Bring all client, vendor, and internal messages into one place. Easily assign work, reply faster, and reduce double-work across shifts, departments, and teams.
Automation that works how you do
Auto-route incoming messages to the right people. Trigger alerts, apply labels, assign jobs, and integrate with your CRM, TMS, or internal dashboards.
Multi-channel and on all devices
Bring in your WhatsApp, SMS, and more, into Missive. Your team can add photos, delivery receipts and estimates into conversations on the go. Available on all platforms, including mobile.
Track SLAs and response times
Stay on top of service commitments. Missive makes it easy to measure responsiveness and ensure no request goes unanswered, even in high-volume environments.
Shared inboxes for dispatch and support
Bring all client, vendor, and internal messages into one place. Easily assign work, reply faster, and reduce double-work across shifts, departments, and teams.
Automation that works how you do
Auto-route incoming messages to the right people. Trigger alerts, apply labels, assign jobs, and integrate with your CRM, TMS, or internal dashboards.
Multi-channel and on all devices
Bring in your WhatsApp, SMS, and more, into Missive. Your team can add photos, delivery receipts and estimates into conversations on the go. Available on all platforms, including mobile.
Track SLAs and response times
Stay on top of service commitments. Missive makes it easy to measure responsiveness and ensure no request goes unanswered, even in high-volume environments.
“We’ve tried so many shared inbox solutions. Missive was unexpectedly powerful. Suddenly, we weren’t scrambling over lost emails or letting days slip by.”
Key features for service operations, logistics, and field teams
Team inboxes with assignment & visibility controls
Know who’s working on what at any time.
Collaborative chat in every email thread
Discuss internally, then send.
Rules and automations for routing and reminders
Built for handling high volumes of emails.
Omnichannel support (email, SMS, chat, and more)
Manage multiple channels from the same inbox.
Custom integration with your TMS
Using Missive’s API you can pull context into one place.
A better alternative to traditional helpdesks
Helpdesk Tools
Missive
Personal replies
Ticket-based, robotic
Feels like real email
Internal collaboration
Basic notes
Chat, tagging, & assignments
Multi-device support
Limited mobile apps
Same power, on every device
Integrations
Limited or clunky
Custom triggers & automations
What operations leaders are saying
4.8
→ Over 500 reviews
It's the one inbox tool you'll ever need: great features, excellent customer support, and competitive pricing. Migrating from the platform we initially were using was easy because of how intuitive using the tool is. You are given freedom to decide how to make use of the "teams" system they have, which means you can easily tailor the system to fit your needs. Without having to jump from one tool to the next, we are able to respond to customer messages, emails, leave notes for other members of the team, and even assign tasks to each other.
Hard to say what is best, because we love everything really. Assigning emails to team/team member, shared signatures and responses are hugely helpful and very customizable. The integrations are great. One of the biggest game changers was being able to make a single email into a shared email just in Missive. I have also had a good deal of correspondence with customer support and they are absolutely incredible. Every response I get is well thought out, extremely specific, and answers my questions.
We are a shipping services company, so we have a lot of email on a daily basis. We have tried many email management programs, but we have chosen Missive because it is the most powerful of all the ones we have tried. It's a whole platform for organizing emails as it includes calendar services, to-do lists, email assignment & comment systems, rooms (chat), pins, labels (tags) and a whole bunch of other add-ons that you can put in to customize it the way you want it. It is also very responsive as it can easily be used on mobile devices.
Revolutionize your inbox with Missive's AI Rules, where artificial intelligence meets your workflow to automatically sort, respond, and organize emails based on what they actually contain.
We've all been there. You open your inbox on Monday morning and face an avalanche of messages. Some need immediate attention. Others could wait. Many should be handled by different team members. And a surprising number don't need any response at all. While Missive's rule engine has always given you the flexibility to automate your workflow exactly how you want it, today we're taking that customization power to a whole new level.
What if your inbox could sort itself? What if it could understand what each email is about and take the right action automatically—all while you maintain complete control over how it behaves? What if you could define exactly how your emails are processed, based not just on who sent them, but on what they actually contain?
Today, we're launching AI Rules in Missive - a simple way to bring the intelligence of AI to your email workflow without the complexity. It's the same flexible rule engine you love, now with the power to understand email content the way you do.
