changes appear in real time.

{% hint style="info" %}
Drafts work for all channels: email, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and more.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
Missive drafts do not sync with your email provider. Because Missive drafts are fully collaborative (like Google Docs), they cannot be synchronized with non-collaborative drafts in Gmail, Outlook, or other email clients. Drafts started in those apps won't appear in Missive, and drafts created in Missive won't appear there either.
{% endhint %}

## Accessing drafts

View all drafts from the **Drafts** mailbox in the sidebar. Every message you or your team is preparing appears there.

The Drafts mailbox is pinned in the sidebar by default. If you don't see it:

1. Click **+ More**
2. Select **Main Section** > **Drafts**

When viewing the Drafts mailbox, use the toggle at the top of the list to switch between your drafts and others':

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4E0j0zu6YStrWdRXT8Vs" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Sharing new drafts

Drafts created as replies are automatically visible to everyone with access to the conversation.

New drafts (created via **New email**) are private until you share them. To share:

1. @mention someone in the comment box, or
2. Click the avatar icon at the top of the conversation to add people

## Email mentions

Add recipients to the To, CC, or BCC fields by mentioning them in the email body. Type **@** followed by a name or email address, and Missive suggests matching contacts.

By default, mentions are added to the **To** field. Change this behavior in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Composer** > **Typing** to use CC or BCC instead.

{% hint style="info" %}
Email mentions can be disabled in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Composer** > **Typing**.
{% endhint %}

## Scheduling drafts

Schedule drafts to send at a specific time, or set up automatic follow-ups that cancel if someone replies first.

### Send Later

Send Later lets you write an email now but have it delivered at a specific time. Perfect for:

* Reaching recipients in different time zones during their business hours
* Writing emails at night but sending them in the morning
* Queuing messages for optimal delivery times

To schedule a draft:

1. Write your email as usual
2. Click the **plane + clock icon** next to the Send button, or press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>J</kbd>
3. Pick a time from the presets, type a natural phrase, or choose from the calendar

The draft will be sent automatically at the scheduled time.

#### Discard draft if someone replies

Enable this option when scheduling to cancel the send if the recipient (or anyone on the thread) replies before your scheduled time.

This is useful for follow-up emails—write your "Just checking in..." message immediately, schedule it for a few days out, and let Missive automatically cancel it if they respond first.

#### Viewing scheduled messages

Scheduled drafts appear in the **Send Later** mailbox:

1. Click **+ More**
2. Select **Send Later**

You can also see the scheduled time displayed in the conversation and in the composer.

#### Editing or canceling

To edit a scheduled draft:

1. Open the conversation
2. Click the draft to edit it
3. Make changes and save, or click **Unschedule** to cancel

### Send & Snooze

Send & Snooze combines two actions: it sends your message immediately AND sets a follow-up reminder on the conversation.

Use this when you want to:

* Send an email and be reminded if you don't hear back
* Send a request and follow up in a few days automatically

To use Send & Snooze:

1. Write your email
2. Click the dropdown arrow next to Send
3. Select **Send & Snooze**
4. Pick when you want to be reminded

The email sends immediately. The conversation moves to your Snoozed mailbox and returns to your Inbox at the scheduled time—unless someone replies first (if that option is enabled).

### Scheduling options

Both Send Later and conversation [snoozing](/docs/core-features/conversations/snoozing) share the same time picker with multiple ways to choose a time.

#### Preset times

| Option             | When it triggers                         |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Later today**    | In 3 hours (default)                     |
| **This afternoon** | Today at 1:00 PM                         |
| **This evening**   | Today at 7:00 PM                         |
| **Tomorrow**       | Tomorrow at 8:00 AM                      |
| **This weekend**   | Saturday at 10:00 AM                     |
| **Next week**      | Monday at 8:00 AM                        |
| **Sometime**       | Random time within your configured range |

#### Relative times

Schedule for a specific duration from now:

* In X minutes
* In X hours
* In X days
* In X weekdays (skips weekends)
* In X weeks
* In X months

#### Specific day of week

Pick any day: Next Monday, Next Tuesday, etc.

#### Custom date and time

Click **Pick date & time** to open the calendar and choose any date and time.

#### Natural language

Type phrases directly in the search field:

* "next Tuesday at 3pm"
* "in 2 hours"
* "tomorrow morning"
* "Friday at noon"

Missive parses your input and shows matching options.

#### Customizing defaults

Adjust the preset times and enable/disable options you don't use:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Snoozes**
2. Modify times for each preset
3. Add custom time slots (e.g., "Early morning" at 6:00 AM)

You can also click the **gear icon** directly in the time picker to access these settings.


# Snoozing

Snooze conversations to hide them temporarily and bring them back when needed.

Snoozing temporarily hides a conversation until a specific time, then brings it back to your Inbox. Use it to defer emails you can't deal with right now without losing track of them.

## How to snooze

1. Select a conversation
2. Click the **clock icon** in the toolbar, or press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>J</kbd>
3. Pick a time

{% hint style="info" %}
You can also snooze by swiping a conversation (configurable in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Swipes**), or by opening the command bar with <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> and typing "snooze".
{% endhint %}

## What snoozing affects

Snoozing removes conversations from your **Inbox** and **Team inboxes** only. Snoozed conversations remain visible in:

* **Assigned to me**
* **Assigned to others**
* **All** mailbox
* Label mailboxes
* Search results

{% hint style="info" %}
To hide snoozed conversations from **Assigned to me** or other folders, apply the **Not snoozed** filter at the top of the conversation list.
{% endhint %}

## Preset times

Missive offers several quick options:

| Option          | When it unsnoozes    |
| --------------- | -------------------- |
| **Later today** | In 3 hours           |
| **Afternoon**   | Today at 1:00 PM     |
| **Evening**     | Today at 7:00 PM     |
| **Tomorrow**    | Tomorrow at 8:00 AM  |
| **Weekend**     | Saturday at 10:00 AM |
| **Next week**   | Monday at 8:00 AM    |

You can also snooze for a relative duration:

* In X minutes/hours/days
* In X weekdays/weeks/months

Or pick any date and time from the calendar.

### Natural language

Type times naturally in the command bar, like "next Tuesday at 3pm" or "in 2 hours". Missive interprets your input and shows matching options.

## Snooze options

### Discard snooze if someone replies

When enabled, the snooze is cancelled if someone replies to the conversation before the snooze time. Useful for follow-up reminders where you only want to be reminded if you don't hear back.

### Leave in Inbox

By default, snoozed conversations are removed from your Inbox until the snooze time. Enable this option to keep the conversation visible in your Inbox while still getting reminded at the snooze time.

### Snooze for me vs everyone

In shared conversations, you can choose who the snooze applies to:

* **Snooze for me** — Only you are reminded when the snooze ends. The conversation returns to your Inbox.
* **Snooze for everyone** — All participants are reminded. The conversation returns to the Team inbox.

## Finding snoozed conversations

Snoozed conversations appear in the **Snoozed** mailbox. To access it:

1. Click **+ More**
2. Select **Snoozed**

Snoozed conversations also appear in the **Calendar** view on their scheduled date.

## Discard snooze

To cancel a snooze and bring the conversation back immediately:

1. Select the snoozed conversation
2. Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>J</kbd>, or
3. Open the snooze menu and click **Discard snooze**

## Customizing snooze times

Customize the default times and enable additional options:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Snoozes**
2. Adjust the times for each preset
3. Enable or disable options you don't use

You can also add custom time slots like "Early morning" or "Late afternoon" with your preferred times.

## Snoozing with rules

Use [Rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules) to automatically snooze conversations based on conditions. For example, snooze low-priority emails until the end of the day, or snooze messages received outside business hours until the next morning.

## See also

* [Scheduling drafts](/docs/core-features/conversations/drafts#scheduling-drafts) — Send Later and auto follow-up options


# Merging

Merge related conversations to keep context together and reduce inbox clutter.

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](/docs/advanced-features/rules) to automatically merge conversations when specific conditions are met. The [Merge in conversation](/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="/files/Tl5IEHJR3UkGcVjn1AGf" 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 %}


# Conversations FAQ

Common questions about conversations, comments, and collaboration in Missive.

## General

<details>

<summary>Why did my merged conversation split into separate threads?</summary>

Missive has a 400-message limit per conversation. When a conversation reaches this limit, new messages automatically start a new thread.

This prevents performance issues with very long conversations. For reference, Gmail has a similar limit of 100 messages per conversation.

**If your merged conversation split:**

Merge all the new conversations except the one that already has 400+ messages. This keeps everything together without exceeding the limit.

**To check message count:**

Scroll through the conversation to see how many messages exist. Each email, chat message, or social media message counts toward the limit. Internal comments do not count.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to disable a dedicated Team Inbox chat room?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Teams**, select your team, click **Edit**, then set **Chat room** to **No**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/DhQ1pERDlv0CMF6LrFp4" alt="Image how to disable team inbox room" width="700"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I cross-reference conversations?</summary>

Yes. Share a conversation's link (right-click in conversation list > **Copy link**) in another conversation.

A snippet of the linked conversation will appear for anyone who has access to it.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/rdX1FL8MnKnCmwn1Z3O1" alt="Screenshot of Missive&#x27;s conversation links for cross-referencing" width="424"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I merge two conversations into a single one?</summary>

**Option A:**

1. Right-click a conversation in the list and click **Copy link**.
2. Right-click another conversation in the list and click **Merge copied conversation**.
3. Confirm the action by clicking **Merge**.

**Option B:**

1. Drag and drop a conversation onto another.
2. Confirm the action by clicking **Merge**.

**Option C:**

1. Select all the conversations you want to merge.
2. Click the **Merge X conversations** button.
3. Confirm the action by clicking **Merge**.

**Option D:**

1. In the right sidebar, in the **Latest conversations** section, drag & drop the conversation preview onto another.
2. Confirm the action by clicking **Merge**.

**Option E:**

1. Create a rule that will merge messages into a predefined conversation using the **Merge conversation** action.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I un-merge two conversations?</summary>

You can use the **Move email to** option to move some emails out of the conversation. But you can't un-merge comments.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Tl5IEHJR3UkGcVjn1AGf" alt="" width="627"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>All replies to a group email end up in one conversation - can I separate them?</summary>

Missive always threads emails by conversation. This can't be disabled - it's how the app works.

When you send an email to multiple recipients and they all reply, their replies share the same subject line and thread ID, so Missive groups them together.

To separate replies into individual conversations, you have two options:

**Move replies manually**

Open the **•••** menu on any message and select **Move email to...**. This splits that specific message into its own conversation.

**Use a rule to split replies automatically**

Create an **incoming email rule** with the **Move email to new conversation** action. Add a condition like **Email subject** > **contains** > the subject of your group email to target those replies specifically.

Keep in mind: a subject-based rule will also split other emails with the same subject. The rule works best when the subject is specific and unlikely to match unrelated conversations.

**A better approach for bulk sends**

If you regularly send emails to many recipients and need to track each reply separately, a dedicated bulk email tool is a better fit. These tools send a separate email to each recipient, so each reply arrives in Missive as its own conversation automatically.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I customize the actions displayed under messages?</summary>

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/h5TZa2iCXroqqbLO8lpz" alt="Quick message actions" width="576.5"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Yes. Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Appearance** > **Messages** to check/uncheck the actions you want displayed.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/gJE1HtOy4AnmlxTSDlo1" alt="Edit email quick actions"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I undo sending a message (email, SMS, etc)?</summary>

You can choose a delay time to recall a recently sent email. You will see a banner to undo the action right after sending the message. You can configure the next delay options:

* No delay
* 5 seconds
* 10 seconds
* 30 seconds

You can access this setting in the "Composing" section of the preferences.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/6Y8e4hhPdZANqTNUS0jQ" alt="Undo send"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the spell check and auto-correction language of Missive?</summary>

You can change the language of the spell check and auto-correction language by right-clicking on the comment input of any conversation, then select the **Dictionaries** option, then select up to three languages:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/AXUL8nmKaeXdeS5XPrh3" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to invite/add someone to a conversation?</summary>

There are three ways to add people to a conversation:

1. Posting a chat comment with a **@mention**. This always shows the conversation in the mentioned person’s **Inbox**.
2. Adding the person through the “**Add people**” menu, at the top of the conversation. In this case, it’s possible to choose whether you want the person to see the conversation in their Inbox or only give them access to the conversation, archived, for future reference. This is done through the Show in their inbox checkbox. This checkbox remembers the last checked / unchecked state you used, so if you have previously unchecked it, you need to check it again to make sure adding people through this menu will make the conversation appear in their Inbox.
3. Assigning the person to the conversation from the assignment menu. This always shows the conversation in the mentioned person’s **Inbox** and **Tasks** view.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/b9f8C00hCBDEa4Ry3pGk" alt="Screenshot showing how to add or remove users from a conversation" width="749"><figcaption><p>The “<strong>Add people</strong>” menu, at the top of the conversation.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where are the send later messages located?</summary>

In the sidebar click on **+ More**. A list will be displayed, click on the **Send later** mailbox.

See [Drafts](/docs/core-features/conversations/drafts#scheduling-drafts) for details on scheduling messages.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to do bulk actions?</summary>

Yes. You can select multiple messages at once by holding the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key. You will see a screen with available actions that can be applied to all selected messages.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/JgeETuZflnXRKzymEMHs" alt="Image showing how to do bulk actions" width="1170"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

## Conversation colors

<details>

<summary>How do I change or remove a conversation color?</summary>

Conversation colors cannot be changed or removed directly from the UI or via the API. The only way to modify a conversation's color is through a Rule using the **Set conversation color** action.

See [Actions](/docs/advanced-features/rules/actions#set-conversation-color) for details on this rule action.

</details>

## Workflows

<details>

<summary>Can I automatically remove closed conversations from my Inbox?</summary>

If a conversation is in your Inbox, it’s most likely because someone mentioned you. To make it so that conversations are removed from your Inbox upon being closed, you can enable the following setting:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/oj4c6rZAvajXTNHNorpX" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

This setting won’t remove conversations from your Inbox if you are **watching** them. You can always manually click the eye icon at the top-left to start watching a conversation and avoid it being auto-archived upon closing:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Zj6hvX4pIgHr7vvogNUM" alt="" width="365"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can start or stop watching a conversation by clicking the eye icon at the top-left of a conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I see where I've been mentioned?</summary>

Use the Activity feed -- click the bell icon at the top of the sidebar. It collects all your @mentions in one place. Click any mention to jump directly to that comment in the conversation.

See [Activity feed](/docs/core-features/activity-feed) for more details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I make a teammate watch a conversation automatically?</summary>

You can't directly make someone else watch a conversation, but you can use these methods to ensure a teammate sees all updates:

**Option 1: Assign the conversation**

When you assign a conversation to a teammate, they automatically start watching it. This is the simplest way to ensure someone sees all updates.

1. Click the assignment menu at the top of the conversation
2. Select the teammate to assign them
3. They'll now watch the conversation and see all new messages, comments, and task changes in their Inbox

**Option 2: Use a keyword or hashtag with rules**

Create a **User action - New comment** rule with a **Text** condition and a **Watch** action:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Rules**
2. Create a new **User action - New comment** rule
3. Add condition: **Text** contains `#watch-teammate` (or any keyword you choose)
4. Add action: **Watch** > select the teammate
5. Post a comment with `#watch-teammate` to make them watch the conversation

**Option 3: Use a label with rules**

Create a **Label change** rule:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Rules**
2. Create a new **Label change** rule
3. Add condition: **Label added** equals "Teammate watches" (or any label name)
4. Add action: **Watch** > select the teammate
5. Apply the label to make them watch the conversation

These approaches work for chat rooms, team conversations, or any scenario where you want a teammate to see all updates without @mentioning them each time.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I send a reply without closing a conversation?</summary>

Clicking **Send & Close** removes the conversation from your Inbox; this is the expected behavior. If you want to send a reply without closing the conversation, you can use the menu next to **Send & Close**, and instead pick only **Send**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/dsoHsOzK1OrDqwSuAv7v" alt="" width="276"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Alternatively, if sending without closing is the behavior you want most of the time, you can disable the following setting:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ktbpWRW0Vziq5x8UbRbV" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I trigger a series of actions from the user interface?</summary>

You can trigger series of actions using a New comment rule. To do so, create a new rule like this:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ug0u3FB90ahfVw9UZVQy" alt="Quick action rule with new comment" width="700"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For example, with the above rule, typing `/move` in the comment/chat box of a conversation will trigger the label and archive actions all at once.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can the read/seen state be shared with my colleagues?</summary>

In Missive, each user has their own (un)read state.

When reviewing conversations your coworkers are working on, seeing conversations **you** haven’t read, highlighted in blue, can help quickly target which conversations should be reviewed now VS those you have already reviewed. Also, when you select any conversation, regardless of your own read state, you can quickly see if coworkers have read it themselves by looking at their avatars at the top:

<figure><img src="/files/YNUzRrcedWXBDZ9tCRIe" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Here you can see a coworker (light green background) hasn’t read the conversation because of the little blue pin, whereas the other has read it.

Keep in mind that the primary way to triage and clean team inboxes is to assign/close conversations, not to mark them as read.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I give access someone to a conversation without moving it to their inbox?</summary>

In Missive, you can give a team access to a conversation without moving it to everyone's inbox.

1. Search for the team in the access menu
2. Switch off the 'Show in their inbox option'

<https://youtu.be/cTbAbEmb2F0>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I schedule an auto follow-up email?</summary>

Use **Send Later** with the "Discard draft if someone replies" option enabled. The email will only send if no one replies before the scheduled time.

See [Drafts](/docs/core-features/conversations/drafts#scheduling-drafts) for step-by-step instructions.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I stop receiving email notifications when I'm assigned or mentioned?</summary>

You can control how often Missive sends you email notifications for missed mentions and assignments when you are offline.

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Notifications** > **Email notifications when offline** and choose your preferred frequency: **Never**, **Once every 15 minutes**, or **Once every hour**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/fYmrWYO6vm0WzVKdLokg" alt="Stop receiving email notifications when I&#x27;m assigned or mentioned"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
If you clicked an unsubscribe link inside a Missive notification email, it set this option to **Never**. You can re-enable notifications at any time by going back to this setting and selecting a frequency.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>I'm missing @mentions, sometimes they are not in my Inbox?</summary>

It's probably because you have changed the personal option about assignment from **Keep in my Inbox** to **Remove from my Inbox** in **Settings > Organizations > Personal options**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/B3YKCvgH3eL0NaCue0WN" alt="" width="1133"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

With this setting, whenever a conversation gets closed, it is removed from your Inbox, even when you were @mentioned. This setting only excludes conversations you are **watching**.

We consider this an advanced setting that can be useful in unusual cases. It’s mainly a way for people who get too many notifications to “aggressively” clean their Inbox when coworkers close conversations. Most users should leave this setting to the **Keep in my Inbox** default.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to use ticket numbers, like in an help desk?</summary>

**Missive doesn't offer ticket numbers like a traditional** [**help desk application**](https://missiveapp.com/blog/help-desk-software-small-business)**.**

But if you need something like ticket numbers, we have a nice workaround. In Missive, each conversation has a unique ID; this ID can act as a ticket number.

If you always want to append a ticket number to your emails, you can do so with a [managed signature](/docs/core-features/aliases-and-signatures/managing-your-team-signatures). If you need to insert a ticket number from time to time, you could do so manually using a [canned response](/docs/core-features/canned-responses).

The ID of a conversation can be accessed in a canned response or a managed signature editor using the **Insert Variable** tool.

In both cases, the steps are the same:

1. Create a canned response or a managed signature.
2. Select the Insert variable tool in the canned response or managed signature editor:

   <div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/2Tg2EkAyWVHwurrnNe2U" alt=""><figcaption><p>The Insert Variable tool icon in the canned response editor.</p></figcaption></figure></div>
3. Pick the `conversation.id` variable:

   <div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/FEStosufRqVgDBGFeYF9" alt="" width="512"><figcaption><p>Select the option <strong>Never, even if no value found</strong></p></figcaption></figure></div>

   <div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/xtZmV90i0bBb7cN7MTrd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
4. With a **canned response**: In a draft, simply insert this canned response to append a ticket number to your draft. With a **managed signature**: Configure the managed signature on your email account aliases.
5. When a customer email you back about a specific ticket number, press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>L</kbd> on your keyboard and paste the ticket number (Conversation ID). You will be auto navigated to the conversation related to the ticket number:

   <div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/1YTcI6vAK7aD1PSC1HKN" alt="" width="547"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are my conversations closed when I archive them from my inbox?</summary>

It appears that you may have altered your prompt settings at some point. You can modify these settings under the **Preferences > General > Prompts** section found in each user's settings. You'll need to reset the **Archiving assigned conversations** preference to its default setting, which is **Ask**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/TtpiinseViFmZ2dftM1D" alt="Prompts settings in missive app" width="1105"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why don't I see a Close button for some conversations?</summary>

The one-click Close button only appears when a conversation is assigned to at least one person. When unassigned, the button shows "Assign to me" instead.

You can still close an unassigned conversation through:

* The Assignment menu (click the dropdown arrow next to "Assign to me", then select "Mark as closed" at the bottom)
* The Command Bar (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>, then type "close")
* Keyboard shortcut (<kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Backspace</kbd>)

Closing is tied to assignments because it removes the conversation from the assignee's Tasks view and moves it to the Closed mailbox.

Note that rooms (team rooms, 1-on-1 chats, etc.) cannot be assigned or closed—only archived.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I bulk close multiple selected conversations?</summary>

When you select multiple conversations, the bulk close option only appears if all selected items can be closed. If you don't see the close option in the actions menu, it's because you've selected a mix of items where not everything can be closed.

Team chatrooms and 1-on-1 chats cannot be assigned or closed—only archived. Make sure none of those are selected if you want to bulk close.

**To bulk close conversations:**

1. Select multiple conversations by holding <kbd>Shift</kbd> and clicking
2. Click the three-dot menu (•••) at the top
3. If all selected items can be closed, you'll see the "Mark as closed" option

You can bulk close in team inboxes (where conversations are assigned to the team) or in your inbox when all selected conversations are assigned.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is the archive box icon button not closing in the inbox?</summary>

<div align="left" data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/c5Z38m7sdaRn63y51rAn" alt="Box"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

In a team inbox the box icon always closes the conversation.

In your Inbox:

* If you are assigned to the conversation, the box icon will prompt you if you want to archive & close, or just archive.
* If you are not assigned to the conversation, the box icon archives the conversation.

Say user A is assigned to a conversation and mentions user B to ask a question. User B will see the conversation in their inbox, reply to the question, and they will want to archive the conversation from their inbox, but they may not want to close it because this conversation is still assigned to user A.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What's the difference between archive, close, and trash?</summary>

Missive has three ways to remove conversations from your inbox, each with different effects:

| Action      | Keyboard                                 | Who's affected                        | Removes assignments        | Reversible    | Where to find it |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------- | ---------------- |
| **Archive** | <kbd>Backspace</kbd>                     | Just you (or team if from team inbox) | No                         | Yes           | All mailbox      |
| **Close**   | <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>Backspace</kbd>  | Assignees (removes from Tasks)        | No                         | Yes           | Closed mailbox   |
| **Trash**   | <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Backspace</kbd> | Depends on context (see below)        | Removes you from assignees | Yes (30 days) | Trash mailbox    |

**Use archive** to clear handled conversations from your inbox while keeping them searchable in All.

**Use close** when you've finished an assigned task. The conversation moves to Closed and leaves your Tasks view.

**Use trash** to delete conversations you don't need anymore. From team inboxes, this removes the conversation for everyone. From personal inboxes, delegated users only remove their own access. Trashed emails may be permanently deleted by your email provider after a retention period (30 days for Gmail/Outlook; varies for IMAP providers).

Watch [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3GlEyaOXD8) for a detailed explanation of how archiving, closing, and assignments work together.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I trash a conversation?</summary>

Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Backspace</kbd> or click the trash icon.

**Trashing from a team inbox** removes the conversation for everyone:

* Moves to trash for everyone who has access
* Removes you from assignees (others may remain assigned)
* Clears shared labels
* Removes team inbox assignment
* Clears snooze times and pins
* Removes from inbox, archive, and unassigned views

**Trashing from a personal inbox as a delegated user** only removes your own access. Others still see the conversation. You're removed from assignees if you were assigned.

When you trash from a team inbox, you'll see a confirmation modal warning that this affects all coworkers.

{% hint style="info" %}
Trashed conversations are kept according to your email provider's retention policy. Gmail and Outlook automatically delete after 30 days. IMAP providers vary - some auto-delete, some keep trashed emails indefinitely.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I permanently delete a conversation?</summary>

Permanent deletion is a two-step process:

1. **Trash the conversation**: Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Backspace</kbd>
2. **Delete forever**: Go to the trash mailbox, select the conversation, press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Backspace</kbd> again

{% hint style="danger" %}
Only the email account owner can permanently delete conversations from the email server for everyone. This action is irreversible.
{% endhint %}

Delegated users cannot permanently delete for everyone - they can only remove their own access when attempting to delete forever.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can delegated users trash or delete conversations?</summary>

Delegated users can trash conversations, but the behavior differs based on where the conversation is trashed from:

**Trashing from a team inbox:**

* Moves the conversation to trash for everyone
* Everyone can still find it in their trash mailbox
* The conversation disappears from the team inbox for all team members

**Trashing from anywhere else (personal inbox, etc):**

* Only moves to trash for the delegated user
* Others still see the conversation in their inbox/mailboxes

**Deleting forever:**

When a conversation has been trashed for everyone, a delegated user cannot delete it forever. If they attempt to delete forever, they only delete their own access - others retain access to the conversation in Trash.

Only the email account owner can permanently delete conversations from the email server for everyone.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why do some emails in a conversation have a trash label?</summary>

This happens when your email provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) and Missive disagree on which emails belong together:

* **Email providers** typically group emails by subject line
* **Missive** groups emails by conversation thread (using Reply-To headers and other metadata)

Because of this difference, trashing can affect emails differently depending on where you trash from:

**If you trash in Missive:** All emails in the Missive conversation are trashed. But if your email provider considers some of those emails to be in different threads, only some will show the trash label in Gmail/Outlook.

**If you trash in Gmail/Outlook:** Only the emails your provider considers part of the thread are trashed. In Missive, the same conversation will show some emails trashed and some not.

**Example**: A conversation in Gmail might contain 6 emails, while in Missive it contains 8. If you trash all 6 emails in Gmail, the conversation in Missive will show 6 trashed and 2 untrashed.

The **Deleted Items** label often appears in Missive when some emails in a conversation were deleted from Outlook, but not all. This is the same threading difference described above, where Outlook groups emails differently than Missive does.

This is a display quirk caused by threading differences. It doesn't affect functionality - each platform has trashed the emails it considers part of the conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I recover a trashed conversation?</summary>

Yes, but the recovery window depends on your email provider:

* **Gmail and Outlook**: Automatically delete trashed emails after 30 days
* **IMAP providers**: Depends on the provider's settings - some auto-delete after a period, others keep trashed emails indefinitely

**To recover:**

1. Go to the trash mailbox
2. Select the conversation
3. Archive it (press <kbd>Backspace</kbd>) or move it to another mailbox

The conversation returns to its previous location, but assignments and labels are not automatically restored. You'll need to re-assign and re-label manually if needed.

{% hint style="warning" %}
For Gmail/Outlook, you have 30 days to recover. For IMAP accounts, check your email provider's trash retention policy.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens when I trash from a team inbox?</summary>

When you trash from a team inbox, you'll see a confirmation modal:

> "This affects all your coworkers. The conversation(s) will no longer be visible in any team inbox for anyone."

This prevents accidental removal of conversations others are working on.

**What happens:**

* Removes the conversation from the team inbox for everyone
* Removes you from assignees (others may remain assigned)
* Clears team assignment
* Moves to trash for everyone with access

</details>

## Navigation

<details>

<summary>How can I swipe conversations on desktop?</summary>

Press <kbd>Shift</kbd>, then hold left-click and drag a conversation to swipe it like you would on a touch device. Release the click to complete the action.

Swiping on desktop is enabled by default but can be disabled in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Swipes**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I customize swipe actions?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Swipes**. You'll find separate sections for left-to-right and right-to-left swipe directions. Each direction can have multiple actions stacked -- the action triggered depends on how far you swipe.

**To add an action:** click **Add an action** under the direction you want to configure.

**To remove an action:** click the **Remove** link next to it.

**To reorder actions:** drag the handle on the left side of each action up or down. The order determines which action fires at each swipe distance.

**To change a color:** click the color swatch next to any action. A preview bar below the action list updates in real-time.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What actions can I assign to a swipe?</summary>

Built-in swipe actions include: Remove from mailbox, Toggle read state, Assign myself, Assign..., Label as..., Move to label..., Trash, Star, Snooze, Mark as spam, and More options. The full list appears in the action picker at **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Swipes**.

UI/iFrame integrations can also register their own custom swipe actions. These appear alongside built-in actions in the swipe settings and can be added, reordered, and colored the same way.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I reset swipe actions to their defaults?</summary>

Click **Reset to defaults** below the preview bar for either the left-to-right or right-to-left swipe direction.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where can I drag and drop conversations to?</summary>

You can drag conversations to:

* **Move to a mailbox** — Drop onto a mailbox in the sidebar
* **Create a reference** — Drop onto another conversation to insert a clickable link
* **Pin** — Drop onto the Pins section in the sidebar
* **Merge** — Drop onto another conversation and confirm

</details>

## Snoozing

<details>

<summary>Can conversations be left in my inbox when I snooze them?</summary>

Yes. There is the **Leave in Inbox** option that can be checked / unchecked whenever you snooze an email, see here:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/6d4UVFFoq2ih6wQUQnYv" alt="" width="341"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

When you check or uncheck it, the state will be remembered as the default for the next time you snooze a conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why do snoozed conversations still appear in "Assigned to me"?</summary>

Snoozing only removes conversations from your **Inbox** and **Team inboxes**. Snoozed conversations remain visible in **Assigned to me**, **Assigned to others**, and other mailboxes.

