> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://squad.so/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Give an agent an email inbox
> Give an agent its own email address, read and filter its mail, review drafts and escalations, set handling rules, and connect your own domain.
An agent can have its own email inbox. It sends and receives email as itself, from its own address. You see all inboxes on the **Email** screen in the sidebar. The badge on **Email** counts received emails that you have not opened.
Each inbox is a paid add-on to your plan. Squad shows the price, and that it is pro-rated for the rest of your billing cycle, before you confirm. See [What Squad costs and what uses credits](/docs/costs).
## What you can do here
| You want to | Go to |
| ------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Give an agent an address | [Enable an inbox for an agent](#enable-an-inbox-for-an-agent) |
| Read what your agents sent and received | [Read and filter email](#read-and-filter-email) |
| Approve a reply before it goes out | [Review drafts](#review-drafts) |
| Decide on an email an agent passed to you | [Handle escalations](#handle-escalations) |
| Tell an agent how to handle its mail | [Write the handling instructions](#write-the-handling-instructions) |
| Limit how much an agent sends, or who it talks to | [Set the signature and the daily cap](#set-the-signature-and-the-daily-cap) and [Set allow and block rules](#set-allow-and-block-rules) |
| Send from `name@yourdomain.com` | [Connect your own domain](#connect-your-own-domain) |
## Enable an inbox for an agent
Before you start:
* You need an active subscription.
Select **Email** in the sidebar, or press `E`.
Open the mailbox menu (**Switch mailbox**) and select **Give an agent an inbox**. If you have no inbox yet, select **+ Create inbox** instead.
On **Give an agent its own inbox**, select the agent. Only agents without an inbox are listed.
Check the **DEFAULT ADDRESS**. You can change it after you create the inbox.
Select **Create** and the agent name **inbox**, for example **Create Nina's inbox**.
Read the confirm dialog. It shows the address and the price.
Select **Confirm & pay**.
Squad shows **Creating** and the agent name **inbox…** while it sets up the address. This usually takes a few seconds. Then the agent's email settings open. If the setup fails, the error shows in the dialog.
If every agent already has an inbox, the picker says **Every agent already has an inbox**. Add an agent first. See [Add, change, and pause agents](/docs/agents).
### Address format
The default address is the agent's name in lowercase, with hyphens instead of spaces and other characters, then `@agents.squad.so`. For example, an agent named Nina gets `nina@agents.squad.so`. The part before the @ has up to 32 characters. If the address is taken, Squad adds a number, for example `nina-2`.
To change the address, open the agent's email settings. In **Identity**, edit the part before the @. Then click outside the field and confirm. The confirm message says that the old address stops receiving, and that any scheduled sends from it are canceled.
When you change the address, the old address stops receiving mail, and scheduled sends from it are canceled. The inbox's allow and block rules move to the new address. Check the rules list afterward, and add again any rule that is missing.
Inboxes made before the move to the Squad domain can have an older address. **Identity** says **This inbox is on the earlier domain** and tells you to pick `@agents.squad.so` in the address box to move it.
## Read and filter email
The **Email** screen has a list on the left and the open email on the right. On a narrow screen, it shows one of them at a time. Select **Inbox** to go back to the list.
### Pick a mailbox
Open the mailbox menu (**Switch mailbox**). Under **MAILBOXES**, select **All inboxes** or one agent's inbox. Each row shows the address and the number of emails. The line under the menu says **You’re viewing all your connected mailboxes** or **You’re viewing** and the agent's inbox, with **new** and a count, or **No new**.
### Filter the list
| Tab | Shows |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **All** | Every email. |
| **Received** | Email that came in. |
| **Sent** | Email that the agent sent. Scheduled email is not in this tab. |
| **Unread** | Email that you have not opened. |
| **Drafts** | Drafts that wait for your review. |
| **Escalations** | Email that an agent passed to you for a decision. |
| **Scheduled** | Email that will send later. |
The list loads the newest 100 emails. A count with **+** means there are more. With nothing to show, the list says **Inbox zero**. Press `j` and `k` to move down and up the list.