What are AI rules?
AI Rules are an extension of Missive's existing rules engine. If you've used rules before, you know they're powerful for automating repetitive tasks based on simple conditions like sender address or subject line keywords.
Now, we're adding the ability to use AI to understand what an email is actually about.
Here's how it works:
You create a rule with an "AI Prompt" condition
You write a simple instruction for the AI
The AI reads the email and gives an answer
Your rule takes action based on that answer
No training data. No complicated setup. Just plain language instructions that the AI follows.
Real examples, real time saved
Let's look at some practical ways teams are already using AI Rules during our beta:
- A ⛑️ customer service team set up a rule that using this prompt:
Is this customer angry or upset? Respond with ONLY "YES" or "NO".
If the AI says YES, the email gets flagged as high priority and assigned to a senior agent.
- A 📈 sales team created a rule with this prompt:
Is this a qualified sales lead or just a general inquiry? Respond with ONLY ONE of these exact words: "sales lead" or "general inquiry".
Leads go straight to the sales pipeline, while general questions route to the support team. Their sales reps now spend more time selling and less time triaging emails.
- A ⚖️ legal firm uses AI to detect if an email contains a deadline or time-sensitive request.
Does this email contain a deadline, due date, or time-sensitive request? Respond with ONLY "YES" or "NO".
If it does, it gets tagged "Urgent" and triggers a notification and creates tasks. They haven't missed a filing deadline since.
The best part? These teams didn't need to become AI experts. They just wrote simple instructions in plain English.
One prompt, multiple rules
One of the most powerful features of AI Rules is the ability to use the same prompt across multiple rules. This lets you create sophisticated email triage systems without duplicating your AI analysis costs.
For example, you could recreate Gmail's smart categories with more flexibility and control.
First, create a prompt that categorizes emails:
Analyze this email and respond with EXACTLY ONE of these categories:
"SOCIAL" - for messages from social networks, dating sites, etc.
"PROMOTIONS" - for marketing emails, offers, discounts, newsletters
"UPDATES" - for notifications, confirmations, receipts, statements
Then create separate rules, all using this exact same prompt but with different matching conditions:
On rule per category
Rule 1: Social
The beauty of this approach is that the AI only analyzes each email once, even though you have six different rules. The result is cached and reused across all rules, making this both efficient and cost-effective.
And unlike Gmail's fixed categories, you have complete control over:
What categories to use
What actions to take for each category
How to prioritize different types of messages
When to apply these rules (you could add additional conditions)
This is just one example of how you can use AI Rules to create a customized workflow that fits exactly how you and your team want to work.
Four ways to use AI in your rules
We've built four powerful AI capabilities into Missive:
1. AI Conditions
As shown above, use AI to analyze email content and make decisions. The AI can detect sentiment, identify request types, or extract specific information that would be difficult to capture with traditional keyword rules.
For example: "Is this customer angry?" or "Does this email contain a deadline?"
2. AI-Generated Posts
Have the AI create a helpful note about an email. The AI can summarize long threads, extract key points, translate emails or provide context for your team.
e.g.
Translate the email to English.
3. AI-Generated Tasks
Let the AI identify action items in emails and automatically create tasks. No more manually creating to-dos from your messages. For example:
Extract any tasks or action items from this email and create a task for each one.
4. AI-Generated Drafts
Automatically create response drafts for common inquiries. The AI can craft a personalized reply based on the email content, which you can review and send with a click:
Create a helpful response to this customer inquiry about our pricing plans.
The above draft example could be paired with an AI condition that makes sure the email is about billing!
Simple to set up, powerful in practice
We've worked hard to make AI Rules approachable. You don't need to be a prompt engineer or AI expert to get value from day one. The system uses gpt-4o-mini, which offers an excellent balance of speed, cost-effectiveness, and quality for email processing.
Your data, your control
We understand that email contains sensitive information. That's why:
You connect your own OpenAI account
You control exactly which emails get processed by AI
Email content is only sent to OpenAI at the moment of rule processing
No data is stored by OpenAI beyond what's needed for the immediate request
The inbox you've always wanted
For years, we've been building tools to help teams manage email more efficiently. Rules have always been at the heart of that mission - letting you automate the repetitive stuff so you can focus on the work that matters.