To hide snoozed conversations from **Assigned to me**, apply the **Not snoozed** filter at the top:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ErHRMCMxSlQqC0WQ00Td" alt="Apply Not snoozed filter to hide snoozed conversations from Assigned to me" width="700"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where can I find snoozed conversations?</summary>

There are four ways to get to your snoozed conversations:

1. Click **+ More** > Open the **Snoozed** mailbox.
2. Click **+ More** > Open the **Calendar** (snoozed conversations appear there).
3. Click the search bar > search for `snooze` > click the snoozed mailbox in results.
4. Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>E</kbd> > type `snooze` > click **Go to snoozed**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the “Discard snooze if someone replies” option?</summary>

When snoozing with the *Discard snooze if someone replies* option, the conversation will be moved out of your inbox, and moved back at a given time **only if nobody responded** to your last email. This option is helpful for follow-ups.

</details>

<details>

<summary>When I select 'next week' it doesn’t snooze until the next Monday, why?</summary>

Are you puzzled because selecting 'next week' doesn’t snooze until the following Monday? This occurs because in your **Snooze** settings, **Next week** has been configured to be a day other than Monday.

You can modify this in your **Preferences** > **Snoozes** settings or by clicking the cog icon in the **Send later** or **Snooze** popup:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ZqpUcdSq5wEIs6h0IihN" alt="" width="923"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

When you check or uncheck it, the state will be remembered as the default for the next time you snooze a conversation.

</details>

## Comments

<details>

<summary>How can I rename a conversation?</summary>

Click on the conversation title at the top and type a new name. As conversations evolve, renaming keeps them relevant and easy to find.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/IIQioZlEyLyx1kbjn7RZ" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I use emoji reactions?</summary>

Hover over a comment and click the emoji icon to react. Emoji reactions let you respond without sending notifications—useful for quick acknowledgments, showing agreement, or voting on ideas.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I format text in comments?</summary>

Use these formatting options in comments:

* **Bold**: Wrap with `*asterisks*` or `**double asterisks**`, or press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>B</kbd>
* **Italic**: Wrap with `_underscores_` or `__double underscores__`, or press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>I</kbd>
* **Strikethrough**: Wrap with `~tildes~` or `~~double tildes~~`
* **Code**: Wrap with `` `backticks` ``
* **Quote (partial)**: Start line with `>` for a single paragraph quote
* **Quote (full)**: Start line with `>>` to quote everything that follows
* **Links**: Use `[text](url)` or press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I quickly edit my last comment?</summary>

Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>↑</kbd> while in the comment box. If your cursor isn't already at the beginning of the text, the first press moves it there; a second press navigates to your previous comment. To jump directly to the previous comment without moving the cursor first, use <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>⌥/Alt</kbd> + <kbd>↑</kbd>.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I send multiple comments at once?</summary>

Create a new private conversation, add all your comments, then merge it into the target conversation. All comments appear at once.

</details>

<details>

<summary>I have unread comments or emails but I can't find where?</summary>

The badge count includes:

* Unread conversations in team inboxes where you are an **Active member**
* Total unread in your unified **Team Inboxes** section
* 1 point if you have any unread **calendar reminders** in the Activity feed
* Pinned conversations with unread messages or comments

**Check your Activity feed:**

The **Activity feed** (bell icon at the top of the sidebar) may add 1 to your badge count if you have unread calendar reminders, regardless of how many there are. Open the Activity feed settings and uncheck **Unread** for **Calendar reminders** to exclude them from the badge.

**Check your Team Inboxes unified view:**

Click **+ More** in your left sidebar, then **Main section**, then open the **Team Inboxes** folder. You should see unread conversations there if you're an **Active member** in any teams.

To stop conversations from team inboxes affecting your badge count, open **Settings** > **Teams**, click **Edit**, then change yourself from **Active member** to **Observer**. If you're not an admin, an admin can do this for you.

**Check other pinned conversations:**

Right-click any pinned item in your sidebar and uncheck **Include in badge count** to exclude it from your notification badge.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I stop getting comments and notifications from a specific conversation?</summary>

Yes, it's possible. Click on the eye icon of a conversation and select the desired settings:

* Watch conversation: All comments will show up in your inbox.
* Unwatch conversation: Only mentions will show up in your inbox.
* Enable/disable desktop notifications.
* Enable/disable mobile notifications.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Zj6hvX4pIgHr7vvogNUM" alt="Image showing how to stop watching conversations" width="365"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to quote or reply to a comment in a different conversation?</summary>

Start by replying to a comment, then move to another conversation. The quoted comment will stay attached to the comment box until you submit it. A link to the original conversation will be included.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I add multiple lines of text in a comment before it posts?</summary>

You need to press <kbd>⌥/Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Return</kbd> to insert a new line in the chat box.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I delete a comment?</summary>

Owners and Admins can delete other people's comment, Members can only delete their own.

Click on the more icon (3 dots) on the right side of the comment and click Delete. The message will be deleted for everyone in the conversation and it cannot be undone.

<figure><img src="/files/d3gNGVi1TrTieNcEmMJp" alt="Image showing how to delete a comment" width="327"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the maximum file size for attachments in Missive comments?</summary>

For users with a free plan, you can attach files up to 100MB per comment in Missive's internal chat. However, if you have a paid plan, you can attach files up to 1GB per comment.

Please note this is separate from the 25MB total file size limit for email attachments. Learn more about email attachments [here](broken://pages/4klBac9tm8V7hzNxPQv0#undefined).

</details>

## Drafts

<details>

<summary>How to change the language of the spell check?</summary>

**macOS**

In the Missive app for Mac, spell check language should be detected automatically with no need to customize it.

If the spell check appears to not be working, you may need to change your macOS Keyboard > Text Input preferences.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/yUwx77p7qfWjanHUkm5o" alt="Image showing how to configure spell check language on macOS" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Windows**

On Windows, you can customize spell check dictionaries to use up to 3 at the same time. To do so, write some random text in the draft composer or the chatbox, then right-click the text, and you will see the dictionary list you can customize. See the following image:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/TaGn8Hzg3b0KPjHtGpv3" alt="Image showing how to enable spell check dictionaries on Windows" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I compose messages in a right-to-left script? (Arabic, Hebrew)</summary>

**Yes!** In the draft composer, Missive automatically switches a paragraph to RTL (right-to-left script) when starting the paragraph with an RTL character. It also adds an RTL button to the toolbar when that’s the case if you need to switch back to left-to-right.

<figure><img src="/files/wAHBaVPFjl43uSdqG2lz" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I restore a discarded draft?</summary>

Yes, it's possible. Here's how:

1. Go to your All mailbox.
2. Click on the empty conversation.
3. Click on the dark grey word draft (see image below).
4. In the new window, click on Restore.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Iw988uXtw2DGvM5rSntY" alt="Image showing how to restore a draft" width="540"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can the draft composer be inline and not in a window?</summary>

Yes, there are three ways you can open the draft composer:

* **In new window**. This option is great when you want your draft to be independent from the app's window.
* **In popup**. Perfect when you need to focus only on the draft.
* **Inline**. This last option is ideal when you want to see previous messages when drafting a new one.

You can access this setting in the "Composing" section of the preferences.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ScCtapntNErra3RaDBdH" alt="Image showing the different draft composer settings" width="1170"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you offer draft collision detection?</summary>

Missive [offers more than collision detection](https://missiveapp.com/features/collaborative-writing). Whenever someone starts replying to an email, coworkers will see this new reply being composed in real-time. So you not only see your coworker has started replying, but you see what they are replying. You can even open their draft and edit it simultaneously, just like on Google Docs.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I auto Bcc an email address on all my sent emails?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**, select your account, scroll to **Auto CC / BCC**, and enter your address.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/oBQsPcwjkxCTXbBmIBaH" alt="" width="628"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the default font color in the draft composer?</summary>

Changing the default color of the draft composer is not possible. You can manually change the color of your text in the composer by selecting the text tools, then clicking the color icon.

Changing text color in emails is not advised as it overwrites your recipient’s preferences.

Some people need to read the text in a specific color for health reasons; not using the default one prevents them from using their preference.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I insert an attachment?</summary>

Inside the email composer, on the bottom, click on the clip icon.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/I7ZVcaVsxAAp5nTYFhly" alt="Image showing where to attach a file" width="400"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I insert my own sentences in between the quoted part of a draft?</summary>

You can press the <kbd>Return</kbd> key multiple times until all quote level are removed:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/UNRxeRwXJZ4j7zQTPYzC" alt="Insert your own sentences in between the quoted part of a draft in Missive" width="617"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I recover a discarded draft?</summary>

To find back a discarded draft, open the **All** folder in your left sidebar (you may need to click **+ More** to open it), then you should see an empty conversation that says **`New conversation`**, select it, and you should see a line that says *You discarded a draft* which you can click to restore the draft.

If the draft was in response to another message, you would not see “New conversation”; you would see the previous message’s subject.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to insert an inline image in a draft?</summary>

**How to insert an inline image in a draft?**

**To insert an inline image, you can:**

1. Drag and drop the image directly to the draft composer, in the text area.
2. Click the attachment icon in the toolbar, select your image, then drag the attachment from the bottom tray to the body of the email.

**To attach an image to the draft as a normal attachment:**

1. Drag and drop it on the composer toolbar
2. Click the attachment icon in the toolbar, select your image.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/gG73suEVnxPFwkwunSDg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to schedule a follow-up reminder when writing a draft?</summary>

Use **Send & Snooze** to send your email and set a follow-up reminder in one action. The conversation returns to your Inbox at the scheduled time if no one replies.

See [Drafts](/docs/core-features/conversations/drafts#scheduling-drafts) for details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to send an email to an email list?</summary>

You can send email to Contact **groups** and **organizations**.

Contacts can be grouped into both organizations and groups. Organizations are typically used to map a group of related contacts (businesses). Each contact in an organization can have a title, department, and location. Groups are used to group unrelated contacts.

You can quickly send an email to everyone in a group or organization by searching for the organization or group name in the To/CC field of your draft.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/5zan90TBX07zMOF9somY" alt="Send emails to a group of people" width="813"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to Send and Archive by default?</summary>

The **Send** button has a little arrow menu on the right that offers alternate options, such as **Send & Archive**.

You may want to enable the **Send & Archive by default** setting so that your default **Send** button in the composer becomes **Send & Archive** instead. This lets you reply to and archive conversations in one click.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/P9NrMMnjNIZWJVxhJ2Fz" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

<br>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to auto Bcc (Cc) based on recipients?</summary>

Yes, it is possible, with an outgoing message [rule](/docs/advanced-features/rules) that looks like:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ujl47e7eXLsp0SGCVkmx" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Make sure to create both a personal and organization rule if you sometimes reply in private and/or shared conversations. See [Personal vs organization rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules#personal-vs-organization-rules).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to dynamically BCC an email address in my sent emails?</summary>

It’s possible to add BCC addresses to outgoing emails based on some conditions thanks to [**Rules**](/docs/advanced-features/rules). You can create a rule that says “When outgoing email has label X, add <example@crm.com> as BCC”. See this example:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/2lunztLY0uzLiPHT52KD" alt="" width="707"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are BCC recipients not included when I reply to all?</summary>

By default, BCC recipients are excluded when you reply to all. This prevents accidentally revealing to other recipients that someone was blind copied on the original email.

To include BCC recipients when replying to all, enable the **Include BCC recipients when replying to all** setting in **Settings** > **Preferences**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Should I change the font size if my recipients complain it’s too big or small?</summary>

No, using Missive’s default font size when writing emails is the best option because you are telling Missive to not force any font size on your emails. This means that whatever font size your recipients see on their end is according to their preference. If they say it’s too big or small, they most likely have a Zoom or Font size setting they can adjust in their email app.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Who has access to my drafts?</summary>

When someone starts a reply, everyone with access to the conversation will see it appear in their Drafts mailbox.

New drafts that aren’t replies (created by clicking **New email** at the top left of the main window) are private to the person who created them. To share it with coworkers, you must invite them by **@mentioning** them in the chat box or clicking the little character icon at the top of the window.

To discard a draft, open it first then click the little trash icon at the bottom, as shown in the screenshot below. This will remove the conversation from everyone’s Drafts mailbox. It will not delete any other message in the conversation.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/E4mZscj0ZTmbeT13yCPU" alt="" width="340"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is a conversation still listed in the drafts mailbox after I sent my email?</summary>

If the conversation is still listed in the drafts mailbox after you sent it, you have an unsent draft somewhere in the conversation. You should scroll up to find this unwanted draft and delete it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my email account Drafts folder not synced?</summary>

Missive does not synchronize drafts with Gmail, Office 365 or IMAP server for technical reasons. Missive drafts are 100% collaborative (like Google Docs), so it is very hard for us to synchronize them with email server drafts which are non-collaborative.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is my spell check app (Grammarly, LanguageTool, ...) is not working?</summary>

For your spell checker browser extension to work in Missive, make sure you have enabled this [Preferences](https://mail.missiveapp.com/?settings=Preferences\&search=spell):

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/m0gHUjgTRjTuHDaRkYu9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why is there a [draft] token on my conversation?</summary>

If you see a draft token (as shown in the image below) and are not sure why, it means that higher in the conversation you have a draft you never sent or discarded. Just scroll up to find it.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/FLLJyxYpfkEMNWoCgJao" alt="" width="380"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

## Attachments

<details>

<summary>Can I save an attachment for later?</summary>

Yes. You can save an attachment for later by right-clicking on it and selecting **Save for Later**.

Saved attachments are accessible from the Attachments section, making it easy to find them again without reopening the original conversation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the attachment limit for an email?</summary>

Most email clients, including Missive, limit the size of email attachments to 25 MB or less because email providers often block larger attachments.

{% hint style="info" %}
The attachment size limit depends on your email provider, not Missive.
{% endhint %}

For example, Gmail and Microsoft 365 (previously Office 365) both have an attachment limit of 25 MB. However, an administrator of a Microsoft 365 account can increase the limit to 150 MB. It's important to verify with recipients before sending large attachments as they may not be able to receive large messages depending on their email provider or the software they are using.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I delete attachments from an email in Missive?</summary>

No. Attachments can’t be deleted independently from an email.

Missive is an email client that mirrors what’s stored on your email provider. Since attachments are part of the original email message, they can only be removed by deleting the email itself. If an attachment exists on your email server, it will also appear in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I re-attach an attachment from an email to draft?</summary>

You can re-attach an attachment directly without downloading it first; click on the **Save for Later** option, then you can easily click the attachment icon in another draft to re-attach it.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/bIkZkOB7Gf6RhtPgK811" alt="Save for later an attachment" width="410"><figcaption><p><a href="https://youtu.be/MbqMh53HJRI">https://youtu.be/MbqMh53HJRI</a></p></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are image attachments displayed instead of showing their filename?</summary>

Some image attachments are displayed inline instead of showing their filename.

This happens when the email includes images meant to be viewed directly, such as screenshots or photos, rather than traditional downloadable files.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can image attachments display their filename instead of being auto-expanded?</summary>

You can modify how your image attachments are displayed in your emails to appear as attachments with their file names displayed instead of being automatically expanded in the email body.

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** and uncheck **Expand image attachments**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/CUVh6dJhkKzsP9mKVyCj" alt="Image attachment in email setting to expand them in emails body"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Images will now be displayed alongside other attachments, with their filenames visible.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Pf5PWJ7GVry48nKdZlQl" alt="Image attachment displayed alongside other attachments with their filenames visible"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I forward an email attachment?</summary>

To forward an attachment, open the email containing it and use the Forward option.

You can also download the attachment and manually attach it to a new email if needed.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can you forward an email as an attachment?</summary>

In Missive, you can easily send an email as an attachment without having to download it first. To do this, you can click on **Save for later**. Then, when you're composing your new email, you can easily attach the email.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/QhtK6qmfwLOsk0QNr1Qs" alt="Save for later an email" width="536"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Alternatively, you can also download the email in `.eml` format.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I include an email from another conversation in my reply?</summary>

When you reply within a thread, the previous messages are already quoted in the draft by default. If you want to bring in an email from a different conversation so an external recipient can reference it, drag-and-drop isn't supported. Use this workflow:

1. Open the email from the other conversation, click the **•••** menu, and select **Save for later**.
2. In your draft, click the attachment icon and pick the saved email. It attaches as an `.eml` file the recipient can open in their own email client.

</details>


# Triage and assignment

Triage incoming messages and assign work to team members efficiently.

## Assignment <a href="#assignment" id="assignment"></a>

Missive offers an intuitive assignment flow. Out of the box, any conversation can be assigned to individuals or teams (Sales, Support, etc.).

**You can either configure all messages received in an account to be consumed from:**

* A [team inbox](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) where they will be triaged by a team or
* Assign an email directly from your personal inbox to a colleague for quick and easy delegation.

When a conversation gets assigned to you, it appears at the top of your **Inbox**.

{% hint style="info" %}
The assignment flows described here can be used with shared accounts of any kind ([email](https://missiveapp.com/features/email), [WhatsApp](https://missiveapp.com/features/whatsapp), [Facebook](https://missiveapp.com/features/messenger), [Twilio SMS](https://missiveapp.com/features/sms)) as well as [shared addresses](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts#shared-addresses).
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/JNK7ths1eLzkahlfaL2o" alt="Easily assign to the right stakeholders" width="563"><figcaption><p>You can easily assign conversations to anyone from the assignment menu at top of all conversations.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

## Triage a shared inbox <a href="#triaging-a-shared-inbox" id="triaging-a-shared-inbox"></a>

When dealing with a lot of requests, it can be counter-productive for everyone to see all messages all the time. You may want to add a triage step where some teammate(s) dispatch messages to the relevant people. In Missive, you can do this with a **team inbox**, learn more in the [Team Inboxes guide](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes).

Let’s say we enable a **Team Inbox** for the account **<orders@missiveapp.com>** and select the **🎯 Sales** team. All team members can now see incoming messages in the **🎯 Sales** team inbox from the left sidebar.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4YrENlrkQdmwJ3ypXwN6" alt="Every conversations can be assigned" width="1200"><figcaption><p>You can easily assign conversations to anyone, once assigned, those conversations can be viewed in the team tasks view.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

## Find conversations assigned to a teammate <a href="#assigned-to-teammates" id="assigned-to-teammates"></a>

There are multiple ways to find conversations assigned to a teammate:

* Expand a **team inbox** and select **Assigned to others**
* Apply the **Assigned to** filter in a team inbox (or sub-inboxes like Assigned to others, Closed, All)
* Apply the **Assigned to** filter in the team tasks view to monitor the status of conversations assigned to a teammate

{% hint style="info" %}
When you apply a filter to a view, you can save this filtered view in your sidebar by clicking the green **Pin** button (or pin icon) at the top of the view.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ytMLewgGf6eHxBVbfj2j" alt="Every conversations can be assigned" width="563"><figcaption><p>How to find conversations assigned to a specific member in the tasks view</p></figcaption></figure></div>

## Tasks <a href="#tasks" id="tasks"></a>

For conversations that are used as projects, [granular assignment of tasks](/docs/core-features/tasks) can also be used. You will get the same consistent experience whether an individual task or a whole conversation is assigned to you: the conversation will appear in your **Tasks** view.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/TNxWGI2hzqDQt3a5fGp0" alt="Tasks view showing conversations and individual tasks assigned to me" width="1200"><figcaption><p>The Tasks view shows both conversations and individual tasks assigned to you in one place.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

## Keyboard shortcuts <a href="#keyboard-shortcuts" id="keyboard-shortcuts"></a>

You can easily assign, reopen and close conversations using the keyboard:

| Shortcut                                            | Action                                                              |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> | Open the assignment pop-up                                          |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>D</kbd>                    | Assign yourself as the only assignee and remove all other assignees |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>D</kbd> | Keep the existing assignees and add yourself to the list            |


# Triage FAQ

Common questions about triaging and assigning conversations in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I assign someone to a conversation when I tag them in the chat?</summary>

You can create an organization rule to automatically assign a conversation to someone when you tag them in the chat.

To do so, create a rule that triggers on new comments like this one:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/1adx1xajHcFVPjifUsaw" alt="Assign someone to a conversation when tagged in the comment" width="700"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I prevent conversations from being automatically assigned when someone replies?</summary>

Assignment behavior when replying is controlled by your team's **Assignment options**. Go to **Settings** > **Teams**, click **Edit** next to the team, and scroll to the bottom to find **Assignment options**.

{% hint style="info" %}
Assignment options apply to all conversation types in that team. If your team handles both email and SMS, and you only want to change the assignment behavior for SMS, you need to separate them into two distinct teams.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I auto-assign emails to the sender?</summary>

You can create an **Outgoing message** rule to automatically assign the sender to a conversation if it hasn't already been assigned to someone.

To do so, create a rule that triggers on outgoing emails like this one:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/boyaV11QWov0mFG24SLr" alt="Outgoing email rule to auto-assign sender" width="695"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You probably want to add the **Close** action too so the conversation is not added back to the sender **Inbox**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can conversations be removed from my Inbox when closed by a colleague?</summary>

When a user closes, it always removes the conversation from their Inbox. But it does not remove the conversation from the Inbox of other users, at least by default.

There is a personal setting that each user can optionally set so that when a coworker closes a conversation that’s in their Inbox, it is removed from there:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/B3YKCvgH3eL0NaCue0WN" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>What will the assigned filter show?</summary>

When applying the filter Assigned to (Person A) on a search or a mailbox, the results will include both conversations assigned to Person A as well as conversations includind tasks assigned to Person A.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I stop receiving email notifications when I'm assigned or mentioned?</summary>

You can control how often Missive sends you email notifications for missed mentions and assignments when you are offline.

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Notifications** > **Email notifications when offline** and choose your preferred frequency: **Never**, **Once every 15 minutes**, or **Once every hour**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/fYmrWYO6vm0WzVKdLokg" alt="Stop receiving email notifications when I&#x27;m assigned or mentioned"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
If you clicked an unsubscribe link inside a Missive notification email, it set this option to **Never**. You can re-enable notifications at any time by going back to this setting and selecting a frequency.
{% endhint %}

</details>


# Team inboxes

Manage shared email accounts with team inboxes. See unassigned work and claim tasks.

A **Team Inbox** is a shared queue where new messages appear instead of going to individual inboxes. When anyone assigns, archives, or closes a message, it disappears from the team inbox for everyone. This makes it ideal for teams who want a "triage" step that cleans up messages for all coworkers at once.

{% hint style="info" %}
Team inboxes work with email accounts, Google groups, distribution lists, SMS, live chats, custom API accounts, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger.
{% endhint %}

With team inboxes, everyone is on the same page. No messages get missed and no two people work on the same message at the same time.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Example:** Enable the **Team Inbox** flow for <support@conferencebadge.com> and select the **Support** team. All team members can now see incoming messages in the **Support** team inbox from the left sidebar.
{% endhint %}

## How it works

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**View the team inbox**

Select the team inbox from your sidebar. You will find all the emails, SMS, or other messages that have not been answered or assigned to anyone yet.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4YrENlrkQdmwJ3ypXwN6" alt="Every conversations can be assigned" width="1189"><figcaption><p>If you can't find the team inbox in your sidebar, click the + More link and open it.</p></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Triage messages**

From the team inbox, you can directly reply to a message and assign it to yourself or assign messages to colleagues. A message can also be transferred to another team if it was addressed by the customer to the wrong one.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/JNK7ths1eLzkahlfaL2o" alt="Easily assign to the right stakeholders" width="563"><figcaption><p>Easily assign to the right stakeholders.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

Once assigned, assignees get a notification and can find the conversation at the top of their Missive Inbox. If a message does not need to be assigned or replied to (e.g. newsletter) it can be archived, marked as spam or [trashed](/docs/core-features/conversations/faq#what-happens-when-i-trash-from-a-team-inbox).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Close the conversation**

When the assignee has completed their draft, they can click the **Send & Close** button to deliver the email and close the assignment. If a new reply is received in a closed conversation, the conversation will be moved back into the assignee's Inbox. Only the assignee(s) will receive a notification for this new reply, not all the team members.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/JavOEnkn56YkFHLlMH4R" alt="Send your reply and close the assignment in one click" width="563"><figcaption><p>Send your reply and close the assignment in one click.</p></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Need to balance the assigned workload? Missive lets you automatically distribute your team's workload with four distinct [balancing methods](/docs/advanced-features/rules/workload-balancing). You can select one of them by [creating a rule](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/advanced-features/rules/rules-backup/README.md) with the **Assign user(s)** action.
{% endhint %}


# Creating a team

Create team spaces to organize shared accounts and collaborate with colleagues.

A team groups colleagues who collaborate on shared conversations. Each team has a **team space** in the sidebar that can include a team inbox, tasks, and a chat room.

You can create a team in several ways:

* On the fly in the onboarding process
* When connecting an account (email, SMS, or other channels)
* Directly in **Settings** > **Teams** > **Create Team**

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Team basics**

**Name, color and emoji**

Give your team a name and customize it with a highlight color and emoji. For example: ⛑️ **Support** in red, 💰 **Sales** in green, or 🔧 **Engineering** in blue.

**Active members and Observers**

When creating a team, you can define two types of users:

* **Active members** receive notifications for new messages. They see conversations listed in the [Team Inboxes](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) mailbox in addition to the team inbox.
* **Observers** do not receive notifications and see conversations listed in the team inbox only. Ideal for managers who want to monitor work without being flooded with notifications.

**Dedicated inbox**

You can choose to have a dedicated inbox or not. Turning it off is useful if you only want to create a team for internal mentions or chats.

**Dedicated chat room**

You can decide if you want the team to have its own chat room.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/GYerQJOpT1i91EEzcDgU" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Sidebar customization**

Choose how this team will appear in your sidebar. Missive offers two display options:

* **Show team space** (default) — Includes the team inbox, tasks, and room. Ideal if your team regularly collaborates using tasks or the team chat room.
* **Show only the team inbox** — Keeps your sidebar minimal, showing just the inbox without tasks or room.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/E4n9Ji28vQoETsNFmoLc" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Business rules**

**Business hours**

This setting helps [Missive Analytics](/docs/advanced-features/analytics) accurately measure [Reply time and First reply time](/docs/advanced-features/analytics/reports#users) by excluding contacts made outside business hours.

You can also use business hours in [Rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules) to measure SLA conditions like "Unreplied and open after" only during working hours, excluding nights, weekends, and holidays.

**Inactivity period**

Determines when to segment long conversations so that people reusing old threads for new inquiries count as new conversations in your [analytics](/docs/advanced-features/analytics).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/vHaByu0z263ME3SEFTrH" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Conversation rules**

**Mention options**

When a user mentions the team in a comment:

* Add only active members to the conversation (default)
* Add both active members and observers to the conversation

**Assignment options**

When a user replies to a message from a team inbox:

* Assign the conversation to that user (default)
* Leave the conversation in the team Inbox

When a reply is received in an already assigned conversation:

* Move conversation to the assignee's Inbox (default)
* Move conversation back to the team Inbox

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/XUUWUl8hjaeivp0EfwSG" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}


# Team Inboxes FAQ

Common questions about team inboxes and shared workspaces in Missive.

<details>

<summary>What’s the purpose of the Inbox when using team inboxes?</summary>

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/YBsPO22m0nzVjUo1A3GL" alt="Unified inbox VS team inboxes" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Inbox**

The **Inbox** is the place where you consume everything that concerns you:

* An email is received in one of your personal accounts.
* A coworker mentions you in a conversation.
* A coworker invites you to a conversation you had no prior access.
* A coworker posts a comment in a conversation you are [watching](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/core-features/conversations/watching-and-unwatching.md).
* A coworker assigns you to a conversation.
* A closed conversation assigned to you is reopened.
* A conversation you had snoozed reaches its “snoozed until” time.

You will never miss anything important as long as you monitor your **Inbox** closely.

**Team inboxes**

[Team inboxes](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) offer a way to add a triaging step before emails reach the personal inbox of team members.

Some small businesses work without this triaging step; everyone just receives all emails in their **Inbox**, where they discuss and act on each email. Everyone archives each conversation when they see fit.

For businesses with an important flow of emails, this can get noisy. It’s better if one person can clear emails for everyone at once, by either archiving or assigning conversations, which is exactly what **team inboxes** do. When someone gets assigned to a conversation, the conversation is moved to their personal **Inbox**. So even if your team is using a *Team Inbox*, the **Inbox** is still everyone’s primary inbox.

Read more about [Triage and assignment](/docs/core-features/triage-and-assignment).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I see all my shared inboxes in one place?</summary>

Yes, the **Team Inboxes** mailbox gives you a unified view of conversations in the team inboxes you actively work on (teams you are an **Active member** of). It does not include conversations of team inboxes in which you are an **Observer**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/xVr938RXKLcWwqe5IsE0" alt="Team Inboxes mailbox" width="563"><figcaption><p>Press <strong>+ More</strong> > Main section to show the Team Inboxes unified mailbox in your sidebar.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

Let’s say you are an active member of both the **📈 Sales** and **🆘 Support** teams. When you arrive at the office in the morning, instead of opening each team inbox separately, you can open the **Team Inboxes** mailbox and see everything in one place.

Read more about [Triage and assignment](/docs/core-features/triage-and-assignment).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Inbox vs. Team Inbox: what’s the difference when sharing an account?</summary>

In Missive, shared accounts and addresses offer a few settings for different workflows:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/yX1OTCvbgbLMFW3JvqiY" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Team Inbox**

When choosing **Team Inbox**, new messages appear in the **Team Inbox** instead of the Inbox. The **Team Inbox** is shared among its team members, meaning that whenever a message is assigned / archived / closed / [trashed](/docs/core-features/conversations/faq#what-happens-when-i-trash-from-a-team-inbox), it will be removed from the **Team Inbox** for everyone. This is useful for teams who want a "triage" step that will clean up messages for all coworkers at once.

Let’s say we enable the **Team Inbox** flow for the account **<support@conferencebadge.com>** and select the ⛑️ **Support** team. All team members can now see incoming messages in the ⛑️ **Support** team inbox from the left sidebar.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4YrENlrkQdmwJ3ypXwN6" alt="Every conversations can be assigned" width="1189"><figcaption><p>You can easily assign conversations to anyone.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

When creating a team, you can define two types of users:

**Active members** receive notifications for new messages. They see conversations listed in the [Team Inboxes](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes) mailbox in addition to the team inbox.

**Observers** do not receive notifications and see conversations listed in the team inbox only. This is perfect for **managers** who want to monitor the work being done but don’t want to be flooded with notifications.

