Shared inbox — getting started
Read and reply to customer emails as a team, assign conversations, add internal notes, and switch between send-from addresses.
The shared inbox at https://cpr.co/admin/shared-inbox is where all customer email conversations land. Instead of each staff member reading email in their own Gmail, everyone on your team sees the same inbox, can jump in to reply, and can leave notes for each other.
Where to find it
Click Shared Inbox in the left sidebar, or go directly to /admin/shared-inbox. The page has three panes: the conversation list on the left, the current conversation in the middle, and a customer details sidebar on the far right.
Reading a conversation
- 1Click any row in the left-hand conversation list.
- 2The middle pane fills in with the message thread — oldest message at top, newest at the bottom.
- 3The far-right Customer sidebar shows the customer name and email, the conversation status (Open, Closed, Snoozed), the assignee, and timing details like when the first message came in.
- 4The conversation list polls every 30 seconds in the background, and messages for the open conversation refresh every 10 seconds, so new replies show up without a page refresh.
Replying to a customer
- 1Open a conversation.
- 2Click into the Composer at the bottom of the middle pane.
- 3Make sure the mode toggle at the top of the Composer is set to Reply (blue pill).
- 4Type your reply in plain text.
- 5Press Cmd+Enter (Mac) or Ctrl+Enter (Windows) to send, or click the Send reply button.
The From identity dropdown
Above the reply box on the right side you will see a small From: dropdown. This is where you pick which email address your reply is sent from. Your choices come from the send identities your admin has set up for you — this might include your personal staff email and any shared aliases like info@yourdomain.com or scheduling@yourdomain.com.
How to choose the right From address
- Pick a shared alias (labeled "(shared)") when you are replying on behalf of the team — for example, info@ or support@.
- Pick your own staff email when you are replying personally.
- The default address is auto-selected based on your admin settings. If you do not see the one you want, ask your admin to add it in Settings.
Notes vs replies
Every conversation supports two kinds of messages: public Replies that get emailed to the customer, and internal Notes that are only visible to your staff. Use notes to leave context for teammates, summarize what you discussed on a phone call, or flag something for a manager.
- 1Open a conversation.
- 2Click the Note pill at the top of the Composer (the Composer background turns amber — that is your signal it is staff-only).
- 3Type your note.
- 4Click Add note. The note appears in the thread only for staff eyes — the customer never sees it.
Assigning conversations to teammates
- 1Open the conversation.
- 2In the far-right Customer sidebar, find the Assigned to section.
- 3Click the dropdown and pick a teammate.
- 4The conversation is now tagged to that person. They can find it by clicking the Mine filter in the conversation list.
Changing conversation status
Conversations have three statuses: Open (needs a response), Closed (done), and Snoozed (handled later). Change the status in the Status section of the right-hand sidebar. Closing a conversation hides it from the Open tab and disables the Composer until you reopen it.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
| j | Move down one conversation in the list |
| k | Move up one conversation in the list |
| Cmd+Enter / Ctrl+Enter | Send the reply or note you are typing |
Searching conversations
Use the search box at the top of the conversation list to find messages by keyword, customer name, or email. The search runs across subject lines and message bodies. Results update as you type (with a short delay).
Troubleshooting
Common issues
- No send identities configured in the From dropdown — ask your admin to add a send identity for you in admin settings.
- Reply button is grayed out — the conversation may be Closed. Change status to Open in the sidebar.
- New messages are not showing up — the list polls every 30 seconds; click the refresh icon in the top right of the conversation list to force an immediate reload.
- j/k not working — click anywhere outside the search box or Composer first.
- I accidentally sent a note as a reply (or vice versa) — you cannot undo a sent message. Add a follow-up with a correction.
Questions about the shared inbox? Email support@cpr.co or ask your admin.
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