AI Rules take that automation to a new level. Now your inbox doesn't just sort emails based on simple patterns - it understands what they're about and what needs to happen next.
This isn't about replacing human judgment. It's about removing the tedious parts of email management so your team can focus on what humans do best: building relationships, solving complex problems, and delivering value to your customers.
AI Rules are available today for all Missive users on the Productive plan and above. Give them a try, and let us know what you think.
Your inbox will thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to learn more about AI Rules? Check out these helpful resources:
Discover five powerful yet underused Missive features that can transform your workflow.
When I started my career, my first experience with team emails was chaotic. We had multiple inboxes, scattered conversations, and constant back-and-forth about who was handling what. It was a nightmare.
At my last job, we used Missive, and it was like night and day compared to my previous experience. However, it wasn't until I discovered some of its hidden features that things really clicked for me.
Over the past few years, I've used Missive daily, and for the last year, I've been helping Missive customers uncover all its hidden gems. Today, I want to share the five features that transformed how I handle communication. These aren't the flashy features – they're the practical, everyday tools that can make a difference.
1. Merging Email Threads
You know when someone starts a new email thread about something you're already discussing in another thread? This used to drive me crazy. But in Missive, you just drag one conversation onto the other, and they merge into a single thread. Everything stays in order, nothing gets lost, and suddenly all your context is in one place.
Merge two conversations into a single one.
Real-world examples where this shines:
When a customer replies to an old email instead of the original thread for the same issue
Multiple customers reporting the same issue
Getting quotes from different suppliers
Project discussions that branch off and need to be reconnected
Pro tip: You cannot undo the merging. BUT you can move messages of merged conversations to new private or shared ones.
2. Your Sidebar, Your Rules
At first glance, customizing your sidebar might not sound revolutionary. But trust me – it's like finally organizing your desk after years of chaos.
Here's what makes it special:
Move your most-used mailboxes to the top
Hide the stuff you rarely touch
Group things however they make sense to YOU
Create separate sections for different projects or clients
Customize the sidebar to your liking.
Here's how different teams use this:
Support Teams:
Support Team Inbox at the top
Urgent issues section with labels
Team chat of the Support team
Archived mailbox hidden but accessible
Sales Teams:
Hot lead labels front and center
Separate sections for each pipeline stage
Quick access to Sales team room
'Follow-up' label visible pinned
Project Managers:
Project-specific inboxes grouped
Client communication sections
Team room easily accessible
Deadline-sensitive items labels
Pro tip: You can also create whole new sections. Just drag an item on top of the +More button in the sidebar.
3. Type # and Save Hours
This feature is really powerful: inserting canned responses inline. Do you know what I'm talking about?
Just type a hashtag followed by your response name, and boom – your full message appears right where you're typing. No more copying and pasting, no more digging through templates.
Insert canned responses without leaving the composer.
My team's favorite uses:
#hi: Personalized welcome messages for new email requests
#followup: 'Thanks for reaching out'
#lmka: 'Let me know if you need anything else, I'd be happy to help'
#meet: Inserts a link with my Calendly availability link
#thanks: Thank you messages with next steps
Power User Tips:
Create variations of common responses (formal vs casual)
Include variables for personalization
Set up team-wide responses for consistency
For intensive-use phrases, use short, memorable hashtags
Create responses in multiple languages
4. The Command Bar (Ctrl/Cmd + K)
If you learn one keyboard shortcut in Missive, make it this one. Press Cmd+K on Mac (or Ctrl+K on Windows), and you've got instant access to pretty much everything.
One shortcut to rule them all.
Things you can do from the command bar:
Create new emails, events, or tasks
Access settings and preferences
Switch between 1:1 rooms
Search for specific messages
Manage rules and labels
Open contact books
Set a status
And much more!
If I were to time-track myself for a week with and without using the command bar. The difference? About 3 minutes saved each day just from reducing mouse usage and menu navigation. Compound this to a year, and you'll see how powerful it can be.
5. Custom Thread Names That Actually Make Sense
This last one's simple but brilliant. You can rename your email threads to whatever you want.