These settings are available in the **Organizations > Message sharing** tab. You can read more about [triaging and assignment in this guide](/docs/core-features/triage-and-assignment).

**Inbox**

When choosing **Inbox**, new messages are received in each user's **Inbox** or are automatically archived (based on the sharing settings, see image below).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/spdKDsXANZ9uit6LL6qv" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For users receiving new messages in their Inbox, conversations remain unread in their Inbox until they read / archive / [trash](/docs/core-features/conversations/faq#how-do-i-trash-a-conversation) it themselves. This is useful for people who want to stay master of their Inbox and see all messages that have been received and answered by anyone.

For auto-archived users, conversations will be searchable and accessible in their **All** mailbox at all times. Perfect for people who want to access all messages in an account without being distracted by notifications.

**Shared Inbox flowchart**

Take a look [at this flowchart](https://lucid.app/documents/embeddedchart/0d3cf413-76e7-456c-aacf-b828a5b10886) to get a deep understanding of how shared inboxes work in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a unified view of all my team inboxes?</summary>

Yes, the **Team Inboxes** unified mailbox. Add it to your sidebar via **+ More** > **Main section** > **Team Inboxes**.

**Here is how it works:**

When creating a team, you can define two types of users: **Active members** and **Observers**.

* **Active members** receive notifications for all new messages and chat comments. They see conversations listed in the **Team Inboxes** unified mailbox and the team inbox itself.
* **Observers** do not receive notifications and only see conversations listed in the team inbox. This is perfect for managers who want to monitor the work being done but don’t want to be flooded with notifications.

<figure><img src="/files/h3cx8DNx2tiWO6C9G2pP" alt="" width="1129"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

The **Team Inboxes** unified mailbox is particularly useful when you are an active member of several teams (e.g. Sales, Support, and Accounting). Instead of jumping between each team inbox to find unassigned conversations, you can monitor the unified **Team Inboxes** mailbox and handle everything from a single view.

You can [read more here](/docs/core-features/triage-and-assignment).

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens when I trash a conversation from a team inbox?</summary>

When you trash from a team inbox, you'll see a confirmation modal:

> "This affects all your coworkers. The conversation(s) will no longer be visible in any team inbox for anyone."

This prevents accidental removal of conversations others are working on.

**What happens:**

* Removes the conversation from the team inbox for everyone
* Removes all assignees
* Clears team assignment
* Moves to trash for everyone with access

See [Conversations FAQ](/docs/core-features/conversations/faq#what-happens-when-i-trash-from-a-team-inbox) for complete trash documentation.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I trash conversations as an Observer or delegated user?</summary>

**Delegated users** can trash conversations, but the behavior differs based on context:

* **From a team inbox**: Trashes the conversation for everyone
* **From anywhere else**: Only trashes the delegated user's access (others retain access)

**Observers** have similar behavior - they can trash, but from non-team locations it only affects their own access.

**Deleting forever:**

Delegated users and Observers cannot delete conversations forever for everyone. They can only remove their own access when attempting to delete forever.

See [Conversations FAQ](/docs/core-features/conversations/faq#can-delegated-users-trash-or-delete-conversations) for complete details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What are the meanings of the user avatars?</summary>

**Orange clock icon:**\
User has snoozed the conversation.

**Blue dot (top right corner):**\
User has not read all emails in the conversation.

**Greyed avatar:**\
User has archived the conversation.

**Colored avatar:**\
User has the conversation in their Inbox or Team Inboxes.

**Blue allow:**\
User is currently viewing the conversation:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/bmgyPZGA3iBvhLA9e4mE" alt="Image showing user avatars"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can a conversation be manually moved to a team inbox?</summary>

A conversation can be assigned/moved to a team inbox by simply dragging it directly into a team inbox in the sidebar.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/vcKeVsH4i843QeTK6MXv" alt="" width="558"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

On mobile, or if you prefer not to drag and drop, you can use the assignment menu to move a conversation to a team inbox too.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on how many teams an organization can have?</summary>

Yes. An organization can have up to **1,000 teams**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I move teams between organizations?</summary>

No, you cannot transfer teams between different organizations. If you need to split or transfer teams to another organization, you must unshare the accounts from the current organization and then reshare them with the new one.

Note that this process will result in the deletion of all associated chats and comments from the previous organization (once the shared account becomes a personal account). This data will be permanently lost.

Learn more about [email sharing configuration](/docs/core-features/connected-accounts).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I share an email address with multiple teams?</summary>

Conversations from a single email address can't be received in multiple team inboxes. However, you could use a rule to apply a shared label, and share that label with multiple teams. Teams could then open the label in their sidebar.

To create a rule to apply a shared label simply do as follows:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/KcvLh9brUI3uhhoMuHUM" alt="Rule to apply a shared label to share conversation with multiple teams"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I balance my team's workload?</summary>

Missive lets you automatically distribute your team's workload with four distinct [balancing methods](/docs/advanced-features/rules/workload-balancing). You can select one of them by [creating a rule](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/advanced-features/rules/rules-backup/README.md) with the Assign user(s) action.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/AFJZaFE5K2MghQrb5EwX" alt="Screenshot of Missive&#x27;s workload balance methods in rules" width="511"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to open team sub-mailboxes (Closed, Sent &#x26; All)?</summary>

1. Open the team space in the sidebar.
2. Click on the arrow left of the team inbox to expand the sub-mailboxes.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/tOOlMRqOWMczYiOXJCoe" alt="Screenshot showing how to open team sub-mailboxes (Closed, Sent &#x26; All)" width="214"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why did a conversation get moved to a different team inbox "by message"?</summary>

This happens when the **Have a single conversation in one team inbox** setting is enabled in **Settings** > **Organizations**, and a new message in the thread is addressed to a connected account belonging to a different team in your organization.

Because that setting keeps only one copy of a conversation across your teams, Missive moves the conversation to the team inbox associated with the account that received (or sent) the latest message. The conversation event will show it was moved "by message" to indicate this was triggered automatically by an incoming or outgoing email rather than by a team member.

For example: a conversation starts in the **Sales** team inbox (a customer emails <sales@conferencebadge.com>). The Sales team replies but adds the Support team's shared account (<support@conferencebadge.com>) in CC. Because the outgoing message from sales@ is also sent to support@, Missive moves the conversation to the **Support** team inbox.

If you want each team inbox to keep its own copy instead, switch the organization setting to **Have a copy in each team inbox**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens if the same email is sent to multiple team inboxes?</summary>

When an email is sent to multiple team inboxes (e.g. sales@, production@), the behavior depends on your organization settings:

1. **Duplicate Conversations (Default)**: The conversation will be duplicated in each team inbox. A note is added to both conversations with a link to easily merge them together.
2. **Single Conversation**: The email will only create one conversation in a single team inbox. The inbox is chosen based on team name ordering (alphabetically). This helps prevent duplicate work and keeps all responses in one place.

You can change this behavior in **Settings > Organization** under "Email sent to multiple teams" options.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/0aVjUQsEKvsFoD2orFA5" alt="Organization settings showing email handling options for multiple teams" width="766"><figcaption><p>Organization settings page showing options for handling emails sent to multiple teams</p></figcaption></figure></div>

<br>

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens when an email is sent to multiple team inboxes?</summary>

When an email is sent to multiple team inboxes, it is duplicated in each team inbox.

To help you manage these conversations, an indication will appear under each email, to let you know that it has been duplicated. This way, you can keep track of which conversations have been duplicated and which ones are unique to a specific team inbox.

If a team member from one team inbox closes their conversation, it will remain open for the other teams. To simplify things, you can merge the conversations back together with just one click. This makes it easier to manage conversations across multiple inboxes, without the risk of missing an important message.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why I’m seeing all emails in a team even if I’m not part of it?</summary>

When you import an email account into Missive, you gain access to all of its content, regardless of whether you're part of the team associated with that email account.

If you prefer not to have access to the content of an email account, you can [transfer it to a team member](https://missiveapp.com/faq/email-account-ownership-transfer).

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I show most recent messages at the top and oldest at the bottom?</summary>

Missive does not offer a way to show latest emails (messages) at the top mainly because of its collaborative nature.

In Missive, each conversation is a chat room in itself. You can add chat comments in between emails, and the natural order for chat is top to bottom.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/MuWNKQPGRnzwrfZBTwmm" alt="Image showing collaboration in Missive" width="1200"><figcaption><p>Here is an example of a collaborative conversation with emails and chat in between.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to edit the active members and observers of a team?</summary>

To edit the active members and observers of a team:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Teams**.
2. Click **Edit** next to the team.
3. Select **active members** and **observers** from the dropdown.
4. Then click **Save** at the bottom of the modal.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/1sxjtxGxMnJRGu8alFNv" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>


# Search and filter

Search conversations by keyword, date, sender, label, and more.

Missive’s search and filters help you quickly find conversations, messages, files, and participants across your personal and shared mailboxes. You can search from anywhere and refine your results using filters to narrow things down.

### Searching in Missive

When you start typing in the search bar, Missive shows suggestions such as labels, recipients, domains, or mailboxes. Selecting one of these does not apply a filter to your search. Instead, it navigates you to that specific view.

**For example:**

* Selecting a label takes you to that label’s inbox (every label is its own mailbox).
* Selecting a past recipient shows all conversations with that person.
* Selecting a domain opens its dedicated view.

These suggestions help you jump quickly to an existing view rather than refining your search. Press <kbd>Tab</kbd> before selecting to navigate without pinning the item to your sidebar.

If you want to filter your results instead of navigating, use the **Filters menu** or the inline filter chips (Who, Where, When).

<figure><img src="/files/jZExkuOJP0Aj2lDaB26a" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Filters

Filters let you narrow results based on specific criteria. You can combine them to quickly isolate what you’re looking for, such as conversations from a specific sender or domain, within a specific date range, items with attachments, or messages in a specific channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger).

#### Filters categories

You can filter by the following property in Missive.

<table><thead><tr><th width="218.88671875">Type</th><th>Filters</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Accounts</strong></td><td>Limit results to specific accounts or channels</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Status / mailboxes</strong></td><td>Inbox, Team Inbox, Starred, Not starred, Snoozed, Not snoozed, My drafts, Drafts, Send later, My sent, Sent, Comments, Open, Closed, Trash, Spam</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Date range</strong></td><td>Anytime, Last 7 days, Last 4 weeks, Last 3 months, Last 6 months, Last 12 months, Custom range</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Type</strong></td><td>Internal or external conversations</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Domains / addresses</strong></td><td>Filter by a specific address or domain</td></tr><tr><td><strong>From / To</strong></td><td>Filter by direct participants</td></tr><tr><td><strong>CC/BCC</strong></td><td>Filter by carbon-copy and blind-copy recipients</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Email subject</strong></td><td>Match keywords in subject lines</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Email body</strong></td><td>Match text inside email content</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Assigned to</strong></td><td>Assigned to me, assigned to others, or select specific teammates</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Teams and organizations</strong></td><td>Filter by the team or organization the conversation belongs to</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Labels</strong></td><td>Show conversations with selected labels</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Unread</strong></td><td>Only show unread conversations</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Has tasks</strong></td><td>Only show conversations containing tasks</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Has attachments</strong></td><td>Only show conversations with files attached</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
**Missive also supports Google and Outlook search operators:**\
If your email provider is Gmail/Google Workspace or Microsoft/Outlook, you can use their native operators (eg. has:attachment) directly in the search bar. [Google search operators](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/7190) · [Outlook search operators](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/how-to-search-in-outlook-d824d1e9-a255-4c8a-8553-276fb895a8da)
{% endhint %}

### Navigating search results

When your search matches text inside a message body, comment, or task, Missive surfaces those matches inside the conversation.

**Inside a conversation:** Opening a conversation from search results jumps you to the most recent matching message. Matching messages, comments, and task cards are outlined so you can spot them while scrolling, and search terms are highlighted within them.

**Cycling through matches:** When viewing a conversation that has multiple matches, the floating button at the bottom of the conversation is replaced by a navigation control showing your position (for example, **2 of 5**). Use the arrows to step through matches one by one, and the jump-to-latest button on the right to scroll back to the bottom of the conversation.

### Search scope and defaults

Search scope depends on where you are in Missive:

* **In Inbox**: searches All conversations by default
* **In a team inbox**: searches all the team's conversations by default
* **In any other mailbox**: searches within that mailbox by default

The default date range is **All time**.

These defaults can be changed in **Settings** > **Search**, where you can:

* Adjust the default date range
* Exclude specific accounts from search
* Choose where search runs when you're in Inbox, a team inbox, or any mailbox
* Set the number of recent searches shown in your sidebar

### Recently viewed conversations

When you focus the search bar, Missive shows your recently viewed conversations for quick access. You'll also see suggestions for team inboxes, calendars, labels, and contacts you can navigate to directly.

<figure><img src="/files/PlNYX7v4g1TAqrn1lRBa" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Searches in sidebar

Missive automatically keeps track of your most recent searches. Your latest search queries appear in your sidebar, giving you quick access to rerun them without typing again. You can change the number of recent searches shown (or disable this feature) in **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Search**.


# Search FAQ

Common questions about search and filtering in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I change the number of pinned searches?</summary>

Yes, open your preferences and look for the **Show recent searches** option and change the number pinned searches allowed. To disable this functionality, uncheck the checkbox.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/y8HSFsgZL3h7S5LjsrcP" alt="Image showing how to disable pinned searches" width="820"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I disable saved searches from left sidebar?</summary>

**Preferences > Appearance :** Toggle **Show recent searches** off.

<figure><img src="/files/iQ93VcZArrstM4prCeMF" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I view only unread messages?</summary>

1\. Select any mailbox from the left sidebar.

2\. Click filter on the search bar and select Unread

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/jJHXNQj04K1Yb0hAKN7c" alt="Image showing how to apply the unread filter" width="318"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I filter emails with different states, such as unread, snoozed, assigned to me, etc?</summary>

You can filter conversations per mailbox. For example, if you wanted to see all emails in the Customer Support team inbox that are unread and starred, you do the next:

1. On the sidebar, click on the Customer Support team inbox.
2. On the search bar, click on filters.
3. Select the Unread option.
4. Click again on the filter button and now select the Starred option.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/jJHXNQj04K1Yb0hAKN7c" alt="Email filter box in Missive" width="318"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I hide snoozed conversations from "Assigned to me"?</summary>

Snoozing only removes conversations from your Inbox and team inboxes. To hide snoozed conversations from **Assigned to me** or any other folder:

1. Open the **Assigned to me** mailbox
2. Click **Filters** in the search bar
3. Select **Not snoozed**

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ErHRMCMxSlQqC0WQ00Td" alt="Apply Not snoozed filter to hide snoozed conversations" width="700"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

This filter can be saved and reused by applying it, then clicking **+ More** to bookmark the filtered view.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why isn't my search operator working?</summary>

Search operators like `label:`, `from:`, `to:`, and `subject:` must not have a space after the colon.

**Correct:**

* `label:project-name`
* `from:jessica@conferencebadge.com`
* `subject:invoice`

**Incorrect:**

* `label: project-name` (space after colon)
* `from: jessica@conferencebadge.com` (space after colon)
* `subject: invoice` (space after colon)

If your search operator includes spaces or special characters in the value, you may need to use quotes or hyphens depending on your email provider's syntax.

</details>


# Labels

Learn about personal vs shared labels and when to use each type.

Labels are how you can keep things nice and neat in Missive. If you’re coming from Gmail, labels are still labels. If you’re coming from Outlook, then think of labels as folders. In both cases labels do the job of organizing your conversations.

#### Missive offers two kinds of labels:

* **Email labels**, which sync with your email accounts.
* **Organization labels**, which are tied to your Missive organization.

<figure><img src="/files/TDiiV6tdZPJD1oZCBPHp" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### What are email labels?

Email labels are synced back and forth between your email account (Gmail, Office 365, IMAP) and Missive. Coworkers you give full access to your email account on Missive will have access to all the labels of that email account.

### What are organization labels?

Organization labels are Missive-only labels that are not synced to an email account. An organization label can be applied to any conversation, whether it's an email, SMS, social media or an internal chat conversation. Organization labels have advanced settings and use cases you can learn more about [below](#what-label-types-should-i-use).

### What label types should I use?

Organization labels are more flexible than email labels, but they don't sync back to your email server. Here is a table summarizing all the differences between the two:

<table><thead><tr><th width="131.76171875">Type</th><th width="316.6171875">Advantages</th><th>Weaknesses</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Email labels</strong></td><td><ul><li><strong>Sync</strong> with your email server in both directions (Gmail, Office 365, etc.)</li><li><strong>Automatically created</strong> when importing an existing email account.</li></ul></td><td><ul><li>When using multiple email accounts, same label might need to be duplicated in each account.</li><li>Cannot be used on non-email messages (SMS, chat, social media, etc.)</li><li>User access tied to the email account sharing settings.</li><li>Do not trigger <strong>label changed</strong> rules.</li></ul></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Organization labels</strong></td><td><ul><li>Can be applied to <strong>all message types</strong> (SMS, chat, social media, etc.)</li><li>You can use <strong>one label</strong> for emails received in multiple email accounts.</li><li>Ability to automatically share conversations by applying a label.</li><li>You can upload a custom icon (image) linked to a label, in addition to the emoji icon available on all labels.</li><li>Can trigger <strong>label changed</strong> rules.</li></ul></td><td><ul><li>Not synced to your email server.</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table>

### How to manage a label?

Creating labels is simple, you can do it from the **Settings > Labels**. Or you can create them when viewing a conversation, just click on the label icon at the top of the conversation, like this:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/MsTwxgjhrpl1RWFL64sX" alt="Missive HQ Location" width="573"><figcaption><p>You can open this menu with a keyboard shortcut: <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>L</kbd></p></figcaption></figure></div>

The label menu automatically tracks your recently used labels and shows them at the top for quick access. This makes it easy to apply labels you use frequently without searching or favoriting them.

Editing (color, description, etc.) and deleting labels is done from **Settings > Labels** or by right-clicking on one in the sidebar and selecting the **Edit label** option.

### How to open labels in the sidebar?

To open and keep a label in the sidebar, click the **+ More** menu then find and select that label. If you prefer to only navigate to a label without keeping it open in the sidebar, you can press the <kbd>⌥/Alt</kbd> key while clicking on it.

You can also quickly find and open labels using the search input at the top of the conversation list (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>F</kbd> to select the input), just type the first few characters of your labels. The same <kbd>⌥/Alt</kbd> trick applies if you want to navigate to the label without pinning it to your sidebar.

Lastly, you can use the Command Bar menu by typing <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>E</kbd> and searching for the **Go to label** option:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ibKWU3q0vWOv3vN3DOm0" alt="" width="375"><figcaption><p>Accessing labels via the command bar</p></figcaption></figure></div>

<br>


# Settings

Create, edit, and organize labels to categorize conversations in Missive.

### User Access / Sharing

By default, applying an organization label to a conversation will not automatically make the conversation visible to more coworkers, it will just label the conversation for teammates already having access to it. You can change that behavior and configure an organization label to automatically give some coworkers access to the conversations in that label by editing the **Auto-shared users** option.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ptuV8SYJxHjJfprXTFdy" alt="Features/Requested" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

A second option, **Label is visible to**, lets you control who sees the label listed in Missive. There are two options:

* **Everyone in the organization:** All organization members will be able to apply and remove the label from conversations.
* **Admins and auto-shared users:** Only organization admins and users defined in the **Auto-shared users** option will be able to apply and remove the label from conversations.

### Icon

Each label can be customized with an emoji or, for organization labels, a custom uploaded image. The icon shows in the label token on the conversation preview alongside the label name:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/jzWUTLxmdBxw305FIliP" alt="Features/Requested" width="360"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can also customize whether you prefer to show only the icon and not the name in the label token in your **Settings > Preferences**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/FO5Vf1filV2jhqxdxgAO" alt="Add icons to your label" width="919"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

<br>


# Use cases

Label use cases: categorizing support tickets, tracking sales leads, and more.

Organization labels can be used in many creative ways to boost your team productivity; here are three examples.

### 1. Feature requests tracking

At Missive we use organization labels to track our user’s feature requests. To do so, we use six organization labels: **Bugs**, **Requested**, **Next**, **In progress**, **Pending release**, **Completed**. These are all nested under the parent **Features** label.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/jnrvLPbCL7C3uC5H9fIH" alt="Features/Requested" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Every time one of our users asks for something new, we create and name a conversation to the feature being requested and label it with the **Features/Requested** label. We then create a task that links to the email conversation where the user asked for the feature. We do so for every user who requested the feature.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/INhbevf8RSN8hi4uJ0Z4" alt="Tasks" width="563"><figcaption><p>Conversations keep track of who requested a feature</p></figcaption></figure></div>

When we start working on that new feature, we move the conversation to **Features/In progress**. There we can discuss implementation details. We can also contact some of the users who asked for it to see if our proposed implementation works with them and gather some feedback.

When the feature is completed but not released, we move it to **Features/Pending release**.

And finally, once a feature is released we move it to **Features/Completed**. We can then mark each task as completed after contacting everyone who was interested in it.

### 2. The water cooler

No one likes to be interrupted, but as a team, we still need to share and communicate on many different topics, some not urgent. Let's say I just found out about a really interesting product that could benefit the company operations if adopted; this is important but not urgent. I don't want to @mention my teammates and move the conversation I just created to everyone's inbox. This would interrupt their flow.

A better way of sharing non-urgent conversations is using an organization label. For example at Missive, we created one called **Water cooler** where we exchange about non-urgent but interesting stuff. Everyone can read the conversations in it whenever they want.

Each team member decides if they want to keep the label visible in their sidebar and show/hide the unread conversation count.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/zEQh45LVmP0SCjcihVQu" alt="Show the unread conversation count setting on your Water cooler mailbox" width="375"><figcaption><p>Right-click on the organization label to toggle total/unread counts</p></figcaption></figure></div>

That's my preferred setup. That way, I can instantly see when there are new content and check it at my convenience.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/cdUvYcSsIMuI7ZpnoJkb" alt="Show the unread conversation count on your Water cooler mailbox" width="188"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
Make sure your label is shared. That way, when you apply the label to a conversation, the conversation will be shared with the relevant people automatically.
{% endhint %}

### 3. CRM system using Missive labels

Jacob from [IcePanel ](https://icepanel.io/)shares their innovative use of Missive to create a lightweight CRM for managing their sales process. Watch to learn how they leverage rules, labels, and filters to track sales leads, capture customer insights, and streamline communication within their team. Discover practical steps for setting up a sales funnel, managing procurement phases, and defining outcomes.

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSYEScqAsco>" %}


# Labels FAQ

Common questions about labels and organization in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I move an email to a label instead of applying it?</summary>

Yes, we offer two ways to apply a label to a conversation:

1. **Label as:** this will add the conversation and its messages to the label; it won't remove it from the currently selected mailbox. Label as is the default action when clicking the label icon at the top of the conversation view.
2. **Move to:** this will move the conversation and its messages to the label while removing them from the currently selected mailbox. You can select the **Move to** action from the conversation context menu:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/gb62l0BFnjIoauT0exvs" alt="" width="370"><figcaption><p>Label as: This action is also available in the conversation<br>context menu or the Command bar, see below.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/bGYea01Jm8sVyTY8TPbB" alt="" width="188"><figcaption><p><strong>Move to label...</strong> from the conversation context menu</p></figcaption></figure></div>

If you prefer using your keyboard, you can quickly select the **Move to** action with the [Command bar](/docs/advanced-features/command-bar):

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/0kAWRlrFZxSu4fXkN1Mp" alt="" width="506"><figcaption><p>Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>E</kbd>, then type <strong>move</strong> and select the right option</p></figcaption></figure></div>

You can also change the default behavior when dragging and dropping a conversation into a label; read [How to copy/move a conversation to a label when drag and dropping...](#how-to-copy-move-a-conversation-to-a-label-when-drag-and-dropping-on-it) below.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can conversations be copied when dragged into a label instead of being moved?</summary>

When dragging a conversation into a label, you can either:

* Remove the conversation from the current label (**Move**).
* Add the conversation to the new label while keeping the current label applied (**Copy**).

You can change this behavior in your **Preferences**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/8mHkRPWNGL4f4hHgnVRP" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to copy/move a conversation to a label when drag and dropping on it?</summary>

Go to your **Preferences**, search for *drag*, then change the setting **When dragging a conversation**:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/8mHkRPWNGL4f4hHgnVRP" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I mark a label as favorite?</summary>

To mark a label as favorite, open it to have it listed in your left sidebar, then hit the “…” menu next to it (or long-press it on mobile), then you will see the **Mark as favorite** option:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/F1pp3ktH9YsHX3fbNfgl" alt="" width="345"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

When a label is marked as a favorite, it will then be easily accessible at the top of the label menu for easy access:

<figure><img src="/files/gb62l0BFnjIoauT0exvs" alt="" width="370"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I navigate to a label?</summary>

You can either:

* Search and navigate to a label using the search box at the top of the second column.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/YPjHvWeDWnJ8lekPq0eD" alt="Navigate to a label with the search box" width="485"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

* Use the <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>E</kbd> shortcut to access the [command bar](/docs/advanced-features/command-bar) and navigate to a label.
* Open a label from the **+ More** in the sidebar.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I share a link to a label or mailbox?</summary>

Right-click a label or mailbox in the sidebar (or open its **...** menu) and select **Copy link**. The same option is available from the label menu at the top of a conversation and from **Settings** > **Labels**.

Paste the link into a comment, email, or chat. When a teammate clicks it, Missive opens that label or mailbox. If they don't have access, they'll see a message explaining that instead.

You can also link a label or mailbox while writing a comment by typing **#** and selecting from the suggestions. See [Collaboration](/docs/core-features/conversations/collaboration#linking-to-labels-and-mailboxes) for details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I quickly apply a label when I have hundreds of them?</summary>

You can quickly search and apply a label to a conversation using <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>L</kbd>.

The label menu automatically shows your recently used labels at the top for quick access. This makes it easy to reapply labels you use frequently.

You can also mark a label as a favorite so the label is always easily accessible at the top of the menu. To do so, just right-click any label in the sidebar and select Mark as favorite.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/gb62l0BFnjIoauT0exvs" alt="Image showing how to quickly apply a label" width="370"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I see the number of total or unread conversations in a label or mailbox?</summary>

You can right-click the label or mailbox in the right sidebar to toggle the total or unread count display.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/fkcsSFlzxmLRwwflcVVz" alt="" width="357"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I rename labels?</summary>

To rename a label, go to **Settings** > **Labels**, select the label, and click **Edit**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is it possible to assign labels via the API?</summary>

You can assign labels via the Missive API using the [Post endpoint](/docs/developers/rest-api/endpoints) combined with the `add_shared_labels` attribute.

It should be noted that it only works with Missive organization labels and not email account labels.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a way to hide labels from the sidebar?</summary>

To hide a label from the sidebar, right-click on it, then select the **Unpin** option:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/DdyTV4eHdnlVToWrlcpT" alt="Hide labels from the sidebar" width="341"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

If you do not see the **Unpin** option in the label menu, it means you pinned all of the labels of your email account to the sidebar.

To hide them, you need to scroll up, click the "..." next to your email account name, then select the **Remove** option:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/IdZwQF1pE7jayKKdq5b3" alt="Hide labels from the sidebar" width="464"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

This will close all labels of the email account, you can reopen them individually from the **+ More** menu.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What are the differences between Gmail labels and organization labels?</summary>

Gmail labels are synced back and forth between Gmail and Missive. Anyone you give full access to your email account on Missive will have access to the labels of this account. Note that this applies to **shared accounts** only, not **shared addresses**.

Labels under your **Organization** settings are Missive-only labels that are not synced to Gmail. Their purpose is to allow labeling non-email conversations, which include SMS, Messenger, Instagram, and chat-only conversations. Gmail labels cannot be applied if a conversation contains no emails. They are also valuable to label emails across multiple email accounts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does <em>Label is visible to</em> mean?</summary>

The **"Label is visible to"** setting determines who can view and apply the label to their conversations.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/w9IRV6BERoqeG3P2OmEj" alt="Label visible to field" width="487"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

The **"Auto-shared users"** setting controls which users automatically gain access to conversations within the label.

Only the organization owner and admins can modify the **Label is visible to** and **Auto-shared users** settings on existing labels. When creating a new label, any member can configure these settings -- but once the label is saved, those settings are only editable by the owner and admins.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What is the maximum amount of organization labels I can create?</summary>

The current maximum amount is 10,000 organization labels per organization.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How many shared labels can a conversation have?</summary>

A conversation can have up to 100 shared labels applied to it.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where are my email folders / labels?</summary>

Missive supports folders and sub-folders. They are called Labels in the Missive interface.

You can open them by clicking the **More** menu in the left sidebar and look for the **Email Labels** section.

[How to video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYw7SY-qTzA)

{% hint style="info" %}
You can enable an option to always show a label if there is one or many unread conversations in it. Right-click on the label name in your sidebar and select the **Watch** option.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Ae8kAP8oBxyHCqbv8eRt" alt="Image showing how to watch a label" width="328"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are labels not showing up in my coworker’s sidebar?</summary>

* The idea is that members of an organization may have different responsibilities and be interested in different labels.
* Listing all labels in everyone’s sidebar by default may feel cluttered for those interested in just a few labels. We automatically show newly created labels in the sidebar for the person creating the said label, since they are likely to be interested in it.
* Everyone can manage labels as they see fit: hidden labels can be opened by clicking **+ More**, and hidden again with **right-click > Unpin**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/b3IM9UNfmaDmHZ7ieNF8" alt="Image showing how to customize the labels shown in your sidebar" width="246"><figcaption><p>Example of labels pinned in the sidebar</p></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Who can edit organization labels?</summary>

Any member can edit organization labels (rename them, change their color, etc.).

Only the owner and admins can delete organization labels.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I delete labels?</summary>

Only the owner and admins can delete organization labels. If you are a regular member, you can edit labels but not delete them.

Email account labels can be deleted from Missive if you are the organization owner, the owner of the email account, or an organization admin. Otherwise, you need to delete them from your email service provider (Gmail, Outlook, etc).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I convert an email label to an organization label?</summary>

No. Email labels (those synced with Gmail, Office 365, or IMAP) cannot be converted to organization labels. These two label types serve different purposes and are managed separately.