In **All inboxes**, each row shows which agent's inbox it belongs to. A row can also show **✦ Draft ready**, **Escalation**, **Scheduled**, a paperclip when the conversation has attachments, and the number of messages in the conversation.
### Read an email
Select a row to open it. Opening an email marks the whole conversation as read.
* The header shows the subject, who the conversation is with, and the number of messages.
* Each message shows the sender, the addresses it went from and to (and cc and bcc), and the exact time.
* Each message can show **Draft**, **Scheduled**, **Sent**, or **Escalated**.
* For an email with formatting, select **Rich** or **Plain** to change the view.
* Select **Show quoted text** to see the earlier messages that a reply quotes.
The **Email** screen does not show the attachments of an email. To get a file from an email, ask the agent.
```text Ask the agent theme={null}
Send me the attachments from the email about [subject] as files in this chat.
```
### Talk to the agent about an email
Select **Discuss** (or **Reply** on a single email) to open a chat thread with the agent, with the email attached. You do not write the reply yourself. Tell the agent what to say, and it writes and sends the reply. Each email conversation has one chat thread, so opening it again takes you back to the same thread.
To write a new email yourself, see [Send an email yourself](#send-an-email-yourself).
## Review drafts
An agent can write a draft and ask you to review it. The **Drafts** tab lists drafts. In chat, the email thread shows **DRAFT READY**. On a single draft, **REPLYING TO** shows the email the draft answers.
1. Open the email.
2. Read the draft. Then select one:
* **✓ Approve & send draft** (or **✓ Approve & send**) to send it now. The note under the buttons says **Sends immediately from** the agent's inbox, **with no second review**.
* **Revise with** and the agent name to send it back. The chat opens with **Revise your draft reply. Here’s what I’d like different:** typed in.
* **Edit draft** to change it yourself, then **Save changes**. On a single draft, the button is **✓ Save & send**, which saves and sends at once.
* **Discard** to delete the draft.
**✓ Approve & send draft** sends at once from the agent's inbox, with no second review. It skips the daily cap and the other send limits. It also sends the draft text as it is, without the inbox signature. If you want the signature, add it in **Edit draft** first.
Your edits change only this draft. They do not teach the agent.
A conversation can hold more than one draft. Each draft has its own buttons.
## Handle escalations
An agent escalates an email when it needs your decision. The **Escalations** tab lists them. The email shows a banner with the agent name and the reason, for example **Nina escalated this:** and the reason.
* Select **Instruct** and the agent name **→** to tell the agent what to do in chat.
* Select **Dismiss** to clear the escalation.
When you approve a draft reply in the same conversation, Squad clears the escalation.
### How Squad tells you
Squad shows drafts and escalations in chat, in the bell, in the Live Feed, and on the **Email** screen. It does not send you an email about a draft or an escalation, even when the **Draft ready** or **Escalations** email switch is on in **Settings** > **Notifications**.
To get an email each time an agent's inbox receives mail, turn on the email switch for **Agent inbox mail**. See [Choose your notifications](/docs/notifications).
## Write the handling instructions
**Handling instructions** tell the agent how to triage, prioritize, and answer email. Squad gives them to the agent each time it reads an email.
On the **Email** screen, pick the agent's inbox in the mailbox menu, then select the gear (the agent's inbox **settings**).
Type in **Handling instructions**.
Click outside the field. Squad saves the text.
To have the agent write them with you, select **Refine with** and the agent name. The chat opens with your current instructions and **What I’d like different:** typed in. Add what you want and send.
Handling instructions are a briefing, not a rule that Squad enforces. If they say "draft everything for my review", the agent follows that as an instruction. The agent can still send email directly. Squad has no draft-only setting.
```text A first briefing for any inbox theme={null}
Handle: [the kinds of email this agent owns].
Draft for my review: every reply to a customer, and anything about money.
Escalate, do not reply: [your red lines].
Tone: [two words] and sign off as [name].
If you are not sure an email is yours, it is not. Escalate it.