Instead of: Re: D-001-2 Ext. Non-Variable → You can call it: Partnership with Titan
Here's how to configure Missive for firm-wide clarity, accountability, and efficiency, especially if you're running pods.
If you're building or scaling an accounting firm, your email system shouldn't be a bottleneck. Missive is a collaborative email platform designed for team-based work, perfect for accounting firms adopting a modern, client-centric workflow. One of the most effective structures is the POD model.
Here's how to configure Missive for firm-wide clarity, accountability, and efficiency, especially if you're running pods.
What Is a POD?
A POD is a small, cross-functional team, typically 4–6 people, designed to serve a set group of clients. Each pod includes a senior (e.g. manager or controller), one or more juniors, a coordinator/admin, and optionally an offshore or tech specialist. This structure creates:
Clear ownership
Streamlined communication
Resilience when staff changes
1. Create One Team Space per Pod
Each POD should be its own Team Space in Missive. If you have less than 20 clients, you could set up a team space for each client or by each type of client.
If you're more than 20 clients, you might want to set up based on service line (tax, bookkeeping, etc).
Add pod members as Members to receive notifications
Add partners or senior leadership as Observers so they can monitor without being overloaded
This gives each pod its own inbox, chat room, and shared task list.
2. Use Dedicated Shared Inboxes & Aliases
Each pod needs a clear front door for client emails. You can:
Assign poda@yourfirm.com to Pod A's inbox
Use aliases like payroll@yourfirm.com, tax@yourfirm.com and route them to the appropriate pod
Allow juniors/admins to send as the pod alias; seniors can use personal addresses when necessary
This allows routine client requests to come from a shared firm alias for consistency, but significant communications (e.g. year-end reports or advisory) can come from a named partner.
Missive allows team members can choose the appropriate sender identity on each reply, and you can even manage multiple signatures for different aliases.
Aliases are free and unlimited in Missive. Shared accounts are limited to 5 per user, so if your organization has 10 Missive users, you’re limited to 50 shared accounts.
Pro Tip: Using shared aliases helps maintain continuity when staff change, your clients won’t need to update their address books.
3. Route Emails to the Right Pod Automatically
Missive’s rules engine lets you direct emails where they belong:
Match by client domain: @clientabc.com → Pod A
Use AI or keyword rules: "urgent", "payroll", "report" → tag, assign, or escalate
Send email from your webform to a centralized address and route based on form content
Example rule for escalating urgent emails:
4. Define Clear Pod Roles Inside Missive
Use Missive’s permission structure and collaboration tools to mirror pod roles:
Junior staff: Assign themselves emails, draft/reply to clients, tag colleagues
Admin/coordinator: Maintains pod task board, assigns triage (if not automated), handles scheduling
Senior: Steps in for escalation, reviews drafts, monitors inbox passively via Observer role
Partner/leadership: Observer across multiple pods or all pods
5. Use Assignments and Internal Comments
Instead of emailing colleagues, @-mention them in the email comment pane
Assign conversations to individuals for clear ownership
Use Missive’s Close action when work is complete
This is more direct and less error-prone than relying on the traditional "cc" model, plus, it’s logged, so later you can see “this was assigned to John on Jan 5”.
If something needs a manager's attention, assign it to the manager or add an “Escalated” label.
The visibility of assignments is part of what makes Missive a “shared inbox on steroids,” giving everyone clarity on responsibilities.
6. Track Tasks with Missive or Project Tools
Missive offers two strong workflows:
Option A: Use Missive’s Native Tasks
Turn an email into a task
Assign due dates, owners
Add tasks or checklists inside conversations
Option B: Integrate with ClickUp, Asana, etc.
Click to create a ClickUp task from an email
Use Missive rules to generate tickets (advanced setups via Missive's API or use tools like Relay.app, Zapier, and Make.com)
7. Escalate Smartly Using Rules
Don’t rely on memory. Let Missive flag important messages:
Time-based rule: If a message is unresolved after 48 hours → alert senior
AI rule: If email contains urgency or escalated tone → assign to senior
SLA rule: Label messages breaching response time
These automation rules reduce dropped balls and keep client service high.