If you need organization label functionality for conversations currently using email labels, create a new organization label under **Settings** > **Labels** in the Organizations section. You can then apply this new label to your conversations.

Organization labels have advantages like working across all message types, triggering rules, and appearing in Analytics. Learn more about [label types](/docs/core-features/understanding-label-types).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does the unread count in Missive differ from Gmail or other email clients?</summary>

Unread counts in Missive can differ from Gmail, Outlook, and other email clients. This is expected behavior.

**Why counts differ:**

Missive tracks unread status for internal comments between teammates. When a colleague posts a comment in a conversation, it marks the conversation as unread for you in Missive - but these internal comments don't exist in your email provider, so Gmail or Outlook won't show those conversations as unread.

This also applies to labels. A label might show 3 unread conversations in Missive but only 1 unread in Gmail because 2 of those conversations have unread Missive comments.

**Other factors that affect counts:**

Unified inboxes and sub-inboxes can also show different counts. A conversation containing emails from 2 accounts counts as 1 in the unified inbox but appears in both sub-inboxes.

For this reason, working from your top-level unified inbox gives you the most accurate view of what needs attention across all your accounts and conversations.

</details>


# Canned responses

Save time with canned responses. Create reusable templates for common replies.

Canned responses (or templates) are pre-written replies to common questions. Instead of typing the same answer repeatedly, you write it once and insert it with a few keystrokes.

In Missive, you can create a collection of canned responses and share them with a team or your entire company. You can also keep responses personal for your own use.

{% hint style="info" %}
Canned responses can also be combined with AI to generate replies based on your existing response library.
{% endhint %}

## Creating a response

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open the responses panel**

Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>O</kbd>. You can also click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar and select **Responses**, or use the command bar (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>) and search for "responses".
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Create a new response**

Click **Create new response** at the bottom of the panel (second column).
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Choose who can access this response**

* **Personal**: Only you can see and use it
* **Organization**: Everyone in the organization can use it
* **Team**: Only members of a specific team can use it
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add content**

Add a title, optional subject line, and body content. You can also add:

* **To, Cc, Bcc fields**: Pre-fill recipient addresses when the response is inserted
* **Attachments**: Drag files into the body (inline) or at the bottom (as attachments)
* **Labels**: Categorize responses using organization labels
  {% endstep %}
  {% endstepper %}

## Inserting a response

There are three ways to insert a canned response into a draft:

**Using the # shortcut**

Type **#** followed by your search term anywhere in the draft composer. A dropdown appears with matching responses. Select one to insert it.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can disable the **#** shortcut in **Settings > Composer > Suggest responses while typing**.
{% endhint %}

**Using the composer toolbar**

Click the responses icon in the composer toolbar to open the responses panel.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/XEhHq5OTV5Yy8p5UFHXa" alt="Canned response popup" width="264"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**Using the keyboard shortcut**

Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>O</kbd> to open the responses panel, then search or browse for a response and press <kbd>Return</kbd> to insert it.

## Searching responses

The search matches title, subject, and body content. You don't need to type every character of a word for results to appear:

| Search term   | Matches                                  |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| "ho bet pers" | "**Ho**w to be a **bet**ter **pers**on?" |
| "pers better" | "How to be a **better** **pers**on?"     |
| "person?"     | "How to be a better **person?**"         |

To narrow down results:

* **Scope by team**: Prepend the team name (e.g., `sales refund policy`)
* **Scope by organization**: Prepend the organization name
* **Personal only**: Prepend `personal` to your search

## Variables

You can customize responses with dynamic content like your recipient's name using the variables templating engine:

```liquid
Hi {{ recipient.first_name | default: 'there' }},
```

If `recipient.first_name` is available, this renders as:

> Hi Philippe,

If not, it falls back to:

> Hi there,

Read the [Using variables guide](/docs/core-features/canned-responses/using-variables) for the full list of available variables and syntax.

## Attachments

You can attach files to responses:

* **Inline**: Drag and drop an image into the body to embed it
* **Attachment**: Drag and drop a file at the bottom to attach it

When you insert a response, its attachments are added to the draft.

## Edit on the fly

Sometimes response content gets outdated. You often notice this when composing a reply and searching for the right response.

No problem! You can edit the response directly from the panel and insert the updated version. Maintaining your responses becomes less of a burden when you can fix them as you go.

## Shortcuts

| Shortcut                                            | Action                   |
| --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>O</kbd> | Open the responses panel |
| <kbd>Return</kbd>                                   | Insert the response      |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Return</kbd>               | Insert when in edit mode |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>F</kbd>                    | Focus the search input   |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>N</kbd>                    | Create a new response    |

## Categorization

You can categorize canned responses using [organization labels](https://github.com/missive/docs-guides/blob/main/core-features/labels/README.md). Labels follow the same hierarchical structure as defined in **Settings > Labels**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/j0Mn2yjvqBQJuKeMMtGS" alt="Labeling canned responses in Missive"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>


# Using variables

Use variables in canned responses for personalized, dynamic templates.

You can easily customize your responses or templates with dynamic content like your recipient's name by using our variables templating engine.

A response like this:

```liquid
Hi {{ recipient.first_name | default: 'there' }},
```

… if it matches a `recipient.first_name` would render something like this

> Hi Philippe,

… and if it didn't match anything something like this:

> Hi there,

## Getting started

### Adding variables

Adding a variable to a response is as easy as clicking the **{{** icon in the response composer:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Svdp7rYaS80h7Ca1uES7" alt="Add a variable helper" width="135"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

A new modal will open where you can easily create your variable without knowing the exact syntax.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/L3tRa06uhyEmmHzHsmYb" alt="Add a variable helper" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can also create a response with dynamic content that entirely change depending if a variable is present or not.

It would look like this:

```liquid
{% if recipient.first_name == null %}Hello,
{% else %}Hi {{ recipient.first_name }},{% endif %}
```

... if there's no recipient first name, it will render like this:

> Hello,

... and if there's a recipient's first name, it will render like this:

> Hi Philippe,

### Build forms

When adding a variable, you don't have to use one that matches a data point provided by Missive ([recipient](#recipient-object), [user](#user-object)). You can create a variable linked to no data, like in this screenshot:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/6VT47h4A8xK0g0OExBGN" alt="Add a variable with no related data" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="warning" %}
Make sure to use **underscores** and **dots** instead of spaces.
{% endhint %}

When inserted in a draft, a form will ask the Missive user what should the value be:

Instead of using text placeholders (that you might forget to replace), this technique lets you create forms your team always has to fill in when inserting a response.

### Liquid.js

Our templating engine is based on [liquid.js](https://shopify.github.io/liquid/) and supports all of its [tags](https://shopify.github.io/liquid/tags/control-flow/) and [filters](https://shopify.github.io/liquid/filters). Make sure to read the documentation if you want to go deeper and create complex logic.

## Objects

### `recipient` **object**

The recipient data is matched by first looking into the user contacts for matches based on the message recipient address, then on the message data itself.

#### Labels

Contact labels can be used to scope the search. For instance `{{ recipient.work.phone_number }}` would search only in phone numbers with the label *work*.

| Object key                       | Description                                                                                                                                                                  | Example                                                                                            |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `recipient.handle`               | Handle of the recipient(s). This depends on the message type, can be an email address, a phone number, etc.                                                                  | <p><code><frodo@missiveapp.com></code><br><code>+1 (155) 555-555</code><br><code>@frodo</code></p> |
| `recipient.name`                 | First and last name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                 | `Philippe Lehoux`                                                                                  |
| `recipient.first_name`           | First name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                          | `Philippe`                                                                                         |
| `recipient.middle_name`          | Middle name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                         | `L.`                                                                                               |
| `recipient.last_name`            | Last name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                           | `Lehoux`                                                                                           |
| `recipient.email`                | Email address(es) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                      | `frodo@missiveapp.com`                                                                             |
| `recipient.phone_number`         | Phone number of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                           | `+1 (155) 555-555`                                                                                 |
| `recipient.url`                  | URL(s) associated with your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                    | `https://missiveapp.com/`                                                                          |
| `recipient.physical_address`     | Physical address(es) associated with your recipient(s).                                                                                                                      | <p><code>123 Missive Street</code><br><code>Quebec, QC, G1K 3B4</code><br><code>Canada</code></p>  |
| `recipient.twitter`              | Twitter username(s) associated with your recipient(s).                                                                                                                       | `@frodo`                                                                                           |
| `recipient.facebook`             | Facebook username(s) associated with your recipient(s).                                                                                                                      | `Philippe Lehoux`                                                                                  |
| `recipient.nickname`             | Nickname of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                               | `Chewbacca`                                                                                        |
| `recipient.prefix`               | Prefix(es) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                             | `Mr.`                                                                                              |
| `recipient.suffix`               | Suffix(es) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                             | `PhD`                                                                                              |
| `recipient.gender`               | Gender(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                              | `Male`                                                                                             |
| `recipient.file_as`              | File as value of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                          | `ACME`                                                                                             |
| `recipient.phonetic_first_name`  | Phonetic first name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                    |
| `recipient.phonetic_last_name`   | Phonetic last name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                    |
| `recipient.phonetic_middle_name` | Phonetic middle name(s) of your recipient(s).                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                    |
| `recipient.custom.order_amount`  | Access your recipient(s) custom contact data. Both variations **Order Amount** and **order\_amount** would be accessible using the same key: `recipient.custom.order_amount` | `$99`                                                                                              |

### `user` **object**

The user object data is matched with the logged-in Missive user (you).

| Object key          | Description               | Example                |
| ------------------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| `user.first_name`   | First name of the user    | `Philippe`             |
| `user.last_name`    | Last name of the user     | `Lehoux`               |
| `user.name`         | Name of the user          | `Philippe Lehoux`      |
| `user.email`        | Email address of the user | `frodo@missiveapp.com` |
| `user.avatar_url`   | URL of the user avatar    | `https://...`          |
| `user.status`       | Status of the user        | `Working from home`    |
| `user.status_emoji` | Status emoji of the user  | 🏠                     |

### `conversation` **object**

The conversation object data is matched with the current conversation.

| Object key        | Description                | Example                                |
| ----------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| `conversation.id` | The ID of the conversation | `d85eed67-5ac2-477b-aa27-521f01eb9783` |

### `message` **object**

The message object data is matched with the current draft.

| Object key                | Description                                                                                           | Example                                                                                            |
| ------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `message.id`              | The ID of the message                                                                                 | `d85eed67-5ac2-477b-aa27-521f01eb9783`                                                             |
| `message.from_handle`     | Handle of the sender. This depends on the message type, can be an email address, a phone number, etc. | <p><code><frodo@missiveapp.com></code><br><code>+1 (155) 555-555</code><br><code>@frodo</code></p> |
| `message.from_email`      | Email address of the sender                                                                           | `info@missiveapp.com`                                                                              |
| `message.from_name`       | Name of the sender                                                                                    | `Philippe Lehoux`                                                                                  |
| `message.from_first_name` | First name of the sender                                                                              | `Philippe`                                                                                         |
| `message.from_last_name`  | Last name of the sender                                                                               | `Lehoux`                                                                                           |


# Canned Responses FAQ

Common questions about canned responses and templates in Missive.

<details>

<summary>How do I share a response with my team?</summary>

When creating or editing a response, click the visibility dropdown at the top of the response editor. Select a team name to share the response with that team only, or select the organization to make it available to everyone.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I disable the # shortcut in the composer?</summary>

Yes. Go to **Settings > Composer** and turn off **Suggest responses while typing**. You can still access responses using <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>O</kbd>.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I paste HTML into a canned response?</summary>

The canned response editor is a rich-text editor, not an HTML editor. Pasting raw HTML code will not render as formatted content.

To recreate a template from an external tool:

1. Open **Settings > Responses** and click **New response**.
2. Type and format your content using the editor toolbar (bold, links, colors, etc.).
3. For images, drag and drop them directly into the response body to embed them inline.

Templates with standard formatting (text, images, links) work well in the editor. Complex HTML layouts with multiple columns, background images, or advanced CSS styling cannot be replicated, as the editor is designed for standard email replies.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I personalize responses with recipient-specific details?</summary>

Yes. Missive supports dynamic variables. For example, `{{ recipient.first_name | default: 'there' }}` inserts the recipient's first name if available, or "there" as a fallback. See [Using variables](/docs/core-features/canned-responses/using-variables) for more options.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I attach files to canned responses?</summary>

Yes. Drag and drop files into the response body to embed them inline, or drop them at the bottom to add as attachments. When you insert the response, its attachments are added to the draft.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I edit a response?</summary>

You can always edit your personal responses. For shared responses (organization or team), you can edit them unless your organization has restricted response management to admins only. This setting is available on the Business plan. If you need to edit a shared response and can't, ask an admin to make the change.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How are search results ordered when I use # to find a response?</summary>

Search results are ranked by how often your search term appears in each response. Responses where the search term appears more frequently will rank higher. The search looks at both the response title and content.

For example, if you search for "refund" and one response contains the word "refund" 10 times while another contains it once, the first response will appear higher in the results.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on how many canned responses I can create?</summary>

Yes. The limits are:

* **Personal canned responses:** 1,000 per user
* **Organization canned responses:** 1,000 per organization

</details>


# Tasks

Track assigned work with tasks. See your to-do list and team workload.

In Missive, tasks help you organize and track work that needs to be done. A task is an actionable item that can be assigned to one or multiple team members, with attributes like due dates, descriptions, and status tracking.

<figure><img src="/files/wj4B3f54ifpkeYDNfvHs" alt=""><figcaption><p>The Tasks view shows all your tasks in one place, regardless of type.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Types of tasks

There are three types of tasks in Missive:

1. Conversation tasks are entire conversations (e.g. email threads) turned into trackable tasks by assigning them
2. Subtasks are tasks created within a conversation, useful for breaking down work into smaller pieces
3. Standalone tasks are not linked to any conversation, for general to-dos

All three types appear together in the Tasks view, giving you a single place to see everything you need to work on. An assigned email, a subtask from a project thread, and a personal to-do all show up in the same list.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you prefer not to see assigned conversations in your Tasks view, use the **Show** filter to display only standalone tasks.
{% endhint %}

## Creating tasks

There are several ways to create tasks in Missive:

* Press <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>T</kbd> from anywhere in Missive
* Click the **+** button at the top of the left sidebar and select **New task**
* Assign a conversation
* Via automated rules using the **Add task** or **Add tasks with AI** actions
* In a conversation, you can create subtasks via:
  * The **checkbox** button in the command/chat bar at the bottom
  * The **Task icon** in the command/chat bar
  * The **+** button in the Tasks sidebar

When creating tasks within conversations, you can also type `[ ]` or `- [ ]` at the beginning of your comment to create a task through text.

## Task attributes

Each task can have the following attributes:

* **Status**:
  * <img src="/files/TRmnuiMGCuwZIHqOAJB3" alt="To-Do status" data-size="line"> To-Do: The task is not started yet
  * <img src="/files/ehvTWTIbGEinFdvNs1wp" alt="In Progress status" data-size="line"> In Progress: The task is currently being worked on
  * <img src="/files/trY8ABPehDUVsI30TBs9" alt="Closed status" data-size="line"> Closed: The task is completed
* **Team**: The team the task is assigned to
* **Assignees**: The users responsible for the task
* **Due date**: The date the task is due
* **Description**: Additional context for the task

## Editing tasks

* To edit **conversation task attributes**: open the Tasks sidebar from the right panel.
* To edit a **subtask's attributes**: click directly on the attribute you want to modify.

You can also edit attributes directly from the Tasks views.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/9k6ao987PEnIIkK6UnpM" alt="Task view showing the task attributes" width="416"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
If not all attributes are visible, you may need to expand the task first by clicking on it.
{% endhint %}


# Viewing tasks

View, filter, and organize your tasks in Missive.

Missive gives you multiple ways to view, organize, and track tasks across your conversations and teams. Whether you’re focusing on your own work, monitoring tasks across your organization, or managing subtasks within a conversation.

## Tasks view

The Tasks views in your sidebar are the three main ways to view your tasks:

* **My tasks**: All your tasks across any teams or organizations
* **Organization tasks**: All tasks in your organization
* **Team tasks**: Tasks assigned to a specific team

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/E8TSEh9Juje8t1qFkZdP" alt="Tasks sidebar showing different task views including &#x27;Your assigned tasks&#x27;, &#x27;All tasks - regardless of teams or assignees&#x27;, and &#x27;Team tasks&#x27; with various task items listed below" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Organizing and filtering tasks

The Tasks view offers various ways to organize your work:

* Filter tasks by assignees, team, status, or other criteria
* Pin custom filtered views to your sidebar
* Sort and group tasks according to your preferences
* Click on conversation pills to quickly access related conversations

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/WWhN4XAtfps0BXIU5H4n" alt="Tasks view showing filters for status, due date, assignees and teams, with tasks grouped by teams and sorted by due date" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Subtasks

Subtasks are tasks created within a conversation. For larger projects, you can create a conversation and attach multiple subtasks to it. This allows you to assign the conversation to a project owner while distributing subtasks to different team members.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Fc1LVmfMgxqN7OUF3sID" alt="Tasks shown within a conversation" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For example, when a new sales inquiry comes in, you can assign the conversation to a sales representative and create subtasks to track the entire sales process:

* Initial contact and qualification (Sales team)
* Product demo scheduling (Sales team)
* Technical requirements review (Engineering team)
* Contract preparation (Legal team)
* Account setup (Customer Success team)

This allows you to track the lead's progress through your sales pipeline while coordinating work across multiple teams. Subtasks appear in both the Tasks sidebar and the Tasks views.

## Tasks sidebar

The **Tasks** sidebar on the right side of a conversation provides a unified view of all task-related information:

* The conversation's task attributes (status, team, assignees, due date, description)
* All subtasks in the conversation, grouped by status (To do, In Progress, Closed)

Use the Tasks sidebar to manage both the conversation-level task and its subtasks without leaving the conversation.

## Calendar

To view your tasks with due dates (and their progress status) in Missive built-in calendar, toggle on **My tasks** in the **calendar filter** (the second icon in the upper-right). Use the filter icon next to the tasks row to switch between **My tasks** and **All tasks**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/qG1c2pSE71Ce4FwC3gFp" alt="Missive built-in calendar interface" width="1183"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>


# Tasks FAQ

Common questions about tasks and work management in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I create multiple tasks in a single comment?</summary>

Yes, this is possible. You just need to follow the following format:

`[] Task 1`\
`[x] Task 2` (completed task)\
`[] Task 3 @jane` (to assign a task to someone)

</details>

<details>

<summary>What are the different task statuses?</summary>

Tasks have three statuses:

* **To-Do**: The task has not been started
* **In Progress**: Work has begun on the task
* **Closed**: The task is completed

Click on the status checkbox to cycle through statuses, or <kbd>Shift</kbd>-click to select a specific status.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I assign tasks using @mentions?</summary>

Yes. When creating a task, you can type `@` followed by a team member's name or a team name in the task title. Missive will automatically assign the task to the mentioned user or team.

For example, typing `Review contract @jane tomorrow` will:

* Create a task titled "Review contract"
* Assign it to Jane
* Set the due date to tomorrow

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I set a due date using natural language?</summary>

When creating a task, you can type natural language dates in the title field. Missive recognizes phrases like:

* `today`, `tomorrow`, `next week`
* `monday`, `friday`
* Specific dates

The date will be extracted and set as the due date automatically.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I set a due date when creating a task with the [ ] syntax?</summary>

No. When creating tasks by typing `[ ]` in a comment, you can only set the task title and assignees. Due dates must be added after the task is created by clicking on the task and editing the due date attribute.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I convert a comment into a task?</summary>

Right-click on one of your own comments and select **Add task**. The comment will become a task that appears in your Tasks view. Mentioned users in the comment will automatically be assigned to the task.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I remove the task from a comment?</summary>

Yes. Right-click on the task/comment and select **Remove task**. This converts it back to a regular comment without deleting the comment itself.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I copy a link to a task?</summary>

Right-click a task or subtask in any Tasks view (or in a conversation's task list) and select **Copy link**. Paste it into a comment, email, or chat to point teammates directly to that task.

Press <kbd>⌥/Alt</kbd> before selecting **Copy link** to copy the **missive://** link instead, which opens the task in the desktop app. This is useful for apps that make missive:// links clickable, like Slack and Todoist.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What keyboard shortcuts are available for tasks?</summary>

* <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>T</kbd>: Create a new task

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I group and sort my tasks in the Tasks views?</summary>

Click the grouping button in the toolbar to organize tasks by:

* **Status** (To-Do, In Progress, Closed)
* **Due date** (Due, Today, This week, Next week, Later, Anytime)
* **Assignees**
* **Teams**
* **None** (ungrouped)

You can also sort tasks within groups by creation date, due date, or status.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where do tasks without due dates appear?</summary>

When grouping by due date, tasks without a due date appear in the **Anytime** section at the bottom. When sorting by due date, tasks without due dates always appear at the end of the list.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I pin a filtered task view to my sidebar?</summary>

Yes. After setting your desired filters (assignees, teams, date range, etc.), click the pin icon to save this filtered view to your sidebar for quick access.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What's the difference between a task and a subtask?</summary>

* A **task** is a standalone item or a conversation that has been assigned
* A **subtask** is a task created within a conversation (linked to a parent conversation)

Subtasks appear both in the parent conversation's task list and in your main Tasks views. This is useful for breaking down larger projects into individual action items.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Will I get notifications for task changes?</summary>

Yes, if you have task notifications enabled in your settings. You'll be notified when:

* A task is assigned to you
* Someone completes a task
* Someone marks a task as in progress
* Task assignees are changed

You can configure these notifications in **Settings** → **Notifications**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I filter tasks by multiple assignees or teams?</summary>

Yes. Click the filter button in the Tasks view and select multiple assignees or teams. Tasks matching any of your selections will be shown.

</details>


# Calendar

View your calendar alongside your inbox. Schedule meetings without switching apps.

With Missive Calendar, you can quickly reply and schedule meetings, video calls, get reminders about upcoming activities and more. As with all Missive features, Calendar was conceived with teamwork in mind.

{% hint style="info" %}
Missive Calendar supports Office 365 and Google Calendar accounts. To add one, go to **Settings** > **Calendar** and click **Add calendar**.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/6DllbkkRGI1kzMQm14pl" alt="Missive Calendar"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Features

### Share and collaborate around calendar accounts

Calendar accounts can be connected as personal or shared with other members of your organization. To share a calendar account simply click the **Share this account** button at the top of the calendar account settings page.

{% hint style="warning" %}
All calendars in an account will be shared based on the account's sharing settings.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ZIC7rul1CBGvasyGOuJZ" alt="Easily share calendars with specific people, teams or the entire company"><figcaption><p>Go to your Settings > Calendars > Select an account > Share this account.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

### Get reminders

Never miss an upcoming appointment. You can add one or multiple reminders per event. Calendar reminders appear in the **Activity feed** -- click the bell icon at the top of the sidebar to open it.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/dgfcf14utZKBXLjkculF" alt="Custom event reminder" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

An orange dot on the bell icon indicates unread calendar reminders, and adds 1 to your app icon badge count (regardless of how many reminders there are). To opt out, open the Activity feed settings and uncheck **Unread** for **Calendar reminders**.

### Reply to invites and spot potential conflicts

Missive Calendar supports regular `.ics` invites attached to emails. It displays them beautifully in an agenda-style preview that helps you to know if you're available or not.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/L4fybzABLzmLLffMu7iI" alt="Reply to invites from Missive"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Create events

Create new events directly from the calendar.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Hqgsxcg3Zakli5VRPOWk" alt="Create new events from Missive"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can also create an event from an email with the email recipients as attendees. To do it simply use <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>E</kbd> or click the message **... context menu** and select **New calendar event with recipients**.

When adding guests, you can search for individual teammates, teams, or organizations from your Missive workspace — selecting a team or organization adds all its members at once.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/pd4DWKHbfpDUUGrXwHQ1" alt="Create new events from Missive" width="277"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Move and resize events

Drag any editable event to move it to a different time or date. In the day and week views, drag it vertically to change the time, or across columns to move it to another day. Drag it to the edge of the calendar to navigate to the previous or next period automatically.

To resize a timed event, drag the handle at the top or bottom of the event block. To resize an all-day event, drag the handle at either end.

Press <kbd>Escape</kbd> at any time during a drag to cancel and revert the event to its original time.

When moving a recurring event, Missive asks whether to reschedule just this occurrence or all occurrences.

{% hint style="info" %}
Drag-and-drop is not available for snoozed conversations, task due dates, multi-day events in the agenda view, or on touch devices.
{% endhint %}

### Add a video call meeting link

When creating an event via a Google account you will be able to create Google Meet video call. When creating an event via a Microsoft account you will be able to either create a Skype or Microsoft Teams video call.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4wPkn87Hn33vJdjyLtZK" alt="Create video call" width="448"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Viewing options

Choose from a **day**, **week**, or **month** view. Or go for the **agenda** style, which gives you a comprehensive view of the next 3 months of your life!

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/BNSXefdXTBVJYeyOIAlV" alt="Choose from four calendar views"><figcaption><p>Switch between calendar views using the segmented control at the top left of the calendar.</p></figcaption></figure></div>

You can also view your calendar in the right sidebar, alongside your emails and mailboxes.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/tf4Bq4cwLsVOExdw5Lcm" alt="Load your calendar next to your emails" width="876"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### View snoozed conversations

To view snoozed conversations in the calendar, toggle on **Snoozed** calendar in the **calendar filter** (the second icon in the upper-right).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/24psPXKubGPsDbwAOnwB" alt="Show snoozed conversation in a calendar view"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### View tasks due dates

To view your tasks (and their progress status) in the calendar, toggle on **My tasks** in the **calendar filter** (the second icon in the upper-right).

Click the filter icon next to the tasks row to switch the scope between **My tasks** (only tasks assigned to you) and **All tasks** (every task with a due date across your organization).

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/Ktiq6KUkUHPwujdg5nN5" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>


# Calendar FAQ

Common questions about calendar integration in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Can I create Google Meet meetings?</summary>

Yes, you can create and edit Google Meet meetings from the Missive calendar, but only if you have imported a Google Calendar account.

<figure><img src="/files/lMwtAIptuPclyVSHHVoz" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I create Microsoft Teams and Skype meetings?</summary>

Yes, you can create and edit Microsoft Teams and Skype meetings from the Missive calendar, but only if you have imported a Microsoft Office 365 Calendar account.

<figure><img src="/files/SSMTU3ccEiESIcQEok4a" alt="" width="462"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I hide the snoozed events from my calendar?</summary>

Yes, you can hide the snoozed calendar or any other ones by unchecking them in this menu:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/4qXtTps4v76PbxrrGYqS" alt="" width="321"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can the calendar be loaded in the right sidebar next to emails?</summary>

Yes. All you need to do is click on the calendar icon located in the sidebar.

<div data-full-width="false" data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/OsnjjuSfdwAxrzaXxj87" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do you support Office 365 shared mailbox calendar?</summary>

Yes, when adding the calendar:

1. Go to **Settings** > **Calendars**, click **Add calendar**, select **Office 365**.
2. Enter the shared mailbox email address.
3. Then, in the Microsoft connection popup, select an Office 365 account that has access to that shared mailbox.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the default calendar account?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Calendars** and select the account you want as default.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/jo75tzYlrSYsf1K9EvSx" alt="Changing the calendar&#x27;s default account"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I change the default duration for new events?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Calendars** and set **Default meeting time**. New timed events you create will use this duration (30 minutes by default). Options range from 15 minutes to 2 hours, including speedy meeting lengths like 25 and 50 minutes.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to edit a calendar color?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Calendars**, then click the calendar you want to recolor:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/y3fHc3R8F3ho5ELbLZNG" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can only recolor calendars from accounts you manage. Calendars you don't manage don't offer the color picker.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What are the different colors of snoozed events in the calendar?</summary>

The colors in the calendar are derived from either team, organization, or conversation colors. If no color is linked to a personal conversation, the orange color will be used.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Where can I find calendar reminders?</summary>

Calendar reminders appear in the **Activity feed**. Click the bell icon at the top of the sidebar to open it.

An orange dot on the bell indicates unread reminders, and adds 1 to your app icon badge count regardless of how many there are. To opt out, open the Activity feed settings (the settings icon at the bottom of the panel) and uncheck **Unread** for **Calendar reminders**.

</details>


# Contacts

Manage contacts in Missive. See conversation history and customer details.

Contacts store information about people you communicate with. Organize them in contact books, share them with your team, and sync them from email providers or external systems.

## Contact books

Contact books are containers for your contacts. You can create multiple books to organize contacts by purpose (Sales, Support, VIPs) and control who has access.

### Creating a contact book

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open the contacts panel

Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar and select **Contacts**, or use the command bar (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>) and search for "contacts".
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Create a new book

Right-click in the contact book list and select **New contact book**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Configure the book

Enter a name in the **Contact book's name** field. To share it, use the **Share with** menu to pick your entire organization, a specific team, or individual users. A new book stays private until you share it.

Under **Options**, turn on **Exclude contacts from search results** to hide these contacts from compose auto-complete.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Create the book

Click **Create**. A confirmation appears with the option to **Import .csv** right away, or **Close** to finish. You can import contacts later anytime from the contact book's right-click menu.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Managing contact books

To edit or delete a contact book, right-click on it in the contact book list and select **Edit contact book** or **Delete contact book**.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Deleting a contact book permanently removes all contacts in it.
{% endhint %}

### Sharing contact books

Share a contact book by right-clicking it and selecting **Edit contact book**, then opening the **Share with** menu.

You can share with your entire organization, a specific team, or individual users. All shared users can view and edit contacts. Only the owner and organization admins can change sharing settings or delete the book - others see a "Only admins can change sharing settings" note instead of the menu.

