Every helpdesk in Helpdesky has a unique inbound email address based on its slug. For example, if your helpdesk slug is acme, your inbound email address is [email protected]. Any email sent to this address automatically appears as a conversation in your Messages inbox, giving your customers another way to reach your support team.
No DNS setup is required on your end. The address is ready to use as soon as your helpdesk is created.
Finding your inbound email address
Your inbound email address is displayed in the dashboard under Embeds > Email Forwarding. You will see the full address along with a copy button to quickly grab it.
If you do not see the Email Forwarding page in your sidebar, make sure messaging is enabled. Go to Messages in the dashboard and turn on messaging first.
Sharing the address with customers
The simplest way to use your inbound address is to share it directly with customers. Add it to your website contact page, email signature, or printed materials. When a customer sends an email to that address, a new conversation is created in your Messages inbox with the email subject, body, and sender details.
Setting up auto-forwarding from an existing mailbox
If you already have a support email address like [email protected], you can set up auto-forwarding so those emails are routed into Helpdesky automatically. Here is how to do it for the most common email providers.
Gmail
- Open Gmail and go to Settings (the gear icon) and then See all settings.
- Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
- Click Add a forwarding address and enter your Helpdesky inbound email address.
- Gmail will send a confirmation email. Check your Messages inbox in Helpdesky for the confirmation link, or look for the confirmation code.
- Once confirmed, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and choose your inbound address.
- Click Save Changes.
Outlook / Microsoft 365
- Go to Settings > Mail > Forwarding.
- Check Enable forwarding.
- Enter your Helpdesky inbound email address.
- Optionally check Keep a copy of forwarded messages if you want emails stored in Outlook as well.
- Click Save.
Other email providers
Most email providers offer a forwarding or auto-forward setting. Look for it under Mail Settings or Rules, and set the forwarding destination to your Helpdesky inbound email address.
How conversation threading works
When an inbound email arrives, Helpdesky checks whether the sender already has an open (unresolved) conversation in your helpdesk.
- If the sender has an open conversation, the email is added as a new message in that existing conversation. This keeps the thread organized and avoids duplicate conversations.
- If all of the sender's conversations are resolved, or if the sender is brand new, a new conversation is created with the email channel, the subject line from the email, and the email body as the first message.
This means your team always sees a single, continuous thread per customer as long as the original conversation remains open.
Replying to email conversations
When an operator replies to a conversation that came in via email, the visitor receives an email notification. That notification includes a Reply-To header pointing back to your helpdesk's inbound address. If the visitor hits reply in their email client, their response flows right back into the same conversation in Helpdesky.
This creates a seamless back and forth between your team and the customer, all within the Messages inbox.
Tips for getting the most out of email forwarding
- Combine with other channels. Email forwarding works alongside the Widget, Contact Form, and Ticket Center. Customers can reach you however they prefer, and everything lands in the same Messages inbox.
- Check your spam folder. If forwarded emails are not arriving, check whether your email provider is filtering them. You may need to add your inbound address to your contacts or allow list.
- Attachments are not supported yet. Currently, only the text and HTML body of inbound emails are processed. File attachments in emails will be ignored for now.