8. Maintain Firm-Wide Structure
For cross-pod needs (billing, onboarding), create a Central Ops Team Space
Allow specialist roles (e.g. offshore bookkeeper) to be Members of multiple pods
Use color-coded labels to track workflow statuses firm-wide
9. Sample Workflow in Action
Step
Action
Tool Used
1
Client emails podA@yourfirm.com
Routed to Pod A's Team Inbox
2
Junior drafts reply, assigns themselves
Missive
3
Tags Senior to review draft
Missive + internal comment
3
Senior reviews draft, gives green light to send
Observer role + internal comment
4
Client confirms, junior closes conversation
Missive – close thread
If you start to add in Rules, especially their AI rules, a number of these steps can be automated.
10. Transition Tips from Real Firms
Start with 1–2 pods before scaling to the full firm
Train teams on internal comments, assignments, and closing threads
Use the same client-facing email addresses (i.e. Julie@yourfirm.com) to keep the transition seamless
Review rules weekly early on, adjusting for accuracy
Why It Works
Client-focused: Each pod owns client relationships
Team accountable: Clear ownership of email, tasks, and service
Flexible: Add pods as your firm grows
Resilient: Staff changes don’t break communication chains
The POD model lets your accounting firm scale without chaos. Combined with Missive's visibility, rules, and collaboration tools, it becomes a high-trust, high-efficiency operating system for client service.
FAQ
How does Missive help my firm stay compliant with client data privacy and security standards?
Missive supports accounting firms with tools to ensure confidentiality and audit readiness:
Granular Access Control: You control who sees what using Team Spaces and account-level permissions. Sensitive inboxes can be shared only with specific individuals.
Transparency & Audit Trails: All actions (assignments, comments, replies) are time-stamped and visible to teammates. This visibility prevents emails from being lost in personal inboxes.
Retention Coordination: Missive syncs with your email server. Ensure your Gmail or Outlook accounts retain emails long enough to meet compliance needs.
Data Portability: All email communications remain on your email server, allowing you to use tools like Google Vault or Exchange for discovery or exports.
Enterprise-Grade Security: Missive is SOC 2 Type II certified. It offers encryption in transit and at rest, optional single sign-on (SSO), and admin-level control over access.
Can we still use our existing email addresses (e.g., Outlook or Gmail)?
Yes. Missive works as an overlay to your existing email provider (Microsoft 365, Gmail, etc.). Your team keeps their email addresses and Missive syncs everything in real time, without changing your domain or setup.
What happens when a staff member leaves, do we lose their emails?
A: No. All emails, assignments, and internal comments stay visible to the team. Conversations don’t live in personal inboxes, they live in shared team spaces. You can reassign messages, check history, and maintain continuity easily.
Can Missive integrate with our existing workflow tools (like ClickUp, Xero, or Slack)?
Yes. Missive integrates with ClickUp, Trello, Aircall, HubSpot, and more. You can create tasks directly from emails, log calls, and pull in CRM data, all without leaving the app. Zapier and API access also allow custom integrations.
Discover how agencies, firms, and service companies can manage client emails with ease using Missive.
Discover how agencies, firms, and service companies can manage client emails with ease using Missive. This guide offers practical tips to streamline communication, organize shared inboxes, and improve collaboration. Perfect for teams looking to eliminate email chaos and deliver exceptional client service.
It's the start of another week, and your email inbox looks like it exploded overnight. Messages from clients are piling up – a mix of red-flag emergencies, projects stuck in limbo waiting for your team to weigh in, and threads that are probably scattered across your coworkers' accounts too. Does this hit close to home? Most professionals know exactly what this email overwhelm feels like.
The Challenge Every Client-Centric Business Faces
Traditional email wasn't built for modern client service. Whether you're a law firm juggling complex cases, a marketing agency coordinating campaign approvals, or a bookkeeping firm handling time-sensitive financial documents, you know the struggle. Your team is brilliant at what they do, but email chaos can make even the most organized professional feel overwhelmed.
That's where Missive comes in – not just as another email tool, but as your team's command center for client communication.
What Makes Missive Different? (Hint: It's Built for Teams Like Yours)
Think of Missive as your email client on steroids. But instead of just making email faster, it makes it smarter. Here's what I mean:
Ever wished you could see what your colleague already told the client? With shared inboxes, you can.