### Personal vs shared contact books

| Type           | Who can access               |
| -------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Personal       | Only you                     |
| Organization   | Everyone in the organization |
| Team           | Members of a specific team   |
| Specific users | Selected users you choose    |

## Managing contacts

### Creating a contact manually

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open the contacts panel and select a book

Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar and select **Contacts**, then choose the contact book where you want to add the contact.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Start creating

Click **Create contact** at the bottom of the contacts list.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Fill in contact details

Enter the contact information:

**Basic info:**

* First name, middle name, last name
* Prefix (Dr., Mr., etc.) and suffix (Jr., Sr.)
* Nickname, gender, pronouns
* Avatar (drag an image or click to upload)

**Company/Organization:**

* Company name (creates or links to existing organization)
* Job title, department, location

**Group membership:**

* Add to contact groups for categorization

**Contact info:**

* Email addresses (labels: work, home, personal, other)
* Phone numbers (labels: mobile, main, home, work, home fax, work fax, pager)
* Physical addresses
* Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
* Website URLs (labels: homepage, profile, blog, personal, work)
* Custom fields (your own label + value pairs)

**Notes:**

* Free-text notes field (supports markdown)
  {% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Save the contact

Click **Create** to save the contact to the selected book.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Click **More fields** in the form to reveal additional fields like prefix, suffix, phonetic names, and physical addresses.
{% endhint %}

### Creating contacts from conversations

When viewing a conversation, the details sidebar shows email addresses and phone numbers from the messages. For addresses not yet in your contacts:

1. Select the email or phone number in the sidebar
2. Click **Add to contacts** in the popup
3. The contacts panel opens with a new contact form pre-filled with the address

### Viewing a contact

Click any contact in the list to open their contact card. The card shows all saved information: name, company, email addresses, phone numbers, social media, and notes.

{% hint style="info" %}
You can also use the command bar (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>) to quickly open contacts. Type "contacts" to open the contacts panel, or "open contact book" to jump directly to a specific contact book.
{% endhint %}

From the contact card you can:

* **Star** the contact to mark them as important
* **Edit** to update their information
* **View all conversations** to see every conversation involving this contact

### Editing a contact

1. Click the **Edit** button in the contact card header
2. Modify any fields
3. Click **Save** to confirm changes

You can also change which contact book a contact belongs to from the edit form.

### Starring contacts

Click the star icon in the contact card to mark important contacts. Starred contacts appear with a star indicator in the contact list.

### Deleting a contact

1. Click the **More** button in the contact card header
2. Select **Delete**

The contact is deleted immediately.

### Companies and groups

Beyond contact books, you can organize contacts using **companies** and **groups**:

* **Companies** (organizations) link contacts to their employer. Add a company name when creating a contact to associate them. Multiple contacts can belong to the same company.
* **Groups** work like tags for contacts. Use them to categorize contacts across companies (e.g., "VIPs", "Leads", "Partners").

Companies and groups are useful for:

* Filtering contacts in the contacts panel
* Creating rule conditions (e.g., "if sender is in company Acme Corp")
* Viewing all conversations with anyone from a company - click a company name to open its card, then click **View all conversations**

## Syncing contacts

### Google contacts sync

Sync contacts between Missive and your Google account:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and select your Gmail account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enable contact sync**

In the **Start syncing** section, click **Sync contacts**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Access synced contacts**

A dedicated contact book is created for your Google contacts. Changes sync both ways - edits in Missive appear in Google Contacts, and vice versa.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
To import contacts into a synced Google contact book, use the Google Contacts interface. They'll automatically sync to Missive.
{% endhint %}

### Office 365 contacts sync

Sync contacts between Missive and your Microsoft account:

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Open account settings**

Go to **Settings** > **Accounts** and select your Outlook/Office 365 account.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Enable contact sync**

In the **Start syncing** section, click **Sync contacts**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Access synced contacts**

A dedicated contact book is created for your Microsoft contacts. Changes sync both ways between Missive and Outlook.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

### Importing contacts from CSV

Import contacts from a CSV file into any contact book that isn't synced with an email provider. Right-click on a contact book and select **Import contacts (CSV)**.

Missive supports CSV files in Google and Outlook formats. See [Importing contacts](/docs/core-features/contacts/importing) for supported fields, template files, and troubleshooting.

### API sync

Contacts can be synced programmatically using the Missive REST API. This is useful for integrating with CRMs and other business systems.

See the [REST API - Contacts](/docs/developers/rest-api/endpoints#contacts) documentation for endpoints and examples.

## Using contacts in rules

[Rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules) can check contact membership and automatically create contacts.

### Contact conditions

Use these operators on address fields (From, To, Cc, etc.) to match contacts:

| Operator               | Matches when                                       |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| in contact book        | Address is in a specific contact book              |
| not in contact book    | Address is not in a specific contact book          |
| in contacts            | Address exists in any organization contact book    |
| not in contacts        | Address does not exist in organization contacts    |
| in contact group       | Address belongs to a contact in a specific group   |
| not in contact group   | Address is not in a specific contact group         |
| in contact company     | Address belongs to a contact in a specific company |
| not in contact company | Address is not in a specific company               |

See [Rule conditions](/docs/advanced-features/rules/conditions#contact-operators) for the full list of operators.

**Example use cases:**

* Route messages from VIP contacts to a dedicated team
* Skip auto-responses for existing customers
* Apply different labels based on contact company

### Create contact(s) action

The **Create contact(s)** [action](/docs/advanced-features/rules/actions#create-contacts) automatically adds new contacts from incoming messages:

1. Add a **Create contact(s)** action to your rule
2. Select the target contact book
3. When the rule fires, sender/recipient addresses are added as contacts

This is useful for building a contact database from incoming leads or support requests.

## Contact sidebar

When viewing a conversation, the details sidebar shows contact information for all participants:

* **Matched contacts**: Shows contact cards with full details for addresses in your contact books
* **Unknown addresses**: Shows the email or phone with an **Add to contacts** option
* **Quick actions**: Copy name, copy email/phone, new email, view all conversations

Hover over any address to see a preview popup with contact details and quick actions:

* **View contact** / **Add to contacts**: Open or create the contact
* **All conversations**: Search for all conversations with this contact
* **All from \[domain]**: Search for all conversations from the same email domain
* **Copy name** / **Copy email**: Copy contact info to clipboard
* **New email**: Start composing a new email to this address

### Viewing conversations by organization or group

When a contact belongs to a company or group, the sidebar shows options to view all conversations with that organization or group:

* Click the organization name to see all conversations involving contacts from that company
* Click a group name to see all conversations involving contacts in that group

This helps you quickly see the full conversation history with a company or group, even if different people from that organization were involved.

## Searching contacts

### Search within contacts

Use the search field at the top of the contacts panel to find contacts by:

* Name (first, last, nickname)
* Email address
* Phone number
* Company/organization name
* Notes content
* Custom field values

### Filter by contact book

Select a specific contact book from the list to limit results to that book. Select **All** to search across all your contact books.

## Shortcuts

| Shortcut                                            | Action                |
| --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>,</kbd> | Open contacts panel   |
| <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> then "contacts"    | Open contacts panel   |
| <kbd>↑</kbd> / <kbd>↓</kbd>                         | Navigate contact list |


# Importing contacts

Import contacts from CSV or sync with external systems.

Import contacts from a CSV file into any contact book that isn't synced with an email provider.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Open the contacts panel

Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar and select **Contacts**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Open the import dialog

Right-click on the contact book where you want to import and select **Import contacts (CSV)**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Add your file

Drag and drop your CSV onto the dialog, or click **Choose a file** to pick it from your computer. You can import up to **10,000 rows** at a time.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Start the import

Click **Import .csv**. Large imports may take a few minutes. Existing contacts with a matching email won't be duplicated.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
CSV import is not available for contact books synced with Google or Office 365. Use the provider's interface to import contacts instead - they'll sync to Missive automatically.
{% endhint %}

## Supported CSV formats

Missive supports CSV files in **Google** and **Outlook** formats. If your contacts come from another source, adapt your file to match one of these formats.

### Google format (recommended)

The Google format is more flexible and supports **groups** and **custom fields**.

{% file src="/files/0uSIcZSmGf3lAI9zSAb3" %}

**Supported columns:**

| Column                       | Description                                          |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Name Prefix                  | Dr., Mr., Mrs., etc.                                 |
| Given Name                   | First name                                           |
| Family Name                  | Last name                                            |
| Name Suffix                  | Jr., Sr., III, etc.                                  |
| Nickname                     | Nickname                                             |
| Gender                       | Gender                                               |
| Notes                        | Free-text notes                                      |
| Group Membership             | Groups separated by `:::` (e.g., `VIPs ::: Clients`) |
| E-mail 1 - Type              | Label: Work, Home, etc.                              |
| E-mail 1 - Value             | Email address                                        |
| E-mail 2 - Type / Value      | Additional email                                     |
| Phone 1 - Type               | Label: Work, Mobile, Home, etc.                      |
| Phone 1 - Value              | Phone number                                         |
| IM 1 - Type / Value          | Instant messaging handle                             |
| Organization 1 - Name        | Company name                                         |
| Organization 1 - Title       | Job title                                            |
| Organization 1 - Department  | Department                                           |
| Organization 1 - Location    | Office location                                      |
| Website 1 - Type / Value     | Website URL with label                               |
| Address 1 - Type             | Label: Work, Home, etc.                              |
| Address 1 - Street           | Street address                                       |
| Address 1 - Extended Address | Apt, Suite, etc.                                     |
| Address 1 - PO Box           | PO Box                                               |
| Address 1 - City             | City                                                 |
| Address 1 - Region           | State/Province                                       |
| Address 1 - Postal Code      | ZIP/Postal code                                      |
| Address 1 - Country          | Country                                              |
| Custom Field 1 - Type        | Custom field label                                   |
| Custom Field 1 - Value       | Custom field value                                   |
| Photo                        | URL to contact photo                                 |

{% hint style="info" %}
You can add multiple emails, phones, addresses, and custom fields by incrementing the number (E-mail 2, Phone 2, Custom Field 2, etc.).
{% endhint %}

### Outlook format

{% file src="/files/7wdlYw5MG9A0ETC9TuNC" %}

**Supported columns:**

| Column                                                    | Description             |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| First Name, Middle Name, Last Name                        | Name parts              |
| Title                                                     | Prefix (Dr., Mr., etc.) |
| Suffix                                                    | Jr., Sr., etc.          |
| Nickname                                                  | Nickname                |
| E-mail Address, E-mail 2 Address, E-mail 3 Address        | Email addresses         |
| Home Phone, Home Phone 2                                  | Home phone numbers      |
| Business Phone, Business Phone 2                          | Work phone numbers      |
| Mobile Phone                                              | Mobile number           |
| Pager                                                     | Pager number            |
| Business Fax, Home Fax                                    | Fax numbers             |
| Job Title                                                 | Job title               |
| Department                                                | Department              |
| Company                                                   | Company name            |
| Office Location                                           | Office location         |
| Business Street, City, State, Postal Code, Country/Region | Work address            |
| Home Street, City, State, Postal Code, Country/Region     | Home address            |
| Web Page                                                  | Website URL             |
| Notes                                                     | Free-text notes         |

## Exporting contacts for import

### From Gmail

1. Open [Google Contacts](https://contacts.google.com)
2. Click **Export** in the left sidebar
3. Choose which contacts to export (all or a specific label)
4. Select **Google CSV** format
5. Click **Export**

### From Outlook

1. Open Outlook and go to **File** > **Open & Export** > **Import/Export**
2. Select **Export to a file** and click **Next**
3. Choose **Comma Separated Values** and click **Next**
4. Select your **Contacts** folder and click **Next**
5. Choose a save location and click **Finish**

## Troubleshooting

### Import fails or contacts are missing data

* Ensure your CSV uses UTF-8 encoding
* Check that column headers exactly match the supported formats
* Remove any extra columns not in the supported list
* `E-mail X - Type` and `E-mail X - Value` are interdependent -- both columns must be present and non-empty. The same applies to `Phone X - Type` and `Phone X - Value`. Having one without the other will cause the import to fail.

### Special characters appear incorrectly

Your CSV file may not be UTF-8 encoded. Open it in a text editor and save with UTF-8 encoding, or re-export from the source application with UTF-8 selected.


# Contacts FAQ

Common questions about contacts and contact management in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on the number of contacts?</summary>

No. There is no limit on the number of contacts you can have in Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on the number of contact books?</summary>

Yes. Each user can have up to **500 personal contact books**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I merge duplicate contacts?</summary>

There is no automatic merge feature, but you can manually consolidate contacts:

1. Open the contact you want to keep
2. Note down the information from the duplicate
3. Edit the contact to add any missing details
4. Delete the duplicate contact

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I move a contact to a different book?</summary>

1. Open the contact and click **Edit**
2. Change the **Contact book** field to the desired book
3. Click **Save**

The contact moves to the new book immediately.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I import CSV into my synced contact book?</summary>

Contact books synced with Google or Office 365 are managed by those services. To add contacts:

1. Open Google Contacts or Outlook
2. Import your CSV there
3. Contacts automatically sync to Missive

This ensures the sync stays consistent between both systems.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I share a personal contact book with my team?</summary>

Yes. Edit the contact book and enable sharing:

1. Open the contacts panel
2. Right-click on your contact book in the list
3. Select **Edit contact book**
4. Open the **Share with** menu
5. Choose to share with your organization, a team, or specific users

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I stop syncing contacts with my email account?</summary>

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**
2. Select the email account
3. In the **Stop syncing** section, click **Stop syncing**

A confirmation dialog warns that all contacts from that account will be deleted from Missive. Contacts remain in your email provider (Google, Outlook, etc.).

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens to contacts when I delete a contact book?</summary>

All contacts in the book are permanently deleted. This cannot be undone. Contacts are not moved to another book - they are removed completely.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use contacts in rules?</summary>

Yes. Rules support contact conditions and actions:

**Conditions**: Check if a sender or recipient is in a specific contact book, group, or company. Useful for routing VIP customers or filtering known contacts.

**Actions**: The **Create contact(s)** action automatically adds new contacts from incoming messages to a specified contact book.

See [Using contacts in rules](/docs/core-features/contacts#using-contacts-in-rules) for details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I find all conversations with a contact?</summary>

1. Open the contact in the contacts panel
2. Click **View all conversations** at the bottom of the contact card

This opens search results filtered to show all conversations involving that contact.

You can also view all conversations with anyone from a company by clicking the company name to open its card, then clicking **View all conversations**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I add custom fields to contacts?</summary>

Yes. When creating or editing a contact:

1. Click **More fields** to expand additional options
2. Find the **Custom field** row at the bottom
3. Enter a label (field name) and value
4. Click the **+** button to add more custom fields

Custom fields are searchable and appear in the contact card.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "Exclude contacts from search results?" do?</summary>

This option hides contacts from the auto-complete menu when composing emails. The contacts still exist in the contact book and can be browsed directly, but they won't appear as suggestions when you type in the To, Cc, or Bcc fields.

This is useful when you have a large imported list (like a newsletter subscriber list or a CRM export) that you need for reference but don't want cluttering your compose auto-complete. You can still look up these contacts in the contacts panel when needed.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why don't I see a contact book shared with me?</summary>

Contact books shared with you appear in the contact book list when you open the contacts panel. If you don't see an expected book:

* Confirm the owner has shared it with you, your team, or your organization
* Ask an organization admin to verify sharing settings

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can guests access contacts?</summary>

No. Guests cannot view or manage contacts. Contact books and their contents are only accessible to full organization members who have been granted access through sharing settings.

</details>


# Activity feed

Stay on top of mentions, reactions, and calendar reminders in one place.

The Activity feed is a panel that collects personal notifications -- @mentions in comments, emoji reactions to your messages, and calendar reminders. Access it by clicking the bell icon at the top of the sidebar.

An unread dot on the bell indicates new activity: blue for mentions or reactions, orange for calendar reminders.

## What appears in the Activity feed

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Mentions**

When a teammate @mentions you (or a team you belong to) in a comment, it shows up here. Click the activity to jump directly to that comment in the conversation.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Reactions**

When someone reacts to one of your comments with an emoji, you'll see it here. Multiple reactions from different people on the same comment are grouped together.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Calendar reminders**

Event reminders from your connected calendars appear here. The feed shows the event title, time, and how far out it is.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

{% hint style="info" %}
The Activity feed retains the last 30 days of activity. Older entries are automatically removed.
{% endhint %}

## Filtering

Use the filter dropdown at the top of the panel to narrow the list to a specific type: **All**, **Mentions**, **Reactions**, or **Calendar reminders**.

## Settings

Click the settings icon at the bottom of the panel to control what appears. For each activity type you can toggle:

* **Display** -- show or hide that type in the **All** view (you can still switch to that type's filter to see them)
* **Unread** -- count that type toward the unread dot on the bell icon

{% hint style="info" %}
Only calendar reminders affect the app icon badge count, and only by 1 regardless of how many unread reminders you have. Mentions and reactions are shown in the feed but do not increment the badge.
{% endhint %}

You can also open settings with <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> while the Activity feed is open.

## Opening from the command bar

Type any of these in the command bar (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>) to open the Activity feed from anywhere in the app:

* `Open Activity feed` — opens to the current filter
* `Open mentions feed` — opens with the Mentions filter pre-applied
* `Open reactions feed` — opens with the Reactions filter pre-applied
* `Open calendar reminders feed` — opens with the Calendar reminders filter pre-applied


# Activity feed FAQ

Common questions about the Activity feed in Missive.

<details>

<summary>Where did the Activity room go?</summary>

The Activity room has been replaced by the Activity feed. Instead of a conversation pinned in your sidebar, it's now a dedicated panel you open by clicking the bell icon at the top of the sidebar. Mentions, reactions, and calendar reminders all appear there.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does my app badge count go up when I have no unread emails?</summary>

The Activity feed may be the cause. Calendar reminders add 1 to your app icon badge count when you have any unread reminders, regardless of how many there are.

To opt out, open the Activity feed (bell icon at the top of the sidebar), click the settings icon, and uncheck **Unread** for **Calendar reminders**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I hide certain activity types without losing them entirely?</summary>

Yes. Unchecking **Display** for an activity type hides it from the **All** view, but you can still see those activities by switching to that type's specific filter. They are not deleted.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I open the Activity feed from the keyboard?</summary>

Open the command bar with <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> and type `Open Activity feed`.

</details>

<details>

<summary>When are activities marked as read?</summary>

Activities are marked as read when you open the Activity feed. The unread dot on the bell disappears immediately on open, but individual activity items keep their unread styling until you close the panel.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I check off individual activities or mark them unread to come back to?</summary>

No, there's no per-item read/unread toggle in the Activity feed, and that's by design. The feed isn't meant to be another inbox to manage with its own read states. It's a lightweight reminder that something happened, so you can go check it when you want.

For a "remind me to come back to this" workflow, act on the conversation itself instead:

* **Snooze** the conversation so it returns to your Inbox when you're ready.
* **Mark unread** so it stays visible in your Inbox until you've handled it.

</details>


# Aliases & signatures

Send from multiple email addresses and create professional signatures.

Control which email address and signature appear when you reply. Set up aliases for different contexts (support@, sales@) and create signatures that match.

### What are aliases?

An alias is an email address attached to an email account. Every email account inherently comes with at least one alias, known as the default email address. However, it is entirely possible for an email account to have multiple aliases.

{% hint style="info" %}
Consider the email account <admin@conferencebadge.com>. In addition to its default alias, <admin@conferencebadge.com>, it could have multiple aliases such as <help@conferencebadge.com>, <sales@conferencebadge.com>, <privacy@conferencebadge.com>, etc.
{% endhint %}

### What are email signatures?

Email signatures in Missive are customizable blocks of text automatically added at the end of your outgoing emails. They help ensure consistency in how you and your colleagues present your contact details, branding, and company information.

{% hint style="info" %}
Signatures can be personal, created by each user, or managed at the organization level, where shared templates ensure everyone uses the same layout and formatting.
{% endhint %}


# Setting up aliases

Configure email aliases to send from different addresses in Missive.

In Missive, aliases are managed from the **Aliases** tab from the account settings: **Settings > Accounts**. For each alias you can define a name, a description, a signature and sharing settings.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Aliases must first have been defined on your email server ([Gmail](https://support.google.com/mail/answer/22370?hl=en), [Microsoft 365](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/email/add-another-email-alias-for-a-user?view=o365-worldwide), etc.). If you don't define the aliases first, upon sending from Missive, your email server will replace the alias with your default account address in the outgoing email’s From field
{% endhint %}

### Name

When you define a name on an alias, your email recipient will both see your email address and your name in their inbox.

{% hint style="info" %}
Both the email account owner and the delegated users can define their own name on an alias.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Microsoft/Office 365 limitation:** Microsoft only supports alias addresses, not alias names. If your account is connected via Microsoft 365, the display name you set here will be ignored - recipients will see the default display name from your Microsoft 365 account settings instead. Only Google Workspace supports custom alias names.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/OUF1RKaKePRUxHdLjhyu" alt="Alias name" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Description

A description allows you to make aliases stand out in the *From* select menu of the draft composer, as in the below image for a user [having multiple signatures](/docs/core-features/aliases-and-signatures/faq#how-can-i-define-multiple-signatures-for-the-same-email-address). The description will not be visible to your email recipients.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/qUzAMJGhTNRLhAv4Odbq" alt="Alias description" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Never automatically select

You can tell Missive to never automatically select the alias when replying / composing a new email. You’ll still be able to manually set this alias in your From field if you need to.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/UKWeoSEi9oNsVhuxBJwy" alt="Never automatically select an alias" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Allow others to send emails from this alias

This setting lets you share the alias with colleagues without sharing the underlying email account, so they can send emails using the alias without gaining access to all the emails in the email account.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/45qkbKjW3njMWkxC7SAU" alt="Edit the signature" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Advanced

### Control which alias is used when replying

Depending if an email is sent to your sales@, help@ or a personal email address like philippe@, you might want to control what alias (email address) Missive uses by default as the **From** address in your draft.

By default, Missive will try to match the best alias by itself.

Let’s look at a few examples, given those two users:

| **🤵🏻‍♂️ Philippe’s aliases**                                                                                             | **👨🏻‍💻 Rafael’s aliases**                                                                                                                         |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| <ul><li><philippe@conferencebadge.com></li><li><sales@conferencebadge.com></li><li><support@conferencebadge.com></li></ul> | <ul><li><rafael@conferencebadge.com></li><li><support@conferencebadge.com></li><li><rafael@conferencebadge.com></li><li><rafael@gmail.com></li></ul> |

1. ✅ If an email is sent to <support@conferencebadge.com> and replied to by 🤵🏻‍♂️ Philippe, the **From** will be <support@conferencebadge.com>.
2. ✅ If an email is sent to <support@conferencebadge.com> and replied to by 👨🏻‍💻 Rafael, the **From** will be <support@conferencebadge.com>.
3. ✅ If an email is sent to <sales@conferencebadge.com> and replied to by 🤵🏻‍♂️ Philippe, the **From** will be <sales@conferencebadge.com>.
4. ❌ If an email is sent to <sales@conferencebadge.com> and replied to by 👨🏻‍💻 Rafael, the **From** will be <rafael@conferencebadge.com>. Because Rafael doesn't have access to the alias <sales@conferencebadge.com> Missive finds another alias from the same domain name for Rafael to reply with.

Now let’s say 🤵🏻‍♂️ Philippe **never wants to reply with** the <sales@conferencebadge.com> alias, he can change the [**Never automatically select**](#never-automatically-select) setting on the sales@ alias.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/UKWeoSEi9oNsVhuxBJwy" alt="Never automatically select an alias" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

1. ❌ If an email is sent to <sales@conferencebadge.com> and replied to by 🤵🏻‍♂️ Philippe, the **From** will be <philippe@conferencebadge.com> because the **<sales@conferencebadge.com>** alias is now ignored.

Keep in mind you can always manually change the **From** of your draft to another one.

If you want to always use the same alias, regardless of the email address to which the email was sent, you can make a change in the settings. Go to and check: **Settings > Preferences > Composers > Always send replies from selected address above**.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/wbjdNG2BzBD4vqLwM5fA" alt="Configure your alias settings" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

In summary, email aliases in Missive offer a flexible and efficient way to manage your email communications. They allow for personalized responses, controlled access, and team collaboration. Remember to set up your aliases on your email server first, and then customize them in Missive as needed.


# Setting up email signatures

Create and manage email signatures in Missive.

Create and edit signatures in **Settings** > **Signatures**. You can link a signature to any of your email account aliases.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/IwD3W5SS9aG4BNnPbWVb" alt="Edit the signature" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

You can also configure a signature from the alias settings:

* **Settings > Accounts** select the **Aliases** tab, click **Edit** next to the alias, then pick the **Signatures** tab.

### Rich text VS HTML editor

When editing your signature, you can either use the easy rich-text editor to design a simple signature or switch to the HTML editor to have complete control over your signature rendering. With the HTML editor you can copy/paste the code of the signature you were using in your previous email client.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/8yJLBfu8YgA1fbcQX7MO" alt="Edit the signature" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Insert in

The **Insert in** setting controls when Missive inserts the signature in your drafts based on where you are in a conversation:

* **All emails** — the signature is inserted in every draft, including replies.
* **First email sent** — the signature is inserted only in the first email of a conversation. No signature is added to replies.
* **First email sent, then the following signature** — the main signature is inserted in the first email, and an alternative shorter signature you define below is used on replies.

This is useful if once you’ve emailed someone you don’t want to display your full signature again.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/ac9L1XWt4IXKC647wFkO" alt="Edit the signature" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
The alternative signature used on replies is rich text only — HTML is only available for the first email signature. The alternative is meant to be a shorter sign-off (e.g. your name or initials). If you need a fully HTML-formatted signature on every reply, set **Insert in** to **All emails**.
{% endhint %}

If your signature shows up on new emails but not on replies, check this setting — **First email sent** without a defined alternative will leave replies without a signature.

### Switching signatures in a draft

You can change the signature directly in the composer without changing your **From** address. Hover over the signature area at the bottom of your draft (or click into it) and a **Signature** button appears next to it. Click it to:

* Pick any of your personal or organization signatures.
* Choose **No signature** to remove it from the draft.
* Choose **Create signature…** to make a new one on the spot.

{% hint style="info" %}
This switches the signature for the current draft only. To change which signature is used by default, link it to an alias in **Settings** > **Signatures**.
{% endhint %}

### Use one signature for all

If you want all of your colleagues to have the exact same signature design, instead of having each of them create a personal signature, you can set up an organization signature in **Settings > Signatures**. Then, each employee will be able to easily select and use the signature.

Organization signatures use variables from each colleague's profile to automatically generate a personalized version for them. Learn more about managed signatures in [Managing your team signatures.](/docs/core-features/aliases-and-signatures/managing-your-team-signatures)


# Managing your team signatures

Manage team-wide email signatures for consistent branding.

Missive lets you easily manage your team's signatures from a central place. It's the perfect way to achieve a uniform brand look across your teammates' signatures!

To create your first centrally managed signature, go to **Settings** > **Signatures**.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only the organization owner and admins can create and edit managed signatures.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/W9rmtjgXyB6kJ9eo56eg" alt="Managed signatures help maintain a uniform brand look" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Works with dynamic variables

Use [Liquid syntax](https://shopify.github.io/liquid/) to add variable information to your templates. It works just like in [canned response variables](/docs/core-features/canned-responses/using-variables).

For example, if you type this in the signature editor:

```liquid
{{ user.first_name }} {{ user.last_name }}
```

It would render the person's first and last name, based on their profile data. You can also preview everyone's signature by selecting their name from the drop-down menu.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/7jYiRSfX7PUsqx3KsGNx" alt="Insert dynamic content to managed signatures" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Variables are not limited to text, you can insert dynamic graphics to signatures. For example, if you wanted to show the Missive user's profile picture. You could type this in the editor:

```liquid
<img src="{{ user.avatar_url }}">
```

You may want to add a few style attributes to make it look great:

```liquid
<img src="{{ user.avatar_url }}" style="width: 50px; border-radius: 4px;">
```

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/MwcxnSoyjwnFurz9uKvo" alt="Insert dynamic images to managed signatures" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

On the other hand, if you wanted to display a static image like the company's logo, you would need to insert a publicly available image address.

```liquid
<img src="https://example.com/image-url.jpg">
```

### Dynamic data comes from editable user profiles

Users have editable profiles. They work similarly to contact cards. Open **Settings > Users** to edit your own and others' profiles or do it straight from the signature's editor.

You can fill default fields:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/YWhwL3XDUSegtxJ8YIQX" alt="Editable profiles for all members" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

And you can also add custom ones:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/BI7rkdQj0KdKYoGUrcXX" alt="Custom fields in member profiles for managed signatures" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

For example, if you create a custom field like the one above and type this in the signature editor:

```liquid
{{ user.custom.employee_id }}
```

The signature would show each employee's ID:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/psE5Ge0XvSMlICIuMiRV" alt="Employee ID in managed signature" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

### Shared with everyone in the organization

In a matter of seconds, people all over the organization can get the official company signature. No more struggling to get a uniform brand look.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/2qqkoao1z6kTBaEoSQx5" alt="Easily manage employee signatures" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
Once a managed signature is created, it's important for all email account owners to configure the managed signature on their aliases in their account settings. See [Setting up email signatures](/docs/core-features/aliases-and-signatures/setting-up-email-signatures) for more information.
{% endhint %}

### Works with Rich Text or HTML signatures

You can create any kind of signature with Missive. From simple Rich Text ones:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/8yJLBfu8YgA1fbcQX7MO" alt="Rich Text managed signature" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

To beautiful HTML ones designed to drive traffic:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/U6uo082rr0f3UYh7kL00" alt="Marketing banners in HTML managed signatures" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>


# Aliases & signatures FAQ

Common questions about aliases and email signatures in Missive.

### Aliases

<details>

<summary>Why does my alias name revert to my Microsoft 365 default name?</summary>

Microsoft/Office 365 only supports alias addresses, not alias names. Regardless of the display name you set in **Settings > Accounts > Aliases**, Microsoft will always use the default display name from your Microsoft 365 account settings when sending email.

Only Google Workspace supports custom alias names. If you need custom display names per alias, consider switching to a Google Workspace account.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I let others reply as me or an alias I own without sharing the entire account?</summary>

**Yes, you can. Here’s how:**

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**.
2. Select a personal email account.
3. Select the **Aliases** tab.
4. Click Edit next to the desired alias.
5. Click Allow others to send emails from this alias - Share with and choose which users.

