Inbox & triage
The Communications inbox is a three-column layout. From left to right: a triage rail, a client list, and the conversation for the selected client.
[Screenshot: Three-column inbox with rail, client list, and conversation pane]
How to triage with the rail
Six filters live in the left rail, plus an inbox-scope toggle for owners, admins, and partners.
How to switch between your inbox and the team’s
Owners, admins, and partners see a Mine | Team toggle at the top.
| Value | What you see |
|---|---|
| Mine | Only conversations where you’re a participant. |
| Team | Every conversation across the firm. Adds the Unlinked filter. |
Switching scope keeps that choice as you move between filters.
How the triage buckets work
Every incoming message is sorted as soon as it arrives. The rail uses those buckets:
| Filter | What it shows |
|---|---|
| All | Everything in the current scope. |
| Needs Action | Incoming messages where the client is waiting on you. |
| Awaiting Reply | Outgoing messages still waiting for a response. |
| FYI | Receipts, “thanks”, routing copies — no action required. |
| Internal | Internal-only conversations (no client touchpoint). |
| Unlinked | Conversations not tied to a client (team view only). |
Click any filter — the client list reloads.
How to start a new conversation
Below the filter list, the New button (mail icon) opens the New Conversation dialog. Pick a client, pick a channel, draft, send.
How the client list is organized
The middle column groups messages by client, not by individual thread. Each row shows:
| Element | Notes |
|---|---|
| Avatar | Client initials. |
| Name + entity type | ”John Smith — individual” or “Acme LLC — partnership”. |
| Latest preview | Sender plus a snippet of the last message. |
| Channel dots | Colored dots showing which channels are in use. |
| Unread badge | Count of unread messages across all channels. |
| Triage pill | The bucket on the most recent incoming message. |
The list is sorted by most recent activity. When a new message lands for any client, that group jumps to the top.
How to search clients
Above the list, a search box filters by client name as you type. Picking a client clears the search.
How to pull in newly-arrived messages
When new groups arrive while you’re scrolled or focused elsewhere, a sticky “N new” pill appears at the top of the client list. Click it to refresh and re-sort. This keeps the list from jumping around while you’re reading.
The Unlinked section
In Team scope, an Unlinked section appears below the client groups. Each row is a conversation with no client attached yet — usually an email from an unknown address. Pick one and use the context drawer to link it to a client.
How to read the conversation pane
The right pane is the conversation. When no client is selected, an empty-state graphic invites you to pick one.
The header
The header shows:
- Client avatar and name — first row.
- Entity type — second line.
- Intent badge — if the latest incoming message has been tagged (Question, Document, Payment, and so on).
- Info button (
i) — toggles the right-side context drawer.
How to narrow the messages you’re viewing
When a client is selected, a thin filter bar appears below the header:
| Filter | What it does |
|---|---|
| Search | Searches the body of messages in this thread only. |
| Channel pills — All / Email / Portal / Internal / SMS | Show only messages on the selected channel. |
These narrow the visible stream — they don’t re-fetch the client list.
The message stream
Below the filter bar, the unified stream:
- Date dividers — “Today”, “Yesterday”, “May 13”, and so on.
- New messages divider — “N new messages” appears between read and unread.
- Incoming bubbles — left-aligned, with the full client name, timestamp, and channel chip.
- Outgoing bubbles — right-aligned, with “You”, timestamp, channel chip, and delivery status.
- Internal messages — distinct indigo background with a “Team only” badge.
- System messages — small italic text, like “Conversation marked resolved”.
The stream auto-scrolls to the bottom when new messages arrive.
The thread summary
Above the stream, a one-line card recaps the thread:
Client is asking about Q2 estimated payments. Sent confirmation 3 days ago.
Click View full to expand to a paragraph. Summaries refresh when new messages arrive.
Suggested actions
Above the compose area, dashed chips offer one-click actions:
- Request document — opens the client’s document request flow.
- Schedule — drafts a “let’s schedule a call” reply.
- Create task — opens a task draft pre-filled with the conversation context.
- Send template — opens the template picker.
- Mark resolved — closes the conversation (with a confirmation).
See AI drafts & intent.
The compose form
Pinned to the bottom. Channel picker, body editor, AI Draft button, template picker, attach buttons, Send.
Send shortcut is ⌘ Enter.
Keyboard navigation
In the inbox, these keys work when no input is focused:
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
j | Next client in the visible list. |
k | Previous client. |
i | Toggle the context drawer for the selected client. |
Esc | Blur the focused input. |
⌘ K | Command palette — search for a client by name, or pick “New Conversation”. |
j and k wrap — pressing j past the last client jumps back to the top.
How to jump straight into a conversation
Notifications and links from outside the inbox open a specific conversation directly. Assure Pro resolves the conversation to its client group (or the Unlinked bucket), selects it, and scrolls the thread into view.
This is how notifications and email links land you in the right place.
What’s not in the current version
- Multi-account email — the inbox handles one connected mailbox per user. Multi-account routing is on the roadmap.
- Voice / call — not yet supported. Use SMS or email.
- Bulk message send — handled through Campaigns in Billing once it ships, not from Communications.
Permissions
| Action | Who can do it |
|---|---|
| Open the inbox | Anyone with permission to view communications |
| See the Team view | Owners, admins, and partners |
| See another user’s Mine view | Not supported — admins see “Team” as a separate view, not as someone else’s inbox |
Next
- Channels — picking the right channel.
- AI drafts & intent — the sparkle button and suggested actions.
- Templates — reusable replies.
- Attachments & context — adding files and using the client drawer.