Frustrated by clients CCing half your team hoping to find the right person? In Missive, everyone sees and can chat inside the same thread.
Tired of having multiple threads about the same service or case? Our merge conversations feature has got your back.
Need to draft an email live with a colleague like in a Google doc? With collaborative drafting you can.
Need to loop in your designer on a client conversation? One-click assignments make it seamless.
Best Practices for Configuring Missive for Client-Centric Communication
1. Set Up Shared Inboxes
The first step in managing client cases is to consolidate relevant communication into shared inboxes. This ensures your team has access to the conversations they need to collaborate effectively.
Set up team-specific inboxes (e.g., marketing@yourcompany.com) to direct emails to the appropriate departments.
Drag-and-drop emails received in personal accounts to appropriate Team Inboxes. Or create rules to automate this process.
Pro tip Easily stay on top of every message by accessing your team’s shared inbox and filtering by specific criteria like “Assigned to...” Whether you’re monitoring progress or ensuring nothing slips through the cracks, Missive’s filtering options make it simple to keep your communication organized and easy to find.
Create labels for each client or project (e.g., “Client: Johnson & Co.” or “Project: Website Redesign”).
Add labels to differentiate tasks or stages (e.g., “Proposal Sent,” “Awaiting Feedback”).
Proposal sent
Awaiting Feedback
Completed
Missive’s Rules can automate this organization by applying labels or tags based on email content or sender.
Description
Johnson & Co auto-labeling
Conditions
Fromends with johnson.com
Actions
Apply label(s) Johnson & Co
3. Assign Conversations to Team Members: Flexibility for Complex Mandates
Client work often revolves around mandates or projects requiring input from multiple experts or teams. Missive’s assignments feature helps you manage this complexity with ease.
Assign Conversations to Individuals or Teams: Direct emails to the appropriate team member or Team Inbox. For example:
A law firm might assign a contract review email to a paralegal before it goes to an attorney.
A marketing agency might assign initial project emails to an account manager before involving designers or strategists.
Reassign as Projects Evolve: Projects often require input from different specialists at various stages. Missive allows you to change the assignee as needed. For instance:
A bookkeeping firm might transfer a case from a junior bookkeeper to a senior accountant for tax filing.
Bookkeeper
→
Accountant
→
Account Executive
A legal case might move from a general attorney to a compliance expert.
Use Comments for Smooth Handoffs: Add internal comments to provide context when reassigning tasks, ensuring no details are lost in transition.
This flexibility makes Missive an ideal tool for handling non-linear workflows, ensuring accountability while supporting seamless collaboration.
4. Use Canned Responses for Common Emails
Save time by creating templates for frequently sent emails, such as:
Client onboarding emails
Progress updates
Invoice reminders
5. Integrate Your Favourite Tools
Missive integrates with popular CRMs, task managers, and other platforms. Alternatively, you can also create your own custom integration to let you access critical client information directly from your inbox.
6. Track Deadlines and Tasks
Missive’s Tasks feature lets you stay on top of deadlines and deliverables:
Convert emails into tasks to track follow-ups or required actions.
Assign tasks to team members.
Pair this feature with Labels to track tasks by client or project.
7. Collaborate in Live Drafts
Some emails require input from multiple team members before they’re sent to clients. Use Missive’s Collaborative Writing feature to work together on sensitive or detailed communications.
Write your email draft and tag other members of your Missive organization.
Team members can review, edit, and comment in real-time.
This is particularly valuable for legal teams drafting contracts or marketing agencies working on creative proposals.
8. Search for Quick Access
Missive’s search functionality allows you to quickly find emails, attachments, or notes related to a client or project. Use search operators (Outlook or Gmail) to filter searches by:
Keywords
Labels or tags
Specific attachments
Much more
Pin frequent searches to the sidebar to make your workflow even more efficient.
Ready to Transform Your Client-Centric Communication?
If you're tired of email chaos and ready for a more organized, collaborative approach to client communication, Missive might be exactly what you need. Start with these basics, then customize as you go – your future self (and your clients) will thank you.
No more lost emails, no more communication silos, just smooth, efficient client service.