You will always have access to all emails sent by others.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/45qkbKjW3njMWkxC7SAU" alt="Allow others to send emails from a personal account" width="797"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can delegated users customize their name and signature on a shared account?</summary>

**Yes.** It’s possible for delegated users to customize their name and signature when sending from a shared account.

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**.
2. Select the shared email account.
3. Select the **Aliases** tab.
4. Click Edit next to the desired alias.
5. Edit the name in the Alias.
6. Select the Signatures tab.
7. Change the signature clicking the Select signature button.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/TeFhwbUYOnW5mzuq2fKT" alt="Image showing how to customize your signatures" width="1105"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I change the default From address when I create a new draft?</summary>

Click your name in the bottom left corner, then **Preferences**, and search for “default send”, you will see the options below to change the **Default sender** address, which is the default address set in your **From** field when you start a draft:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/wbjdNG2BzBD4vqLwM5fA" alt="Configure your alias settings" width="1094"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

{% hint style="info" %}
This setting is personal, each user in your organization is free to define it as they like.
{% endhint %}

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I prevent an alias to be used when I reply to emails?</summary>

You can tell Missive to never automatically select a particular From address (known as an “alias”) when replying/composing a new email. You’ll still be able to manually set this alias in your **From** field if you need to.

1. Go to **Settings** > **Accounts**.
2. Select the desired email account.
3. Select the **Aliases** tab.
4. Click **Edit** next to the desired alias.
5. Check the option that says, “Never automatically select as the From address when composing an email”.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/UKWeoSEi9oNsVhuxBJwy" alt="Never automatically select an alias" width="797"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do email aliases compare to email proxies?</summary>

In most everyday and business scenarios, users are far more likely to use email aliases than email proxies. The creation and configuration of email aliases or email proxies happens at the email provider level.

Here’s why:

* Email aliases are built into almost every email provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, iCloud, etc.) and are commonly used for team roles (e.g., support@, billing@), personal organization, and filtering. They’re simple, familiar, and don’t change the sender’s identity.
* Email proxies are more niche and are mainly used for privacy, security, or anonymity. Tools like Apple’s *Hide My Email*, Firefox Relay, or burner-style email services are proxies — still far less common in business workflows. They are created and managed outside Missive. Missive simply receives messages forwarded from those proxy addresses.

</details>

### Signatures

<details>

<summary>Can I use a specific signature on the mobile app?</summary>

Missive does not offer a way to set mobile-specific signatures right now. However, you can set up any number of aliases for each of your email accounts, and each alias can have a different signature. You can give your alias a clear description like “Mobile signature”:

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/aIgmsAtSiA7TzFPSQoBc" alt="" width="798"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Even if you don’t have different alias addresses, you can create multiple aliases with the same Address and Name, just to set a different description and signature.

Assuming you send more emails from your computer, we suggest you set your desktop signature version on your default alias. Then when you send an email from mobile, you can manually switch to your mobile alias in the From field, which will change the signature used.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use custom values within shared email signatures?</summary>

You can use custom fields within shared signatures. You can use them as:

`{{ user.custom.field_name }}`

If your custom field name is, for example, Job title, then it would be:

`{{ user.custom.job_title }}`

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/xLpmPABJrEvCQWre9nJt" alt="Adding a custom field to an email signature" width="800"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I add multiple phone numbers to a signature?</summary>

You can use variables to display multiple phone numbers in your email signature. For example, if you want to add your work and mobile phone number you can use these:

```
{{ user.work.phone_number }}
```

```
{{ user.mobile.phone_number }}
```

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/OaMXwhnyAnQyNQBQKSwD" alt="Mutiple phone numbers contact"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/6u3We7xqUm68mmqN6oib" alt="Signature with mutiple phone numbers"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

**How to video:** [**https://youtu.be/IoirxbF0DsU**](https://youtu.be/IoirxbF0DsU)

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I define multiple signatures for the same email address?</summary>

In Missive, you can setup any number of aliases for each of your email accounts, and each alias can have a different signature.

Even if you don’t have different alias addresses, you can create multiple aliases with the same Address and Name, just for the purpose of setting a different signature for each.

**Here’s where to add aliases the in Accounts settings:**

<figure><img src="/files/e7ppprLWKxETWAnWOzi3" alt="Image showing how to add new aliases"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Each alias and signature can have their own unique description to help you pick the right one in the draft composer:

<figure><img src="/files/3WhUMKZmx9Fob7YjhaK8" alt="" width="635"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

You can edit your alias description, in the alias edit menu:

<figure><img src="/files/K2fn0Z3eFw2oO3jREsIR" alt="" width="799"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

To edit the signature of each of those aliases, click on the Signature tab:

<figure><img src="/files/v10moJjetbHPfSWREf5D" alt="" width="798"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

</details>

<details>

<summary>How can I make sure the image in my signature doesn't appear as an attachment?</summary>

If you want to include an image in your email signature, it's better to use an HTML signature instead of attaching the image directly. This will help prevent your email from being flagged as spam by some email providers.

To do this, you can create an HTML signature and add an `<img>` tag with the URL of your image hosted on the web. This way, the image will be displayed in the signature without being attached to the email itself.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to insert a user avatar in a managed signature?</summary>

You need to edit your managed signature in HTML mode, and add an image element with the variable {{ user.avatar\_url }} as its source. This will show the image your users have uploaded as their Missive avatar. It would look something like this:

</details>

<details>

<summary>How to limit the size of an image in my email signature</summary>

1. Switch the signature editor to the HTML mode.
2. Add a `max-width: 400px` to the style element of the `img` tag.
3. Increment/decrement the value of `max-width` based on the desired result.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/wMYZ0nYjryNfpTKRxIgo" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why doesn't my signature appear when I reply to emails?</summary>

Your signature’s **Insert in** setting is most likely set to **First email sent**, which only inserts the signature on the first email of a conversation. Replies fall back to the shorter alternative signature defined below it, or no signature at all if that field is empty.

To insert your full signature on every email, go to **Settings** > **Signatures**, edit the signature, and change **Insert in** to **All emails**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are my signature HTML tags stripped?</summary>

Missive strips HMTL tags that are not supported by the majority of email clients. Your signature HTML code probably uses modern tags known to not be well supported by email clients.

You might try to inline your styles. Paste your code in this [tool](https://templates.mailchimp.com/resources/inline-css/). The output HTML might be supported by Missive.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why are some CSS styles removed from my HTML signature?</summary>

Missive strips a few CSS properties from signatures because they can break the app's layout instead of just styling the signature. The removed properties are:

* `position`
* `pointer-events`
* Negative margins (e.g. `margin-left: -50px`)

Positive margins, colors, fonts, and other standard styling are kept. If part of your signature shifts or disappears after saving, check whether it relied on one of these properties and use a supported approach instead (for example, padding or positive margins for spacing).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I edit my signature in my draft composer?</summary>

If you can't change your signature while drafting an email, it's likely because your signature is in the HTML format. This format can't be altered in the draft composer.

To switch formats, go to **Settings** > **Signatures**, click **Edit**, and look for the format toggle at the bottom of the **Content** field.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/5V9U6YFksQH3YMJAB7xz" alt="Missive Rich text vs HTML signature button highlighted" width="700"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Be aware that if you switch from **HTML** to **Rich Text**, you might encounter some unexpected visual changes, especially if your signature's HTML code is too complex for **Rich text**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can't I edit my signature in my settings?</summary>

You most likely have a managed signature. This means only Admins or Owners can make changes to it. You may contact them to request a change.

Learn more about roles and permission levels in an organization [here](broken://pages/a7JGvCGqb65bd7iql2Zr).

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a limit on how many signatures I can create?</summary>

Yes. The limits are:

* **Personal signatures:** 100 per user
* **Organization signatures:** 500 per organization

</details>


# Status and Out of office

Set your status and out-of-office to let teammates know your availability.

Missive lets you set a personal status to keep your team informed about your availability, whether you’re stepping away for a short break, focusing, or out of office for a longer period. Setting a status helps manage expectations and reduces unnecessary mentions or assignments.

{% hint style="info" %}
Your status will be visible to your teammates anywhere they see your avatar.
{% endhint %}

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/3dM11xzj7HMOdXm04hT9" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

#### Setting your status

You can set your status from your profile menu:

1. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner.
2. Select **Set a status**.
3. Add an emoji, a status message, or both.

#### Setting a coworker status

Someone called in sick or forgot to set their status before leaving? Go to **Settings**, select your organization, then find the user in the **Users** table and click **Edit** > **Edit status**.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Only organization admins can change someone else's status. When editing a coworker's status, auto-responder settings are not available since they apply to personal email accounts.
{% endhint %}

***

### Out of office

Missive's Out of office status lets you set yourself or a coworker as unavailable for a set period of time. While it's active, any replies received in conversations assigned to you are automatically moved back to the [Team Inbox](/docs/core-features/team-inboxes), ensuring your teammates can take over while you're away.

You can also enable a [personal auto-responder](/docs/core-features/status-and-out-of-office/personal-auto-response) that automatically replies to incoming emails while you're away.

#### Setting your out of office

You can set your "Out of office" from Set status in your profile menu:

1. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner.
2. Select **Set a status**.
3. Turn on **Out of office**.
4. Optionally write a custom message (e.g., "On vacation, back Tuesday").
5. To schedule in advance, enable **Schedule** and set a start and end date.

***

### How status affects Missive

Setting a status or out-of-office does not block assignments or notifications, but it gives your team clear visibility into your availability. It helps them:

* Avoid assigning new conversations when you’re unavailable
* Understand why you may not reply immediately
* Know when to expect you back

### Clearing your status

You can clear your status at any time:

* Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner, hover over your current status, and select **Clear status**.
* Use the [Command Bar](/docs/advanced-features/command-bar) and select **Clear status**.

{% hint style="info" %}
If you set an Out of office end time/date, your status will automatically clear when the time is up.
{% endhint %}


# Personal auto-response

Configure automatic replies when you're away.

When setting an **Out of office** status, you can enable an automatic email response that notifies people you’re away. The auto-responder only works for personal email accounts and their aliases, not for shared team inboxes.

<figure><img src="/files/Il58EQ9GNxoxBtGySWBi" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Setting your auto-responder

1. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner.
2. Select **Set a status**.
3. Turn on **Out of office**.
4. Enable **Auto-responder**.
5. Choose which personal accounts or aliases should send the response.
6. Customize the subject and message.

Once active, Missive will automatically reply to incoming emails on the selected accounts until your Out of office status ends or you turn it off.

## How often auto-responses are sent

To prevent repeated replies, auto-responses are limited to one per 24 hours for each alias address and sender address pair.

* If the same sender emails the same alias multiple times, they’ll only receive **one** auto-response per day.
* This limit is **global across all conversations** (it’s not conversation-specific).
* A different sender can still trigger an auto-response.
* The same sender can trigger a new auto-response again **after 24 hours**.

{% hint style="info" %}
In this context, the **sender** is the person emailing you.
{% endhint %}

## Threading behavior

Because the Out of office message can have a different subject, some email clients may display it as a **new conversation/thread** for the sender.

In Missive, the auto-responder behaves like a **Send response** rule, so the reply is still recorded alongside the inbound message that triggered it.

{% hint style="info" %}
To prevent the auto-response from overwriting the conversation title in Missive, leave the subject field empty.
{% endhint %}

## Why it doesn’t work on shared inboxes

Team inboxes like support@, info@, or sales@ are shared across your organization, so Missive does not send automatic Out of office replies from these addresses.

If your organization wants a company-wide auto-reply during holidays or closures, you can create an incoming message rule using the Send response action. [Learn more here](broken://pages/CoTwu9YgqFPehIuYMqNd)


# Overview

Missive's AI assistant drafts replies, searches your emails and calendar, looks up contacts, and finds relevant canned responses. Powered by OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, or Google Gemini.

Missive has a built-in AI assistant that works directly inside your inbox. It reads your conversations, searches across all your connected accounts, checks your calendar, looks up contacts, and drafts replies. All without switching apps.

Setup is flexible. Start in one click with **Missive AI credits**, or **bring your own API key** for provider-side control. Either path works with **Anthropic Claude**, **OpenAI**, and **Google Gemini** -- pick the provider and model you want per task.

{% hint style="info" %}
AI requires the **Productive** or **Business** plan. Organizations on those plans start with **$5 of free Missive AI credits**. [See pricing](https://missiveapp.com/pricing).
{% endhint %}

## What the assistant can do

The assistant is not a simple chatbot. It has access to your Missive data and can take action on your behalf:

<table><thead><tr><th width="240.032958984375">Capability</th><th>How it works</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Search your emails</strong></td><td>Searches across all connected accounts (Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, etc.) with filters for date, sender, recipient, and attachments.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Check your calendar</strong></td><td>Reads events from Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. Can check availability, find conflicts, and suggest meeting times.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Look up contacts</strong></td><td>Searches your contact books by name, email, or phone number. Returns full contact details including organization, job title, and custom fields.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Find canned responses</strong></td><td>Performs semantic search across your canned responses to find relevant templates, policies, or pre-written replies.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Create and edit drafts</strong></td><td>Writes reply drafts directly in the conversation. Handles recipients, subject lines, and signatures automatically. Can update drafts after feedback.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ask clarifying questions</strong></td><td>When your request is ambiguous, presents multiple-choice questions to clarify before proceeding.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Beyond the assistant, Missive offers additional AI features:

<table><thead><tr><th width="239.9244384765625">Feature</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="/pages/P8iV2SmTcfRhkj9ShHAs"><strong>MCP integrations</strong></a></td><td>Connect the assistant to external tools like Notion, Linear, Attio, Stripe, or your own MCP server.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/BNq03Qik1X08dXcYm64r"><strong>Prompts</strong></a></td><td>Quick, reusable AI actions you can run on messages or drafts: summarize, translate, fix grammar, generate a reply.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/iVNhOQ73M2VvJo1YpcZc"><strong>AI Rules</strong></a></td><td>Trigger AI on incoming messages automatically. Classify, label, route, or draft replies based on content.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/o15JekGLQIbKNktuYzto"><strong>Instructions</strong></a></td><td>Define organization-wide behavior guidelines so the assistant responds consistently for your whole team.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Two ways to connect

You can connect an AI provider two ways, and you can use either or both at the same time.

**Missive AI credits.** Missive manages the provider connection for you. You pay Missive for usage from a single credit balance that works across every supported provider. No API key required, and you get per-user cost analytics inside Missive.

**Bring your own key (BYOK).** You create an API key with the provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google) and paste it into Missive. Usage bills directly to your provider account at the provider's price.

Only **organization admins** can add or manage AI providers, and every provider is linked to the organization (not a single user).

|                            | Missive AI credits                                                        | Bring your own key                                         |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Setup                      | Click **Add provider** in **Settings** > **AI**                           | Create an API key with the provider, paste it into Missive |
| Who you pay                | Missive                                                                   | The provider directly                                      |
| Pricing                    | Provider price + **25% markup**                                           | Provider price, no markup                                  |
| Free to start              | $5 one-time for Productive and Business plans                             | Depends on the provider                                    |
| Usage visible in Missive   | Actions **and cost** per user                                             | Actions per user                                           |
| Cost monitoring            | **Settings** > **AI** in Missive                                          | The provider's own dashboard                               |
| When the balance runs out  | Admins get a low-balance email; AI stops at $0 until an admin tops up     | You manage billing and limits on the provider side         |
| Advanced provider features | Limited (e.g., requests are routed through Missive's US provider account) | Full access (e.g., OpenAI EU data residency)               |

If ease of use matters most, pick Missive AI credits. If the 25% markup is a concern, or you need advanced provider features like OpenAI's EU data residency, [bring your own key](/docs/ai/setup).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Each provider has its own data retention and privacy policies. By default, most providers do not use API data for model training, but you should review your account settings. See the data privacy section on each provider's setup page: [OpenAI](/docs/ai/setup/openai#data-privacy), [Anthropic](/docs/ai/setup/anthropic#data-privacy), [Google Gemini](/docs/ai/setup/gemini#data-privacy). This applies to both Missive AI credits and BYOK.
{% endhint %}

If you don't connect any AI provider, AI features simply don't appear in Missive. There's nothing to disable.

## Supported providers and models

You can connect one or more providers simultaneously. The assistant lets you pick which model to use per conversation.

| Provider             | Assistant models                                        | Rule models            |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------- |
| **OpenAI**           | GPT-5.2, GPT-5 Mini, GPT-5 Nano                         | GPT-5 Mini, GPT-5 Nano |
| **Anthropic Claude** | Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Haiku 4.5    | Claude Haiku 4.5       |
| **Google Gemini**    | Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite | Gemini 2.5 Flash       |

Anthropic Claude is what the Missive team uses daily. Claude excels at nuanced writing and careful reasoning, which makes it particularly strong for drafting customer-facing replies.

{% hint style="info" %}
Model availability may change as providers release new versions. Missive updates supported models regularly.
{% endhint %}

## Next steps

* [Set up an AI provider](/docs/ai/setup)
* [Connect MCP integrations](/docs/ai/using-ai/mcp-integrations)
* [Use the assistant](/docs/ai/using-ai/assistant)
* [Create prompts](/docs/ai/using-ai/prompts)
* [Define instructions](/docs/ai/using-ai/instructions)
* [Automate with AI Rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules/ai-rules)


# Setting up AI

Connect one or more AI providers to use AI features in Missive.

Connect an AI provider to unlock the assistant, prompts, AI rules, and instructions. There are two ways to do it: **Missive AI credits** (pay Missive, no API key needed) or **bring your own key** (pay the provider directly). See [the full comparison](/docs/ai/overview#two-ways-to-connect) in the overview.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only **organization admins** can add or manage AI providers. All providers are linked to the organization, not a single user.
{% endhint %}

## Option 1: Missive AI credits

Organizations on the **Productive** or **Business** plan start with **$5 of free Missive AI credits**. The balance works across every supported provider, so $5 can be spent on OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, or any mix.

1. Go to **Settings** > **AI**.
2. Click **Add provider** and pick **Missive credits** for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google.
3. Start using AI features. Usage draws from your credit balance.

Organization admins receive an email when the balance runs low. When the balance hits $0, AI features stop working until an admin tops up from **Settings** > **AI** > **Buy AI credits**.

{% hint style="info" %}
Missive AI credits include a **25% markup** on the provider's price. If that's a concern, use bring your own key instead.
{% endhint %}

## Option 2: Bring your own API key

Create an API key with the provider and paste it into Missive. Usage bills directly to your provider account at the provider's price, with no markup. BYOK also unlocks provider-side features that Missive AI credits don't expose, like OpenAI's EU data residency.

| Provider             | Setup guide                                   |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **OpenAI**           | [Connect OpenAI](/docs/ai/setup/openai)       |
| **Anthropic Claude** | [Connect Anthropic](/docs/ai/setup/anthropic) |
| **Google Gemini**    | [Connect Gemini](/docs/ai/setup/gemini)       |

## Mixing credits and BYOK

You can run Missive AI credits and BYOK side by side. Add one of each, and when you pick a model in the assistant you'll see models from both -- pick whichever you want per conversation, prompt, or rule.

## Controlling who can use a provider

Providers are added at the organization level, but access inside the organization is up to the admin. For each provider, you can share it with the whole organization, a specific team, a few users, or a single user. Adjust sharing at any time from **Settings** > **AI**.

## Using multiple providers

You can connect multiple providers at the same time. Once connected:

* The assistant lets you pick which model to use per conversation.
* Prompts can be configured to use a specific provider and model.
* AI rules let you select a model per rule.

{% hint style="info" %}
Connecting multiple providers gives your team flexibility. Use a fast, cheap model for simple tasks and a more powerful model when you need deeper reasoning.
{% endhint %}


# OpenAI

Connect your OpenAI account to use GPT models in Missive.

Connect your OpenAI account to use GPT models for the assistant, prompts, and AI rules.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Missive requires an **OpenAI API key**, not a ChatGPT subscription. These are separate services with separate billing. Get your API key at [platform.openai.com](https://platform.openai.com/).
{% endhint %}

## Setup

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Get your OpenAI API key**

Create an [OpenAI account](https://platform.openai.com/signup) if you don't have one.

Go to [OpenAI Platform](https://platform.openai.com/) and navigate to **Settings** > **API Keys**.

Click **Create new secret key** and copy it somewhere safe. You won't be able to see it again.

(Optional) Find your **Organization ID** in **Settings** > **General**. You'll need this if your OpenAI account belongs to multiple organizations.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add the integration in Missive**

In Missive, go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > click **Add integration** > search for **OpenAI** and click **Add to Missive**.

Enter your **API key** (required).

Under **Advanced settings** (optional):

* **Organization ID** — only needed if your OpenAI account belongs to multiple organizations
* **API Base URL** — use `https://eu.api.openai.com/v1` for EU data residency; leave blank for the default US endpoint

Click **Add**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Share with your team (optional)**

To let your team use AI features or create AI rules, share the integration:

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **OpenAI** and click **Share integration** at the top.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Shared integrations mean everyone uses the same OpenAI API key. All usage bills to your OpenAI account.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Restrict available models (optional)**

By default, all models are available to your team. To limit which models they can choose in the Assistant:

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **OpenAI** and scroll to **Models**.

Select the models you want to make available. Choosing **All models** automatically includes any future models. Deselecting specific models prevents your team from using them.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Available models

### Assistant models

| Model      | Best for                                            | Speed    | Quality |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ------- |
| GPT-5.2    | Complex reasoning, detailed analysis                | Moderate | Highest |
| GPT-5 Mini | Most daily tasks, good balance of speed and quality | Fast     | Good    |
| GPT-5 Nano | Quick tasks, lowest cost                            | Fastest  | Basic   |

For drafting customer-facing email replies, GPT-5.2 gives the best results. GPT-5 Mini is great for quick tasks like grammar fixes or summaries.

### Rule models

| Model                   | Description                                       |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| GPT-5 Mini              | Fast, cost-effective for most tasks (recommended) |
| GPT-5 (with web search) | Includes real-time web search capability          |

## Data privacy

OpenAI does **not** use API data to train models unless you explicitly opt in. Prompts and responses are retained for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring, then deleted.

To confirm data sharing is off, go to [platform.openai.com](https://platform.openai.com/) > **Settings** > [**Data controls**](https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/data-controls/sharing) > **Sharing** and verify all three options are **Disabled**:

* **Enable sharing of model feedback from the Platform**
* **Share evaluation and fine-tuning data with OpenAI**
* **Share inputs and outputs with OpenAI**

OpenAI also offers data residency options for organizations that need data to stay in a specific region. To use EU data residency with Missive, set the **API Base URL** to `https://eu.api.openai.com/v1` in **Advanced settings**. See our [AI FAQ](/docs/ai/using-ai/faq#openai) and [OpenAI's data controls documentation](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/your-data) for details.

## Cost and usage

OpenAI bills based on tokens processed (input and output). A token is roughly 3/4 of a word. Check [OpenAI's pricing page](https://openai.com/api/pricing/) for current rates.

To put it in perspective: reading a 10-email thread and drafting a reply typically uses 2,000 to 4,000 tokens. At that rate, even heavy daily use of the assistant stays well under a dollar per day with GPT-5 Mini.

{% hint style="info" %}
Set a [monthly budget limit](https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/limits) in OpenAI to prevent unexpected charges.
{% endhint %}

### Managing costs

* **Use the best model for manual tasks.** When you trigger AI yourself (drafting a reply, asking the assistant a question), the cost per interaction is negligible. Use GPT-5.2 for the best results.
* **Use cheaper models for AI rules.** Rules run automatically on every matching message, so costs add up. GPT-5 Mini is a better choice for classification and routing.
* **Add conditions to AI rules.** Limit when rules run (e.g., only unassigned conversations, only specific labels) to avoid processing every email.
* **Monitor usage.** Check your [OpenAI dashboard](https://platform.openai.com/usage) regularly.


# Anthropic Claude

Connect your Anthropic account to use Claude models in Missive.

Connect your Anthropic account to use Claude models for the assistant, prompts, and AI rules.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Anthropic API access requires prepaid credits or a billing plan. A **Claude Pro subscription** ($20/month) is not the same as API access. You need a separate API key from the Anthropic Console.
{% endhint %}

## Setup

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Get your Anthropic API key**

Create an account at [console.anthropic.com](https://console.anthropic.com/) if you don't have one.

Go to **API Keys** and click **Create Key**. Copy the key somewhere safe. You won't be able to see it again.

Make sure you have [billing set up](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing) with prepaid credits or a payment method.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add the integration in Missive**

In Missive, go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > click **Add integration** > search for **Anthropic** and click **Add to Missive**.

Enter your **API key** and click **Add**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Share with your team (optional)**

To let your team use AI features, share the integration:

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **Anthropic** and click **Share integration** at the top.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Shared integrations mean everyone uses the same API key. All usage bills to your Anthropic account.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Restrict available models (optional)**

By default, all models are available to your team. To limit which models they can choose in the Assistant:

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **Anthropic** and scroll to **Models**.

Select the models you want to make available. Choosing **All models** automatically includes any future models. Deselecting specific models prevents your team from using them.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Available models

### Assistant models

| Model             | Best for                                              | Speed    | Quality |
| ----------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ------- |
| Claude Opus 4.7   | Complex reasoning, nuanced writing, detailed analysis | Moderate | Highest |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Good balance of speed and quality, most daily tasks   | Fast     | High    |
| Claude Haiku 4.5  | Quick tasks, lowest cost                              | Fastest  | Good    |

For drafting customer-facing email replies, Claude Opus 4.7 gives the best results. Claude Sonnet 4.6 is a good all-rounder for most daily tasks.

### Rule models

| Model            | Description                                               |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Fast, cost-effective for classification and routing tasks |

## Data privacy

By default, Anthropic does **not** use API inputs or outputs to train models. Data submitted through the API is retained for 30 days for safety monitoring, then deleted.

Review your settings at [platform.claude.com/settings/privacy](https://platform.claude.com/settings/privacy):

* **Allow user feedback** controls whether feedback on model responses (including full prompts and responses) is sent to Anthropic.
* **Development Partner Program** is an opt-in program that shares data with Anthropic for model training. Do not join if you want to keep your data private.

## Cost and usage

Anthropic bills based on tokens processed (input and output). A token is roughly 3/4 of a word. Check [Anthropic's pricing page](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/pricing) for current rates.

Reading a 10-email thread and drafting a reply typically uses 2,000 to 4,000 tokens. At that rate, even heavy daily use of the assistant stays well under a dollar per day with Claude Sonnet 4.6.

### Managing costs

* **Use the best model for manual tasks.** When you trigger AI yourself (drafting a reply, asking the assistant a question), the cost per interaction is negligible. Use Claude Opus 4.7 for the best results.
* **Use Haiku for AI rules.** Rules run automatically on every matching message, so costs add up. Claude Haiku 4.5 is fast and cheap for classification and routing.
* **Set spending limits** in your [Anthropic account settings](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/limits).
* **Monitor usage** in the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/usage).


# Google Gemini

Connect your Google AI account to use Gemini models in Missive.

Connect your Google AI account to use Gemini models for the assistant, prompts, and AI rules.

{% hint style="info" %}
You need a **Google AI Studio** API key, not a Google Cloud Vertex AI key. Google AI Studio is the consumer/developer API for Gemini.
{% endhint %}

## Setup

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Get your Google AI API key**

Go to [Google AI Studio](https://aistudio.google.com/) and sign in with your Google account.

Click **Get API key** and create a new key. Copy it somewhere safe.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Add the integration in Missive**

In Missive, go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > click **Add integration** > search for **Gemini** and click **Add to Missive**.

Enter your **API key** and click **Add**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Share with your team (optional)**

To let your team use AI features, share the integration:

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **Gemini** and click **Share integration** at the top.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Shared integrations mean everyone uses the same API key. All usage bills to your Google AI account.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
**Restrict available models (optional)**

By default, all models are available to your team. To limit which models they can choose in the Assistant:

Go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **Gemini** and scroll to **Models**.

Select the models you want to make available. Choosing **All models** automatically includes any future models. Deselecting specific models prevents your team from using them.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Available models

### Assistant models

| Model                 | Best for                                            | Speed    | Quality |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ------- |
| Gemini 2.5 Pro        | Complex reasoning, long-context analysis            | Moderate | Highest |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash      | Most daily tasks, good balance of speed and quality | Fast     | Good    |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite | Quick tasks, lowest cost                            | Fastest  | Basic   |

For drafting customer-facing email replies, Gemini 2.5 Pro gives the best results. Gemini 2.5 Flash is great for most daily tasks, and its large context window handles very long threads well.

### Rule models

| Model            | Description                                               |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Gemini 2.5 Flash | Fast, cost-effective for classification and routing tasks |

## Data privacy

Google's data handling depends on whether you are on the free or paid tier:

* **Free tier (unpaid quota):** Google uses your prompts and responses to improve its products and train models. Human reviewers may read your data. Do not submit sensitive or confidential information on the free tier.
* **Paid tier (billing account active):** Google does **not** use your prompts or responses to improve products. Data is logged for a limited period only to detect policy violations.

To use the paid tier, make sure your Google AI Studio account is linked to a Google Cloud project with an active billing account.

For full details, see the [Gemini API terms of service](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms).

## Cost and usage

Google AI offers a free tier with usage limits, and a paid tier for higher volume. A token is roughly 3/4 of a word. Check [Google AI pricing](https://ai.google.dev/pricing) for current rates.

Reading a 10-email thread and drafting a reply typically uses 2,000 to 4,000 tokens. At that rate, even heavy daily use of the assistant stays well under a dollar per day with Gemini 2.5 Flash.

### Managing costs

* **Use the best model for manual tasks.** When you trigger AI yourself (drafting a reply, asking the assistant a question), the cost per interaction is negligible. Use Gemini 2.5 Pro for the best results.
* **Use Flash for AI rules.** Rules run automatically on every matching message, so costs add up. Gemini 2.5 Flash is fast and cheap for classification and routing.
* **Monitor usage** in the [Google AI Studio console](https://aistudio.google.com/).
* The free tier may be sufficient for small teams with light usage.


# Using AI

Learn how to use the AI assistant, prompts, and instructions in Missive.

Once you've [connected an AI provider](/docs/ai/setup), you can start using AI features across Missive.

## Features

<table><thead><tr><th width="168.01043701171875">Feature</th><th>What it does</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a href="/pages/jpmMA62lYKFXffDPA3qe"><strong>Assistant</strong></a></td><td>A conversational AI sidebar that reads your conversations, searches your emails and calendar, looks up contacts, and drafts replies.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/BNq03Qik1X08dXcYm64r"><strong>Prompts</strong></a></td><td>Reusable one-click AI actions you can run on messages or drafts: summarize, translate, generate a reply from a template.</td></tr><tr><td><a href="/pages/o15JekGLQIbKNktuYzto"><strong>Instructions</strong></a></td><td>Persistent guidelines that shape how AI behaves across your organization: tone, boundaries, domain context.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Next steps

* [Use assistant](/docs/ai/using-ai/assistant)
* [Create prompts](/docs/ai/using-ai/prompts)
* [Define instructions](/docs/ai/using-ai/instructions)
* [AI FAQ](/docs/ai/using-ai/faq)


# Assistant

Missive's AI assistant understands your full conversation, searches your emails and calendar, and helps you draft replies from the sidebar.

Assistant is an AI-powered sidebar that works within the context of your conversations. Unlike [prompts](/docs/ai/using-ai/prompts) (which run a single action), assistant can search, reason, and take multiple steps to help you.

## What assistant can do

<table><thead><tr><th width="267.7933349609375">Capability</th><th>Description</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Read full conversation context</strong></td><td>Assistant sees all emails, internal chat messages, and notes in the current thread.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Search your emails</strong></td><td>Find relevant messages across all your connected email accounts.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Check your calendar</strong></td><td>Look up your availability, upcoming events, and scheduling conflicts.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Look up contacts</strong></td><td>Pull contact details from your address book.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Find canned responses</strong></td><td>Search your team's canned responses for relevant information.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Draft and edit replies</strong></td><td>Write reply drafts you can review and send, or refine text you've already written.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ask clarifying questions</strong></td><td>When your request is ambiguous, assistant asks follow-up questions instead of guessing.</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Using the assistant

Open the assistant sidebar by clicking the AI icon in the conversation toolbar, or use the command bar (<kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd>) and search for "Assistant".

Type your message and press **Enter**. The assistant responds in the sidebar, and you can continue the conversation back and forth.

### Picking a model

Use the model dropdown at the top of the sidebar to choose which AI model to use. You'll see models from all connected providers.

Select **Auto** to let Missive pick the best available model, or choose a specific model if you prefer.

You can switch models mid-conversation. The assistant keeps the conversation context when you do.

When you start a new session, Missive pre-selects a model for you. If you belong to more than one organization, it picks a model from the organization that matches your current context: the conversations you have selected, or the mailbox you're viewing. You can always change the model before sending.

## Session types

### Conversation assistant

When you open the assistant from within a conversation, it's linked to that thread. It has full context: every email, chat message, and note in the conversation.

This is the most common way to use the assistant. Ask it to summarize the thread, draft a reply, or look up information. It already knows what you're talking about.

### Private sessions

Start a private session when you want to use the assistant without linking it to a specific conversation. Private sessions are standalone AI chats.

Open a private session from the command bar or from the assistant sidebar when no conversation is selected.

## Adding context with @

The assistant is smart enough to search your emails, calendar, and canned responses on its own when you ask. But you can also provide context explicitly using the **@** menu in the input field. This gives you precise control over what the assistant sees.

Type **@** to open the context menu. You can attach:

<table><thead><tr><th width="267.875732421875">Context</th><th>What it adds</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Current conversation</strong></td><td>The full thread you're viewing (emails, chat messages, notes). Added automatically when you open the assistant from a conversation.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>A specific conversation</strong></td><td>Any conversation from your recent history. Useful for cross-referencing threads.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Calendars</strong></td><td>Your calendar events from Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook. You can attach all calendars or a specific one.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Responses</strong></td><td>Your team's canned responses. Attach all of them or pick a specific one to give the assistant access to your templates and policies.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Labels</strong></td><td>Shared organization labels or IMAP mailbox labels from your email accounts.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Mailboxes</strong></td><td>Unified mailboxes like All Mail, Inbox, or Sent.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Teams</strong></td><td>Team inboxes from your organizations.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Accounts</strong></td><td>Personal or shared email and social accounts connected to Missive.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Use <kbd>⌘/Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>1</kbd>, <kbd>2</kbd>, <kbd>3</kbd> to jump between sections in the context menu.

### Why context matters

The more relevant context the assistant has, the better its output. You can provide context in two ways:

1. **Attach it with @.** Pin exactly the data you want the assistant to work with. This is immediate and uses no extra processing.
2. **Ask for it in natural language.** Say "search my emails for previous conversations with this customer" and the assistant will use its search tools. This is flexible but takes an extra step.

Combining both is the most effective approach. Attach the conversation you're working on, then ask the assistant to go find what it needs.

### Example

You're replying to a customer and want a thorough, informed response. Attach `@Current conversation`, then type:

{% hint style="info" %}
Reply to the customer. Search for any previous emails they've sent us to understand their history with us. Also check our canned responses for any relevant policies or templates.
{% endhint %}

The assistant will read the full thread you attached, search your email accounts for past conversations with that customer, search your canned responses for relevant information, and draft a reply that takes all of it into account.

## Tips

**Be specific.** Instead of "write a reply", try "draft a polite reply declining the meeting and suggesting next week instead."

**The assistant remembers context within a session.** You can build on previous messages. Say "make it shorter" or "now translate that to French" without repeating your original request.

**Long sessions are compressed automatically.** When a session's conversation history grows very long, the assistant compresses older context to stay within model limits. You'll see a brief "Compressing…" indicator when this happens. The session continues uninterrupted.

**Use prompts for repetitive actions.** If you run the same instruction often (like "fix grammar" or "translate to Spanish"), create a [prompt](/docs/ai/using-ai/prompts) instead. Prompts are faster for single-shot actions.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only one person can interact with an assistant session at a time. The lock auto-expires after 10 minutes of inactivity.
{% endhint %}


# Prompts

Create reusable AI actions you can run on messages or drafts.

Prompts are reusable AI actions you can run on messages or drafts. Unlike the [assistant](/docs/ai/using-ai/assistant) (which is conversational and multi-step), prompts execute a single instruction and return a result.

Use prompts for quick, repeatable tasks: fix grammar, translate, summarize, generate a reply from a template.

## Creating a prompt

Go to **Settings** > **AI** > **Prompts** and click **Add prompt**, or create one directly from the prompt toolbar on any draft.

The prompt editor has these fields:

**Title and emoji.** Name your prompt and pick an emoji for easy identification in menus. Missive assigns a random emoji by default.

**Model.** Pick a specific provider and model, or choose **Auto** to use your default model. The model picker groups models by provider (Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI), with older models available under a **Legacy** submenu.

**Instructions.** The instruction text the AI will follow. Use `@` mentions to add context (see [Adding context](#adding-context) below).

**Options:**

<table><thead><tr><th width="230.232666015625">Option</th><th>What it does</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Share with</strong></td><td>Keep the prompt personal, share with a specific team, or share with your entire organization.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Open response in</strong></td><td><strong>Modal</strong>: temporary result, not saved to history. <strong>Sidebar</strong>: persistent, saved for 30 days and re-openable from the sidebar.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Submit automatically</strong></td><td>When enabled (default), triggering the prompt sends it to the AI immediately. When disabled, the prompt is pre-filled in the assistant input so you can review or edit it before submitting.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
When a prompt includes a **Current draft** context reference, the open mode defaults to **Modal**. Otherwise it defaults to **Sidebar**. You can always override this manually.
{% endhint %}

## Adding context

The instructions field supports `@` mentions to pull in context when the prompt runs. Type `@` or click the **Add context** button to see available options.

### Template contexts

These resolve to the current conversation, message, or draft when the prompt runs:

<table><thead><tr><th width="272.32470703125">Context</th><th>What it provides</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Current conversation</strong></td><td>The full conversation the prompt is triggered from</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Current message</strong></td><td>The specific message the prompt is triggered on</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Current draft</strong></td><td>The text selected in your draft (or the full draft content)</td></tr></tbody></table>

### Searchable contexts

Type `@` then navigate to a section to search and pick specific items:

<table><thead><tr><th width="167.71527099609375">Section</th><th width="105.81689453125">Shortcut</th><th>What you can reference</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Conversations</strong></td><td><code>⌘1</code></td><td>Search your mailbox or recent conversations and attach a specific one</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Calendars</strong></td><td><code>⌘2</code></td><td>Pick a specific calendar or <strong>All calendars</strong> for availability context</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Responses</strong></td><td><code>⌘3</code></td><td>Pick a specific <a href="/pages/wsdLybSwYg63mW3Ixr8R">canned response</a> or <strong>All responses</strong> for documentation context</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Labels</strong></td><td></td><td>Pick a shared label or an IMAP mailbox label from your email accounts</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Mailboxes</strong></td><td></td><td>Pick a unified mailbox (Inbox, All Mail, Sent, etc.)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Teams</strong></td><td></td><td>Pick a team inbox from your organizations</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Accounts</strong></td><td></td><td>Pick a personal or shared account connected to Missive</td></tr></tbody></table>

You can add multiple context references in a single prompt. For example, a prompt could reference the current conversation, a specific calendar, and all your canned responses.

## Running prompts

### From a draft

The draft toolbar shows your prompts as quick-action buttons. Built-in actions like **Ask AI**, **Translate**, and other defaults appear first. Custom prompts you've enabled in [quick action settings](/docs/ai/using-ai/shortcuts) appear as direct buttons after them. Remaining prompts are under a **More** menu.

Click a prompt button to run it. The AI processes your instruction with the referenced context and returns the result in a modal or sidebar, depending on the prompt's open mode.

### From the assistant sidebar

In the assistant's input field, type `@` and navigate to **Prompts** to insert a saved prompt's instructions directly into your message. This lets you use prompt templates as starting points for assistant conversations.

## Built-in prompts

Missive ships with default prompts for common tasks: fix grammar, improve writing, adjust tone, reply positively or negatively. These work out of the box with no setup.

Built-in prompts use a fixed model per provider. You can't change their model. To use a different model for the same task, create a custom prompt with equivalent instructions and pick your preferred model.

Custom prompts are where things get interesting. You can combine `@` context references with specific instructions to build one-click actions tailored to your business.

## Example prompts

<table><thead><tr><th width="212.36370849609375">Prompt</th><th>Instructions</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Billing reply</strong></td><td>Read <code>@Current conversation</code> and draft a reply to the customer's billing question. Use <code>@Billing FAQ</code> as your source of truth for policies and pricing. Match the language of the incoming message.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Handoff summary</strong></td><td>Summarize <code>@Current conversation</code> for a colleague taking over. Include: who the customer is, what they need, what's been done so far, and what the next step should be.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Follow-up nudge</strong></td><td>Read <code>@Current conversation</code> and draft a friendly follow-up email. Reference what was last discussed and ask if they need anything else.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Meeting proposal</strong></td><td>Read <code>@Current conversation</code> and <code>@All calendars</code>. Draft a reply proposing 2-3 available time slots for a meeting next week.</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Translate and reply</strong></td><td>Read <code>@Current conversation</code>. Draft a reply in the same language as the customer's last message. Use <code>@All responses</code> for reference.</td></tr></tbody></table>

The key pattern: each prompt pins the exact context it needs with `@`, so the AI has everything up front. Your team clicks once and gets a draft grounded in real data.

{% hint style="info" %}
Use [instructions](/docs/ai/using-ai/instructions) to define your team's tone and persona. Prompts should focus on the task, not the behavior.
{% endhint %}

## Writing better prompts

Getting good results from AI is about giving clear instructions. Here are practical tips for writing prompts that work well in Missive.

**Write like you're explaining to a colleague.** Use natural language. Describe what you need, what the output should look like, and any constraints. The clearer you are, the better the result.

**Give examples of what you expect.** If you want replies in a specific format or tone, include an example in your prompt. For instance: "Reply in 2-3 short paragraphs. Start by acknowledging the customer's issue, then provide the solution."

**Pin the right context with @.** A prompt with `@Current conversation` and `@Billing FAQ` attached will outperform a vague "reply to this email" every time. The more relevant context you provide, the less the AI has to guess.

**Test with different conversations.** Before sharing a prompt with your team, run it on a few different conversations. Try common cases and edge cases. A prompt that works perfectly on a simple question might struggle with a long, multi-topic thread.

**Keep prompts focused on one task.** A prompt that tries to summarize, translate, and draft a reply all at once will produce worse results than three separate prompts. If you need multiple steps, use [assistant](/docs/ai/using-ai/assistant) instead.

**Ask the AI to explain its reasoning.** Add "explain your reasoning" to a prompt when you're testing it. This helps you understand why the AI made certain choices and whether its logic is sound. Remove it once you're satisfied.

For more on prompt engineering, see [Anthropic's guide](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/overview) and [OpenAI's guide](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/prompt-engineering).

## Prompts vs assistant

**Prompts** are quick, single-shot actions. They run one instruction and return a result. Great for repetitive tasks you do the same way every time.

[**Assistant**](/docs/ai/using-ai/assistant) is conversational. It can take multiple steps, search your data, ask clarifying questions, and build on previous messages. Use it when you need back-and-forth or when the task requires reasoning across multiple sources.


# MCP integrations

Connect Missive AI to Notion, Linear, Attio, HubSpot, Stripe, Todoist, ClickUp, and custom MCP servers.

MCP integrations connect Missive's AI assistant to external tools. Add one, and the assistant can work with your docs, tickets, CRM records, or billing data without leaving Missive.

## How to add MCP integrations

1. Go to **Settings** > **Integrations**.
2. Open the **MCP** category.
3. Pick an MCP integration, or choose **Custom MCP**.
4. Click **Add** top-right corner of the popup.

{% hint style="info" %}
To open Settings, click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar, then **Settings** (or press <kbd>⌘,</kbd>).
{% endhint %}

## Available MCP integrations

Missive includes built-in MCP integrations, plus support for custom MCP servers. Common options:

| Integration                                                                                     | Best for                                                                 | Typical jobs                                                                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Notion**                                                                                      | Internal docs, wikis, project notes                                      | Search pages, read docs, update pages, query databases, leave comments                                        |
| **Linear**                                                                                      | Product work and bug tracking                                            | Find issues, create issues, update projects, add comments                                                     |
| **Attio**                                                                                       | CRM and revenue workflows                                                | Search records, create notes, update tasks, review meetings and emails                                        |
| **HubSpot (Custom MCP)** ([FAQ](/docs/ai/using-ai/faq#how-do-i-connect-hubspot-mcp-to-missive)) | CRM and sales workflows                                                  | Search CRM records, review activities, create or update contacts, companies, deals, tickets, notes, and tasks |
| **Stripe**                                                                                      | Billing and payments                                                     | Look up customers, inspect invoices, manage subscriptions, create payment links                               |
| **Todoist**                                                                                     | Task management and personal productivity                                | Create tasks, update due dates, manage projects, complete and move tasks                                      |
| **ClickUp**                                                                                     | Project and team task management                                         | Create and update tasks, manage lists, set priorities and assignees, search work items                        |
| **Custom MCP**                                                                                  | Internal tools, help centers, or services Missive does not list built in | Search docs, read records, run provider-specific tools, connect your own workflows                            |

## Notion

Use Notion MCP when your team stores SOPs, onboarding checklists, product specs, or meeting notes in Notion.

**Official docs:** [Notion MCP docs](https://developers.notion.com/guides/mcp/mcp)

### Capabilities

* Search workspace content and open matching pages
* Create, update, move, and duplicate pages
* Create databases, update data sources, and query structured content
* Create and update views
* Read and write comments, and look up people and teams

Some search and query tools require Notion AI and specific Notion plans. Check Notion's docs before rolling this out to your whole team.

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Search Notion for our onboarding checklist, fetch the latest version, and draft a reply to this customer with the exact steps they need to follow.

## Linear

Use Linear MCP when support conversations turn into bugs, feature requests, or product work.

**Official docs:** [Linear MCP docs](https://linear.app/docs/mcp)

### Capabilities

* Finding issues, projects, and comments
* Creating issues, projects, and comments
* Updating issues, projects, and comments

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Create a Linear issue from this conversation, include the customer impact and reproduction steps, then draft a reply telling the customer we logged it.

## Attio

Use Attio MCP when you want Missive AI to pull CRM context into a conversation or log follow-up work back into Attio.

**Official docs:** [Attio MCP docs](https://docs.attio.com/mcp/overview)

### Capabilities

* Search records, open them, create them, and update them
* Create notes and search note content
* Create tasks and update them
* Search meetings and call recordings, then open the underlying content
* Search emails and read their contents
* Look up workspace members, teams, and the connected user

Attio auto-approves reads and asks for confirmation before writes in its own MCP flow.

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Find this sender in Attio, summarize the last two meetings and notes, then draft a follow-up that reflects the current deal stage.

## HubSpot

Connect HubSpot through **Custom MCP**. HubSpot's MCP server lets Missive AI work with CRM records, activities, and marketing data using the permissions of the HubSpot user who authorizes the connection.

**Official docs:** [HubSpot MCP server docs](https://developers.hubspot.com/docs/apps/developer-platform/build-apps/integrate-with-the-remote-hubspot-mcp-server)

### Setup

1. In HubSpot, go to **Development** > **MCP Auth Apps**.
2. Click **Create MCP auth app**.
3. Use `Missive` as the app name.
4. Set **Redirect URL** to `https://auth.missiveapp.com/mcp/callback`.
5. Create the app, then copy its **Client ID** and **Client secret**.
6. In Missive, go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **MCP** > **Custom MCP**.
7. Set **Name** to `HubSpot`, **Server URL** to `https://mcp.hubspot.com/`, and **Authentication** to **OAuth 2.0 (authorization flow after adding)**.
8. Expand **Advanced settings** and paste the HubSpot **Client ID** and **Client secret**.
9. Click **Add**, choose the HubSpot account to connect, and grant the requested permissions.

If you do not see **Development** in HubSpot, ask a HubSpot super admin to give you a Developer seat or the Developer tools access permission, or to create the MCP auth app for you.

{% hint style="info" %}
Use `https://auth.missiveapp.com/mcp/callback` as the redirect URL.
{% endhint %}

If you already created the HubSpot MCP auth app without Missive's callback URL, open the app in HubSpot and add `https://auth.missiveapp.com/mcp/callback` under **Redirect URLs**. Then retry the connection in Missive.

### Capabilities

* Read CRM records, including contacts, companies, deals, tickets, products, invoices, orders, quotes, subscriptions, and lists
* Read activities, including calls, emails, meetings, notes, and tasks
* Read content and marketing data, including blog posts, pages, campaigns, and marketing events
* Create and update CRM records and activities supported by HubSpot's MCP tools

HubSpot permissions still apply. If the authorizing user cannot access a record in HubSpot, Missive AI cannot access it through MCP.

HubSpot accounts with **Sensitive Data** turned on block activity objects through MCP. This affects calls, emails, meetings, notes, and tasks.

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Find this sender in HubSpot, summarize their company, open deals, and recent notes, then draft a reply with the right account context.

## Stripe

Use Stripe MCP when customers ask about invoices, subscriptions, refunds, payment links, or failed charges.

**Official docs:** [Stripe MCP docs](https://docs.stripe.com/mcp)

### Capabilities

* View account details and current balance
* Look up customers and create new ones
* Create invoices and invoice items, finalize invoices, and review invoice history
* Review, update, and cancel subscriptions
* Create and review products, prices, and coupons
* Create payment links and inspect payment activity
* Create refunds and manage disputes
* Search Stripe resources and Stripe documentation

An organization admin must enable MCP access in the Stripe Dashboard before users can connect it.

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Look up this customer's Stripe record, list their active subscriptions and unpaid invoices, and draft a billing reply that explains what is still due.

## Todoist

Use Todoist MCP when you want Missive AI to create or update tasks from conversations, or check what is already on your list before replying.

### Capabilities

* Create tasks with titles, descriptions, due dates, and priorities
* Update and complete existing tasks
* Move tasks between projects and sections
* Add comments to tasks
* Look up tasks by project, label, or due date

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Add a follow-up task to Todoist for this conversation, due tomorrow, and draft a reply letting the customer know we will get back to them then.

## ClickUp

Use ClickUp MCP when your team tracks work in ClickUp and you want to create or update items directly from a Missive conversation.

### Capabilities

* Create tasks in any Space, Folder, or List
* Update task details including title, description, status, priority, and due date
* Assign tasks to team members
* Add comments to tasks
* Search for tasks and work items across your workspace

### Example

Ask Missive AI:

> Create a ClickUp task for this bug report, assign it to the engineering list with high priority, then draft a reply confirming we have logged it.

## Custom MCP server

Use **Custom MCP** when the integration you want is not already listed in Missive.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Only connect MCP integrations from developers you trust. Missive does not control which tools an integration exposes or what it does with the data it receives.
{% endhint %}

When you add a custom MCP integration, Missive asks for:

* **Server URL:** the `https://` endpoint for the MCP integration
* **Authentication:** how Missive should authenticate to it

### Authentication options

* **No authentication:** Use this for public or internally trusted MCP integrations that do not require credentials.
* **Bearer Token:** Paste a static token. Missive sends it when calling the integration.
* **OAuth 2.0:** Missive opens an authorization flow after you add the integration. If the provider requires it, add a client ID and client secret under **Advanced settings**.

Missive's built-in MCP integrations use OAuth 2.0. Custom MCP integrations can use any of the three authentication options above.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Some MCP providers maintain an allowlist of approved clients and block OAuth connections from apps that are not on it. If you get an authentication error when connecting a custom MCP integration via OAuth, check whether the provider requires you to request that Missive be added to their approved client list. Contact the MCP provider's support team to make that request.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
For example, if your team publishes documentation on a platform that offers an MCP integration, you can connect that documentation to Missive as a custom MCP integration. Missive can then use your help center, internal docs, or product documentation as context when replying to users. GitBook is one example: [MCP servers for published docs](https://gitbook.com/docs/publishing-documentation/mcp-servers-for-published-docs). You can test this with Missive's own documentation by adding `https://missiveapp.com/docs/~gitbook/mcp` as a no-auth MCP integration.
{% endhint %}

## Related

* [Assistant](/docs/ai/using-ai/assistant)
* [Setting up AI](/docs/ai/setup)
* [Integrations](/docs/advanced-features/integrations)


# Managing shortcuts

Control which AI prompts appear as quick actions in your interface.

## Accessing Quick Actions

From **Settings** > **Preferences** > **Appearance**, you can control which AI prompts appear as quick action buttons for Messages, Drafts, and Conversations.

Each context has an **AI quick actions** group with:

* A toggle to enable or disable all AI quick actions at once for that context
* Individual checkboxes to choose which specific prompts are promoted as quick actions

This is useful when your organization has many prompts. You may not need all of them as shortcuts. These settings let you display only the actions relevant to your workflow.

### Message quick actions

Controls which AI prompts appear as buttons when viewing an incoming message.

### Draft quick actions

Controls which AI prompts appear as buttons in the draft toolbar when composing a reply.

### Conversation quick actions

Controls which AI prompts appear directly in the right-click menu when you right-click a conversation.

### Mailbox quick actions

Controls which AI prompts appear in the right-click menu on mailboxes in the sidebar.

## How prompts appear based on context

When you create AI prompts, where they appear depends on which context tokens you include. Add them by typing `@` in the prompt body and picking from the menu.

| Token included                     | Where the prompt appears                                               |
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Current draft                      | Draft toolbar (uses selected text if any, otherwise full draft)        |
| Current message                    | Message quick actions                                                  |
| Current conversation               | Conversation context menu                                              |
| A mailbox, label, team, or account | Mailbox quick actions (sidebar context menu and assistant empty state) |
| None                               | Sidebar                                                                |


# Instructions

Define AI behavior guidelines that apply to every assistant conversation across your organization.

Instructions are persistent guidelines that shape how the AI assistant behaves. Use them to enforce a consistent tone, provide domain context, or set boundaries for your team.

When anyone in your organization uses the assistant, active instructions are automatically included. The AI follows them alongside whatever the user asks.

{% hint style="info" %}
Instructions apply to the **assistant** only, not to prompts or AI rules.
{% endhint %}

## Personal vs organization instructions

<table><thead><tr><th width="159.91583251953125">Scope</th><th width="280.3238525390625">Who it affects</th><th>Who can create</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Personal</strong></td><td>Only your own sessions</td><td>Anyone</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Organization</strong></td><td>Everyone in the organization</td><td>Admins only</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Team</strong></td><td>Sessions within a specific team's conversations</td><td>Team admins</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Creating an instruction

1. Go to **Settings** > **AI** > **Instructions**.
2. Click **Add instruction**.
3. Write the instruction body. Keep it clear and specific.
4. Set the scope: personal, team, or organization.

## Priority and ordering

When multiple instructions apply to a session, they're all included. If instructions conflict, personal instructions take precedence over organization-wide instructions, which take precedence over team-specific instructions.

Within the same scope, instructions are applied in **alphabetical order** by name. If the order matters, name them accordingly (e.g., "1 - Tone", "2 - Formatting").

## Example instructions

**Tone and style:**

```
Always respond in a professional, concise tone. Use bullet points for lists.
Avoid jargon and keep sentences short.
```

**Domain context:**

```
We are a B2B SaaS company. Our product is [your product name].
When drafting replies, use our brand voice: friendly, helpful, and direct.
Never use exclamation marks excessively.
```

**Boundaries:**

```
Never share pricing information in replies. Direct pricing questions
to the sales team at sales@example.com.
```

**Language:**

```
Always reply in the same language as the incoming message.
If unsure of the language, default to English.
```

## Limits

You can create up to **20 instructions** per organization.


# AI FAQ

Common questions about AI features in Missive.

## General

<details>

<summary>Which AI provider should I choose?</summary>

All three providers work well with Missive. Choose based on your preferences:

* **OpenAI.** Widely used, broad model selection, good all-around performance.
* **Anthropic Claude.** Strong at nuanced writing and careful reasoning.
* **Google Gemini.** Competitive pricing, large context windows, free tier available.

You can connect multiple providers and switch between them at any time.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use multiple providers at the same time?</summary>

Yes. Connect as many providers as you want. The assistant lets you pick which model to use per conversation, and you can configure each prompt and AI rule to use a specific provider.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Will AI providers use my data to train models?</summary>

No. All three providers state that data submitted through their APIs is not used to train models:

* [OpenAI API data usage policy](https://openai.com/security)
* [Anthropic API data usage policy](https://www.anthropic.com/policies)
* [Google AI Studio data usage policy](https://ai.google.dev/terms)

Missive sends content to your provider only during active AI processing. No data is stored beyond the immediate request.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I monitor AI costs?</summary>

It depends on how you've set up AI.

**Missive AI credits.** Organization admins can see their current balance and usage directly in **Settings** > **AI**.

**Bring your own key (BYOK).** Each provider has its own usage dashboard:

* **OpenAI:** [platform.openai.com/usage](https://platform.openai.com/usage)
* **Anthropic:** [console.anthropic.com/settings/usage](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/usage)
* **Google AI:** [aistudio.google.com](https://aistudio.google.com/) (usage section)

Set budget limits in your provider's account to prevent unexpected charges.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Do Missive AI credits work across all providers?</summary>

Yes. Credits are a single balance that applies to any supported provider. Spend $5 on Claude, then on GPT, then on Gemini -- it all draws from the same balance. Pick whichever model you want per conversation, prompt, or rule.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I use Missive AI credits and bring-your-own-key at the same time?</summary>

Yes. Add one of each in **Settings** > **AI**. When you pick a model in the assistant, you'll see models from both and can choose per conversation. The same applies to prompts and AI rules.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens when my Missive AI credits run out?</summary>

Organization admins get an email when the balance is low. When it hits $0, AI features stop working and every user sees an error in the app. An admin can top up from **Settings** > **AI** > **Buy AI credits** to resume. Top-ups are manual -- there's no auto-recharge today.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What does "The AI provider rate limit has been exceeded" mean?</summary>

This error comes from your AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google), not from Missive. Despite the name, it can surface for reasons beyond actual rate limiting -- a missing payment method, an expired card, exhausted credits, or a hit spend cap on the provider account will produce the same message.

Work through these checks:

* **Provider account billing.** Confirm the account behind the integration has a valid payment method and sufficient funds or credits. Errors typically start the moment the balance runs out or a card fails.
* **Scope of the problem.** If every user in the organization hits the error, the cause is almost always on the provider account (billing, expired credits, spend cap). If only one user is affected, it's more likely a true rate limit triggered by their usage volume.
* **Try another provider.** Add a second AI integration under **Settings** > **AI** -- for example Claude or Gemini -- and run the same action through it. If it works there, the original provider account is the problem.

For provider-specific causes and tier details, see the OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, and Google Gemini sections below.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Who can add or manage AI providers?</summary>

Only **organization admins**. All AI providers are linked to the organization rather than to an individual user.

Once a provider is added, the admin decides who inside the organization can use it: the entire organization, a specific team, a few users, or a single user. Access can be adjusted at any time from **Settings** > **AI**.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why isn't a recently released AI model available yet?</summary>

Not every newly announced model is immediately available in Missive. When a provider releases a model in preview or beta, it often comes with significantly lower rate limits and can produce errors under normal usage. We wait until a model is production-ready before offering it.

Once a model is stable and performs reliably at the rate limits real-world usage requires, we add it. We actively monitor new releases from all supported providers.

</details>

## Using AI

<details>

<summary>How is quoted email history handled when sending context to AI?</summary>

It depends on the context type you're using.

**Conversation context** (`@Current conversation`): Missive strips quoted history from all messages except the first. The first message keeps its quoted content to preserve the original context; every subsequent message has quotes removed, since that content is already present earlier in the thread. This means you won't burn extra tokens on repeated quoted history in long threads.

**Message context** (`@Current message`): The full message body is sent as-is, including any quoted history below the reply. Quotes are not stripped.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How does Missive handle very long conversation threads?</summary>

For very long threads, Missive truncates content to fit within the model's context window. You don't need to worry about a 100-email thread exceeding limits -- Missive manages this automatically.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does a built-in prompt (Summarize, Translate, etc.) always use the same model?</summary>

Missive controls the prompt text sent to AI providers for built-in prompts, and selects the model that works best with those prompts per provider. Because the prompt text is fixed, the model is fixed too.

You can't change the model for built-in prompts. To use a different model, create a [custom prompt](/docs/ai/using-ai/prompts) with the same instructions and select your preferred model there.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why isn't web search available in the AI assistant?</summary>

Web search is not available for any AI model in the assistant. It's something we'd like to add eventually, but there's an important security reason we're being cautious about it.

The risk is prompt injection. Consider this scenario: you receive an email with hidden text (white text on a white background) containing carefully crafted instructions targeting the AI. That hidden text could instruct the AI to make a web request to a specific URL and include sensitive information from your conversation -- calendar details, contact info, email content -- as URL parameters, leaking it to a third party.

The AI would detect and refuse this most of the time, but the risk is real enough that we've chosen not to enable web access for now. A web search tool gives the AI the ability to make outbound requests, and that's exactly the mechanism an attacker would need to exfiltrate data.

We're exploring mitigation techniques and plan to address this in the future once we're confident we can do it securely.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How does replying using canned responses work?</summary>

When you reference canned responses in a prompt (using `@Responses` or `@All responses`), Missive searches your canned responses using semantic (concept-based) matching rather than keywords. The most relevant matches are sent to your AI provider as context, and the AI drafts a reply based on both the email and your canned responses.

Because the search is concept-based, it works across languages. A canned response written in German about invoices can still match an English customer email asking about their invoice -- the AI understands the underlying concept, not just the literal words.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do canned responses affect token usage in prompts?</summary>

It depends on how you reference them.

**Individual canned responses** (`@Response name`): The full text body of each referenced response is added directly to the prompt. Token cost is predictable -- it's the character count of each response you attach.

**`@All responses`**: This does not add every canned response to the prompt. Instead, Missive runs a semantic search against your canned responses and passes up to 20 of the best matches to the AI. Token cost varies: a generic prompt or a library of very similar responses will return more matches and use more tokens; a specific prompt against a diverse library will return fewer matches and use fewer.

If token cost is a concern, referencing specific responses is more predictable than `@All responses`.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I make the AI respond in another language?</summary>

Create a custom [prompt](/docs/ai/using-ai/prompts) and save it for reuse. For example:

```
Translate @Current draft to French.
```

Or for replies:

```
Reply to @Current message in Spanish. Be helpful and professional.
```

You can also use the built-in **Translate** prompt from the draft toolbar, which supports multiple languages.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I monitor cost usage per user?</summary>

Go to **Settings** > **AI**. The **Usage** section shows a per-member breakdown for the last 30 days.

**Missive AI credits.** You see both **AI actions** (one action per AI request) and **AI usage** in dollars per user. The dollar amount includes the 25% Missive markup.

**Bring your own key.** You see **AI actions** per user inside Missive. Provider-side dollar costs aren't visible in Missive -- check the provider's own usage dashboard for those.

If you want per-user dollar billing with BYOK, add one BYOK integration per user (each with their own API key) so provider-side usage bills to individual accounts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>After adding a new AI provider, do my existing rules update automatically?</summary>

No. AI rules are configured with a specific provider and model. Adding a new integration doesn't change existing rules.

After connecting a new provider, open each AI rule and update the provider and model selection to use the new integration.

</details>

## MCP

<details>

<summary>How do I connect HubSpot MCP to Missive?</summary>

Connect HubSpot as a **Custom MCP** integration.

1. In HubSpot, go to **Development** > **MCP Auth Apps**.
2. Create an MCP auth app named `Missive`.
3. Set **Redirect URL** to `https://auth.missiveapp.com/mcp/callback`.
4. Copy the app's **Client ID** and **Client secret**.
5. In Missive, go to **Settings** > **Integrations** > **MCP** > **Custom MCP**.
6. Set **Name** to `HubSpot`, **Server URL** to `https://mcp.hubspot.com/`, and **Authentication** to **OAuth 2.0 (authorization flow after adding)**.
7. Expand **Advanced settings**, paste the HubSpot **Client ID** and **Client secret**, then click **Add**.
8. Choose the HubSpot account to connect and grant the requested permissions.

If you do not see **Development** in HubSpot, ask a HubSpot super admin to give you a Developer seat or the Developer tools access permission, or to create the MCP auth app for you.

If HubSpot says the redirect URL is missing or does not match, open the HubSpot MCP auth app and add `https://auth.missiveapp.com/mcp/callback` under **Redirect URLs**.

HubSpot permissions still apply. Missive AI can only access the HubSpot data the authorizing user can access.

See [MCP integrations](/docs/ai/using-ai/mcp-integrations#hubspot) for capabilities and examples.

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I connect a knowledge base or internal documentation to the AI assistant?</summary>

Use an MCP integration. Putting large amounts of documentation directly into [instructions](/docs/ai/using-ai/instructions) works, but every instruction is included in every AI request -- which increases token costs even when that content isn't relevant.

MCP gives the assistant on-demand access to external content. It fetches only what it needs for a given conversation, so you're not paying to pass your entire knowledge base on every request.

* **Notion:** Connect your Notion workspace to give the assistant access to SOPs, product docs, onboarding guides, or any other internal pages.
* **Custom MCP:** If your documentation lives elsewhere -- a help center, a wiki, or a custom platform -- connect it as a Custom MCP integration. Many documentation platforms (including GitBook) offer MCP servers you can point Missive at.

See [MCP integrations](/docs/ai/using-ai/mcp-integrations) for setup details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does Missive offer an MCP server for external AI tools?</summary>

No. Missive does not currently offer an MCP server that external AI tools (such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or other MCP clients) could connect to. There is no official Missive MCP server you can point those tools at.

What Missive does support is connecting *to* external MCP servers from within Missive's AI assistant -- for example, Notion, Linear, Stripe, or a custom MCP endpoint. See [MCP integrations](/docs/ai/using-ai/mcp-integrations) for details.

If you need Missive exposed as an MCP server today, Relay has a [guide](https://docs.relay.app/app-specific-faqs/missive) on building one using Missive's REST API.

You can upvote the native MCP server feature request [here](https://feedback.missiveapp.com/feature-requests/p/model-context-protocol-mcp-for-missive).

</details>

## OpenAI

<details>

<summary>Why does the OpenAI integration show a billing setup error?</summary>

You need OpenAI **API access**, not ChatGPT Plus ($20/month). These are different products.

1. Add billing at [platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview](https://platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview)
2. Create an API key at [platform.openai.com/account/api-keys](https://platform.openai.com/account/api-keys)
3. Use that API key when adding the OpenAI integration in Missive

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why did AI suddenly stop working after it was working fine?</summary>

Your OpenAI credit balance may have hit $0. When credits run out, API requests fail and AI features stop working -- even if you have a credit card on file.

To fix it: add credits to your OpenAI account and enable **auto-recharge** in your OpenAI billing settings. Auto-recharge automatically tops up your balance when it falls below a threshold, so you don't have to manage it manually.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does Missive show "You exceeded your current quota" for OpenAI?</summary>

This error can appear when connecting the integration or any time you use an AI feature. It means OpenAI rejected the request due to a billing or quota issue on your OpenAI account.

Common causes:

* **Expired pre-purchased credits.** OpenAI credits have an expiration date. If credits you bought have since expired, your balance will be $0 even if you've never used the integration. Check your balance at **platform.openai.com/account/billing/overview**. If credits have expired, add a new credit purchase. Enabling **auto-recharge** prevents this from happening again.
* **Wrong organization or project.** If you have multiple organizations in your OpenAI account, the API key you're using in Missive may belong to one that doesn't have active billing configured. Make sure the key is from the organization with billing set up.
* **Monthly spend limit reached.** OpenAI accounts have a configurable maximum monthly spend. If you've hit that cap, all requests fail until the billing cycle resets or you raise the limit.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does Missive show "The AI provider rate limit has been exceeded" for OpenAI?</summary>

This error means OpenAI is throttling requests because your account has exceeded its rate limit -- requests per minute or tokens per minute. The limit comes from OpenAI, not from Missive.

Having billing set up and a positive credit balance does not guarantee high rate limits. OpenAI enforces rate limits based on your **usage tier**, which is determined by how much you have paid in total over time -- not your current balance.

OpenAI's tier system:

| Tier | Total paid | Account age                  |
| ---- | ---------- | ---------------------------- |
| 1    | $5         | Any                          |
| 2    | $50        | 7+ days since first payment  |
| 3    | $100       | 7+ days since first payment  |
| 4    | $250       | 14+ days since first payment |
| 5    | $1,000     | 30+ days since first payment |

Each tier significantly increases your requests per minute (RPM) and tokens per minute (TPM). Long email threads can consume thousands of tokens per request, which exhausts low-tier limits quickly.

To raise your limits, pay more into your OpenAI account over time to advance to the next tier. Check your current tier and limits in the **Limits** section of your OpenAI organization settings.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Can I keep my OpenAI data in the EU or another region?</summary>

Yes. OpenAI offers data residency in the US, EU, and several other regions (Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, UK, UAE). To route requests through OpenAI's EU infrastructure, set the **API Base URL** to `https://eu.api.openai.com/v1` in the integration's **Advanced settings**.

Non-US regions require approval from OpenAI for abuse monitoring controls (Zero Data Retention or Modified Abuse Monitoring). Contact [OpenAI's sales team](https://openai.com/contact-sales) to check eligibility. Supported regions and requirements change over time -- see [OpenAI's data controls documentation](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/your-data) for current details.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Does OpenAI data residency cover all my data?</summary>

Data residency covers customer content (prompts and responses) stored at rest. System data like metadata, billing, and usage analytics may still be processed outside your selected region. See [OpenAI's data controls documentation](https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/your-data) for what's covered.

</details>

## Anthropic Claude

<details>

<summary>Why does my Anthropic API key not work?</summary>

The most common cause: your Anthropic account doesn't have billing set up. API access requires prepaid credits or an active billing plan.

A **Claude Pro subscription** ($20/month) is not the same as API access. You need to add credits separately in the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing).

</details>

<details>

<summary>How do I set up Anthropic billing?</summary>

Go to [console.anthropic.com/settings/billing](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/billing) and add a payment method or purchase prepaid credits.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why am I hitting rate limits with Anthropic Claude?</summary>

Rate limits (such as tokens per minute) are set by Anthropic based on your account's usage tier, not by Missive. Long email threads can consume thousands of input tokens per request, which can exhaust low-tier limits quickly.

To raise your limits, add prepaid credits to your Anthropic account. Anthropic automatically upgrades your usage tier once you've added sufficient credits -- even a small credit purchase ($5) moves your account to a higher tier with significantly raised limits.

Check your current tier and limits in the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/settings/limits).

</details>

## Google Gemini

<details>

<summary>Which Google API key do I need?</summary>

You need a **Google AI Studio** API key from [aistudio.google.com](https://aistudio.google.com/). This is different from a Google Cloud Vertex AI key.

Google AI Studio is the developer API for Gemini models. You don't need a Google Cloud Platform account or project.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Is there a free tier for Gemini?</summary>

Google AI Studio offers a free tier with rate limits. Check [Google AI pricing](https://ai.google.dev/pricing) for current limits and paid tier rates.

The free tier may be sufficient for small teams with light usage. For heavier usage or production workloads, you'll need a paid plan.

</details>


# Rules

Automate your inbox with rules. Route, label, and respond automatically.

Rules automate your inbox. When a message arrives, gets sent, or someone takes an action - rules check conditions and run actions automatically.

{% hint style="info" %}
Rules require the **Productive** or **Business** plan. [See pricing](https://missiveapp.com/pricing).
{% endhint %}

## How rules work

A rule has three parts:

1. [Rule type](/docs/advanced-features/rules/rule-types) - When the rule runs (incoming message, outgoing message, or user action)
2. [Conditions](/docs/advanced-features/rules/conditions) - What must be true for actions to fire
3. [Actions](/docs/advanced-features/rules/actions) - What happens when conditions match

Here's a rule that labels emails from Disney:

| Component | Value                           |
| --------- | ------------------------------- |
| Rule type | Incoming email                  |
| Condition | **From** ends with "disney.com" |
| Action    | **Add label(s)** → "Disney"     |

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/hJlmg3A29YMMzsDyvlHn" alt="Auto-labeling rule" width="566"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

## Personal vs organization rules

**Personal rules** run on your private conversations only.

**Organization rules** run on conversations shared with your organization - the ones with a colored banner.

<div data-with-frame="true"><figure><img src="/files/R3QQGz99Sl7Kqb2YMGC4" alt="Organization conversation with colored banner" width="411.5"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

If you need a rule to work on both, create it twice - once personal, once organizational.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only admins and owners can manage organization rules.
{% endhint %}

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmT2znS7ldA>" %}

## Creating a rule

Open Rules from your account menu (click your avatar in the bottom-left corner of the sidebar) or go to **Settings** > **Rules**.

1. Select **You** for personal rules, or select an organization for organization rules
2. Click **Create rule**
3. Select the channel (Email, SMS, WhatsApp, etc.) and action type (Incoming message, Outgoing message, or User actions)
4. Add conditions to filter which messages trigger the rule
5. Add actions to define what happens when conditions match
6. Give the rule a description and click **Save**

## Duplicating a rule

To create a similar rule without starting from scratch:

1. Find the rule you want to copy
2. Click **•••** > **Duplicate** and pick a destination:
   * **Personal** - copies the rule to your personal rules
   * An **organization** - copies the rule to that organization's rules (any organization where you can manage rules)
3. The rule editor opens with a copy. Edit and save.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Personal** is disabled for rule types that only work at the organization level. Conditions and actions that aren't available in the chosen scope are dropped automatically.
{% endhint %}

## Enabling and disabling rules

To temporarily stop a rule from running without deleting it, find the rule in the list and click the toggle button on the right to disable it.

Disabled rules appear in light grey. Click the toggle again to reactivate.

## Rule order

Rules run alphabetically by description. To force a specific order, prefix descriptions with numbers:

```
01. Urgent emails
02. Customer routing
03. Auto-archive
```

## Reference

| Topic                                                                  | What it covers                        |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| [Rule types](/docs/advanced-features/rules/rule-types)                 | When rules fire                       |
| [Conditions](/docs/advanced-features/rules/conditions)                 | What to check                         |
| [Actions](/docs/advanced-features/rules/actions)                       | What to do                            |
| [Workload balancing](/docs/advanced-features/rules/workload-balancing) | Round-robin and least-busy assignment |

## Next steps

* Browse [rule examples](/docs/advanced-features/rules/examples) for common use cases
* Learn about [AI rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules/ai-rules) to analyze message content


# Rule types

Learn about incoming, outgoing, and action rule types in Missive.

Pick one rule type. This determines when the rule runs.

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvEtmEHa0bo>" %}

## Incoming messages

Fires when a message arrives in your inbox from any of these channels:

| Channel   | What it catches                               |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Email     | New emails received                           |
| SMS       | Incoming text messages via Twilio             |
| WhatsApp  | Incoming WhatsApp messages                    |
| Messenger | Facebook Messenger messages                   |
| Instagram | Instagram Direct Messages                     |
| Live Chat | Messages from Missive Live Chat widget        |
| Post      | API posts, call logs (Dialpad, Aircall, etc.) |

{% hint style="info" %}
Incoming message rules run before the message appears in anyone's inbox. Actions happen instantly.
{% endhint %}

## Outgoing messages

Fires when you or a teammate sends a message:

| Channel   | What it catches              |
| --------- | ---------------------------- |
| Email     | Emails sent from Missive     |
| SMS       | Outgoing text messages       |
| WhatsApp  | Outgoing WhatsApp messages   |
| Messenger | Outgoing Facebook messages   |
| Instagram | Outgoing Instagram DMs       |
| Live Chat | Agent responses in Live Chat |

Common uses:

* Auto-assign conversations to the person who replied
* Schedule follow-up reminders
* Apply labels to track sent messages

## User actions

Fires when someone does something in Missive:

| Action                | When it fires                                |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| New comment           | A comment or task is added to a conversation |
| Label change          | A label is added or removed                  |
| Conversation closed   | Someone closes a conversation                |
| Conversation reopened | A closed conversation is reopened            |
| Assignee changed      | Assignees are added or removed               |
| Team changed          | Conversation moves to a different team       |

{% hint style="info" %}
User action rules can fire for any user in the organization, or you can filter to specific people using the **Action initiator** condition.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**User action rules only trigger when actual users perform these actions.**

Rules performing these actions (like an incoming message rule adding a label) will not trigger user action rules. Put all your actions in a single rule instead of trying to chain rules together.
{% endhint %}

## Personal vs organization rules

**Personal rules** only fire on your private conversations.

**Organization rules** only fire on conversations shared with that organization.

If you need a rule to work on both, create two rules - one personal, one organizational.

To copy a rule from one type to the other, click **•••** on the rule and select **Export**, then create a new rule and click **Import** in the bottom-right corner of the rule editor.

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmT2znS7ldA>" %}


# Conditions

Define rule conditions to filter which messages trigger automation.

Conditions decide whether a rule fires. Add multiple conditions and choose whether:

* All conditions must match
* At least one condition must match
* None of the conditions must match

Conditions can be nested into groups for complex logic. See [Complex rules](/docs/advanced-features/rules/examples/complex-rules) for examples.

Each condition matches a single value. You can't use a condition with commas to check for multiple values like `Contains: Value1, Value2, Value3`. To match any of several keywords, add one condition per keyword and set the group to **At least one**.

## Message conditions

Check properties of the triggering message.

### Address fields

| Condition     | Checks                         |
| ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| From          | Sender's email address or name |
| To            | Recipients in the To field     |
| Cc            | Recipients in the Cc field     |
| Bcc           | Recipients in the Bcc field    |
| Reply-To      | The Reply-To address           |
| To / Cc / Bcc | Any recipient field            |

### Phone fields (SMS/WhatsApp only)

| Condition | Checks                   |
| --------- | ------------------------ |
| From      | Sender's phone number    |
| To        | Recipient's phone number |

### Content fields

| Condition                    | Checks                                               |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Subject                      | Email subject line                                   |
| Message body                 | Full message text                                    |
| Message body (without quote) | Body text excluding quoted replies                   |
| Message content              | Searches across from, to, cc, bcc, subject, and body |
| Attachment name              | Filenames of attachments                             |
| Headers                      | Raw email headers                                    |

### Message properties

| Condition      | Checks                                                                |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Automated?     | Whether the message is a newsletter, autoresponder, or auto-generated |
| Read trackers? | Whether the message contains tracking pixels                          |
| Spam?          | Whether the message landed in the spam folder                         |
| Sender         | Who sent the message (outgoing rules only)                            |

## Conversation conditions

Check the state of the conversation.

| Condition          | Checks                                            |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Email account      | Which email account received the message          |
| Account            | For SMS/WhatsApp/etc: which account received it   |
| Assignee           | Who the conversation is assigned to               |
| Team               | Which team owns the conversation                  |
| Label              | Whether a specific label is applied               |
| Number of messages | How many messages are in the thread               |
| Watching user      | Who is watching the conversation                  |
| Out of office user | Whether any participant is marked away            |
| Conversation state | Whether it's assigned, closed, or in a team inbox |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Email account condition for single-trigger rules**

When multiple email accounts receive the same message (via CC, BCC, or forwarding), incoming email rules trigger once per account. Use the **Email account** condition to run a rule on only one specific account.

This is important for actions like Forward that produce different results each time they run.
{% endhint %}

## Time-based conditions

| Condition                 | Use for                                                               | Available for               |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------- |
| Reception time            | Filter by when the message arrived (e.g., "outside business hours")   | Incoming message rules only |
| Rule trigger time         | Filter by when the rule runs                                          | User action rules only      |
| Delay                     | Wait before running actions (e.g., "5 minutes after message arrives") | All rule types              |
| Unreplied and open after  | SLA tracking - fires if no reply within X time                        | Incoming message rules only |
| Unassigned and open after | SLA tracking - fires if not assigned within X time                    | Incoming message rules only |

{% hint style="info" %}
Time-based conditions are key for SLA rules. Combine "Unreplied and open after 30 minutes" with a "Notify" action to alert your team about aging conversations.
{% endhint %}

### How Delay differs from Unreplied/Unassigned and open after

These two approaches work differently and cannot be combined in the same rule.

**Delay** acts as a sequential checkpoint. Missive checks all conditions listed before the Delay first. Once those pass, it waits for the specified duration, then checks any conditions listed after the Delay. Use Delay when you want to pause before performing actions (e.g., send a follow-up 5 minutes after a message arrives).

**Unreplied and open after** and **Unassigned and open after** evaluate all other conditions in the rule immediately when the rule triggers. Only these conditions themselves wait - they fire once X time has passed without a reply or without an assignment. Use these for SLA tracking, where you want to know if a conversation was left unattended.

Because these approaches are mutually exclusive, adding one type of time-based condition will grey out the other types.

### Business hours measurement

For **Unreplied and open after** and **Unassigned and open after** conditions, you can measure time using business hours instead of calendar hours. When enabled, the timer only counts during your organization or team's configured business hours.

This is useful for SLA tracking that excludes nights, weekends, and holidays.

To use business hours:

1. Configure business hours in your organization or team settings
2. Add a time-based condition (Unreplied or Unassigned)
3. Check **Measure in business hours**
4. Select which business hours to use (organization or team)

{% hint style="info" %}
If you use multiple time-based conditions in the same rule, they must all use the same business hours setting.
{% endhint %}

## AI condition

| Condition | Use for                                           |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Prompt    | Ask AI to analyze the message and return a result |

The AI reads the message and responds to your prompt. Match the response using operators like "is" or "contains".

Example prompt: `Is this customer upset? Respond with only YES or NO.`

Then set the condition to fire when the result **is** `YES`.

## User action conditions

These only appear for user action rule types.

| Condition                           | Checks                                                       |
| ----------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Action initiator                    | Who performed the action                                     |
| Added label name                    | Name of the label that was added                             |
| Removed label name                  | Name of the label that was removed                           |
| Added label name (or parent name)   | Matches if a child of the specified parent label was added   |
| Removed label name (or parent name) | Matches if a child of the specified parent label was removed |
| Added assignee                      | Who was assigned                                             |
| Removed assignee                    | Who was unassigned                                           |
| New team                            | Team the conversation moved to                               |
| Previous team                       | Team the conversation moved from                             |
| Is a task                           | Whether the comment is a task                                |
| Mention                             | Who was mentioned in the comment                             |

## Operators

Different conditions support different operators:

### Text operators

| Operator            | Matches when                  |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| is                  | Exact match                   |
| is not              | Not an exact match            |
| contains            | Text appears anywhere         |
| does not contain    | Text doesn't appear           |
| starts with         | Text begins with value        |
| does not start with | Text doesn't begin with value |
| ends with           | Text ends with value          |
| does not end with   | Text doesn't end with value   |

### Contact operators

| Operator                | Matches when                                            |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| in contact group        | Sender/recipient is in a specific contact group         |
| not in contact group    | Sender/recipient is not in a specific contact group     |
| in contact company      | Sender/recipient belongs to a company                   |
| not in contact company  | Sender/recipient doesn't belong to a company            |
| in contact book         | Sender/recipient is in a specific contact book          |
| not in contact book     | Sender/recipient is not in a specific contact book      |
| in contacts             | Sender/recipient exists in organization contacts        |
| not in contacts         | Sender/recipient doesn't exist in organization contacts |
| is a past recipient     | You've emailed this address before                      |
| is not a past recipient | You haven't emailed this address before                 |

### Value operators

| Operator        | Matches when                     |
| --------------- | -------------------------------- |
| is              | Equals the selected value        |
| is not          | Doesn't equal the selected value |
| is present      | Field has any value              |
| is blank        | Field is empty                   |
| is lower than   | Number is less than value        |
| is greater than | Number is more than value        |

### Time operators

| Operator      | Matches when                            |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| is within     | Time falls within specified hours/days  |
| is not within | Time falls outside specified hours/days |
| is before     | Time is before a specific date          |
| is after      | Time is after a specific date           |

#### Time zone behavior

**is within / is not within** - include a time zone selector directly in the condition. Set it to whichever time zone is relevant (e.g., your office location).

**is before / is after** - display the date and time based on your current device's time zone when you configure the rule. The exact point in time is then saved on the rule. If a teammate in a different time zone views the same rule, the date and time inputs will show the equivalent time in their time zone - but the rule fires at the same absolute moment.


# Actions

Configure rule actions: assign, label, reply, forward, and more.

Actions are what happens when your rule fires. Add multiple actions to a single rule - they run in order.

## Assignment & routing

### Assign to me

Assigns the conversation to yourself. Only works in personal rules.

### Assign user(s)

Assigns the conversation to one or more users. When you select multiple users, choose how to distribute:

| Strategy         | What it does                                        |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| All at once      | Assigns to everyone you selected                    |
| Randomly         | Picks one person at random                          |
| In turn          | Cycles through users (round-robin)                  |
| Least busy first | Picks whoever has the fewest assigned conversations |

You can filter who gets assigned using these options:

| Filter                        | Assigns to                                             |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| Users already in conversation | Users who can already see the conversation             |
| Not assigned users            | Users who aren't currently assigned                    |
| Assigned users                | Users who are already assigned                         |
| Snoozed users                 | Users who have the conversation snoozed                |
| Team active members           | Active members of a specific team                      |
| Team observers                | Observers of a specific team                           |
| Watching users                | Users watching the conversation                        |
| Out of office users           | Users marked as away                                   |
| Online users                  | Users currently online                                 |
| Offline users                 | Users currently offline                                |
| Account owner                 | Owner of the email account (incoming email rules)      |
| Delegated users               | Users with delegated access (incoming email rules)     |
| Mentioned users               | Users mentioned in the comment (comment rules)         |
| Task assignees                | Users assigned to the task (comment rules)             |
| Action initiator              | User who triggered the rule (user action rules)        |
| Added assignees               | Users who were just assigned (assignee change rules)   |
| Removed assignees             | Users who were just unassigned (assignee change rules) |

{% hint style="info" %}
For round-robin assignment with load balancing, see [Workload balancing](/docs/advanced-features/rules/workload-balancing).
{% endhint %}

### Assign sender

Assigns the conversation to whoever sent the message. Useful for outgoing rules where multiple people share a mailbox.

### Unassign user(s)

Removes specific users from the assignees, or removes all assignees.

### Move to team inbox

Moves the conversation to a specific team inbox.

### Unassign team

Removes the conversation from a team without moving it elsewhere.

### Add to user Inbox

Adds the conversation to specific users' personal inboxes.

### Add task

Creates a task in the conversation. You can set assignees, due dates, and team.

## Labels & organization

### Add label(s)

Applies one or more labels to the conversation. Labels are created if they don't exist.

### Remove label(s)

Removes specific labels from the conversation, or removes all labels.

### Add label(s) with AI

AI analyzes the message and picks labels from your list. Give it a prompt like:

> Categorize this email. Pick from: Billing, Support, Sales, Spam, Other.

### Set conversation color

Changes the conversation's color indicator in the inbox list.

### Merge in conversation

Merges the triggering conversation into another existing conversation.

## Communication

### Add note

Adds a comment visible only to your team. Markdown formatting is supported.

### Create draft

Starts a draft reply using a canned response or free text.

### Create draft with AI

AI generates a draft response. You can specify tone, constraints, and include canned responses for AI to reference.

### Send response

Automatically sends a reply using a [canned response](/docs/core-features/canned-responses). Use carefully - there's no human review.

The action includes a **Send at most once every X per conversation** option that acts as a throttle. It prevents the same auto-reply from being sent more than once within the specified time period for the same conversation, even if the rule triggers multiple times.

For example, if set to 24 hours and a customer sends 5 emails in the same conversation thread within that window, the auto-reply only goes out on the first message. The remaining 4 won't trigger another auto-reply until 24 hours have passed since the last one was sent. This prevents customers from receiving the same automated response repeatedly when they send follow-up messages in an ongoing conversation.

### Schedule auto follow-up

Sends a follow-up message after a delay if the conversation remains unreplied. Only for outgoing message rules.

### Forward message

Forwards the message to another email address.

### Notify

Sends a notification to specific users about this conversation. You provide the notification text.

### Webhook

Posts data to a URL you specify. The payload includes conversation details, message content, and contact information.

## Conversation state

### Close

Closes the conversation for everyone.

### Archive

Removes the conversation from personal inboxes for specific users. Stays searchable.

### Archive (from team inbox)

Removes the conversation from a specific team inbox.

### Trash

Moves the conversation to trash for everyone. Removes all assignees, guests, snooze times, and pins.

### Snooze

Hides the conversation until a specific time. Options:

* Fixed times (tomorrow at 9am, next Monday, next business day)
* Relative delay (in 2 hours, in 3 days)

### Discard snooze

Cancels any active snooze for specific users.

### Mark messages as read

Marks the conversation as read for specific users.

### Mark messages as unread

Marks the conversation as unread for specific users.

### Star / Unstar

Adds or removes the star for specific users.

### Watch / Stop watching

Adds or removes users as watchers on the conversation.

### Silence notifications

Disables notifications for specific users on this conversation.

## Contacts & sharing

### Create contact(s)

Creates contacts in specified contact books for the message sender/recipients.

### Share with teammates

Shares the conversation with specific users in an organization.

### Remove user(s) from conversation

Removes specific users or all guests from the conversation.

## Email-specific actions

### Add recipient(s)

Adds To, Cc, or Bcc recipients to outgoing messages.

### Move email to new conversation

Splits the email into a new conversation. Actions above this one affect the original conversation; actions below affect the new one.

### Mark as spam / Mark as not spam

Moves messages to or from the spam folder.

### Unsubscribe from mailing list

Automatically unsubscribes from the mailing list if the email has an unsubscribe header.

### Prevent message delivery

Blocks an outgoing message from being sent. Only for outgoing message rules.

## AI actions

These actions use AI to analyze the message and take action.

### Add AI note

Posts an AI-generated analysis to the conversation. Team-visible only.

### Create draft with AI

Generates a reply draft that you can review before sending.

### Add tasks with AI

AI reads the message and creates tasks for any action items it finds.

### Add label(s) with AI

AI categorizes the message and applies relevant labels from your list.

## Control flow

### Stop processing more rules

Prevents any rules below this one from running on the same message.

## Order matters

Actions run top to bottom.

**Move email to new conversation** is a special case - it splits your action list in two. Actions above it affect the original conversation; actions below affect the new one.

**Stop processing more rules** prevents any rules below it (in alphabetical order) from running. Useful when you want one rule to handle a message exclusively.




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