```
## Set the signature and the daily cap
In the agent's email settings:
* **Email signature** (**Appended to every message this agent sends.**): type the signature and click outside the field. Squad adds it to email that the agent sends and to email that you send with **Compose**.
* **Daily send cap** (**Maximum emails this agent can send per day.**): type the number and click outside the field. The bar and the line under it show how many the agent sent today, for example **3 of 20 sent today**. With a cap of 0, the line says **no daily cap**.
The daily cap counts the last 24 hours, not the calendar day. Scheduled sends and drafts that wait for your review count toward it. A cap of 0 means no daily cap. Squad also has short-term and workspace-wide send limits. For the numbers, see [Limits and defaults](/docs/limits-and-defaults).
When the agent hits a cap, its send fails with an error that names the limit, and the agent can schedule the email for later.
## Set allow and block rules
Rules control who an inbox can email or get email from.
* For one agent, open the agent's email settings.
* For every inbox, select **All inboxes** in the mailbox menu, then the gear (**Shared email settings**).
In **Allow & block rules**, select **＋ Add rule**.
Select **Block** or **Allow**. The default is **Block**.
Select **Whole domain** (the default) or **Single address**, and type the domain (`example.com`) or the address (`name@example.com`).
Under **APPLIES TO**, select **Inbound**, **Outbound**, **Replies**, or more than one. The default is **Inbound**.
Select **Add rule**. Select **Cancel** to stop.
The rules show under **✓ ALLOWED** and **⊘ BLOCKED**, with a count. Each row shows the domain or address, **Domain** or **Email**, and the directions. To remove a rule, select the × on its row. With no rules, the lists say **No allow rules.** and **No block rules.**
If you select **Add rule** with no domain or address, or with no direction, the rule is not added.
Rules in **Shared email settings** apply to every inbox in the workspace. Rules in an agent's settings apply to that inbox only. Agents can also add and remove rules for their own inbox.
## Cancel a scheduled send
An agent can schedule an email for later. The **Scheduled** tab lists scheduled emails.
1. Open the scheduled email. The banner shows **Scheduled to send** with the date and time, and how long until it sends.
2. Select **Cancel send**.
When the cancel works, the email leaves the **Scheduled** tab. If the email is still there, it may already have gone out. Check the **Sent** tab.
## Send an email yourself
Select **Compose**.
In **From**, select the agent's inbox. It starts on the inbox you are viewing.
Fill in **To** (separate several addresses with commas), **Subject**, and the text.
Select **Send**.
The email is plain text with no attachments. It counts toward that agent's daily cap. If **From**, **To**, or **Subject** is empty, Squad shows **Pick a From inbox and fill To + Subject.** If the send fails, the error shows in the dialog, or **Couldn’t send. Try again.**
## Connect your own domain
Your workspace can have one custom email domain. Every inbox can use it.
Before you start:
* At least one agent must have an inbox. Otherwise Squad shows **Create an inbox first** and **Go to Email**.
* You need access to the DNS settings of your domain.
Go to **Settings** > **Email Domains**. From an inbox, you can also select **Manage domain** or **Connect a custom domain**.
Type your domain in the field (**yourdomain.com**). If you paste `https://`, a path, or a leading @, Squad removes it.
Select **Connect domain**.
Wait a few seconds for the records. The screen shows **Registering with the mail provider. Your DNS records appear here in a few seconds.** Then copy each record under **DNS RECORDS** to your DNS host.
Select **Verify now**.
Squad also checks the records on its own. The status changes as follows:
| Status | Meaning |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Waiting for DNS** | Squad waits for the records. |
| **Checking DNS…** | Squad is checking the records now. |
| **Verification failed** | The records did not match. The reason shows under the status. Fix the records and select **Verify now**. |
| **Connected · DNS verified** | The domain is ready. |
Each record shows its type, name, and value, and **Verified ✓** or **Pending**. Sending moves to your domain only after the records verify.
Squad refuses a domain that another workspace already uses. It also refuses a second domain while your workspace has one. Remove the first domain before you connect another.
When the domain is verified, new inboxes use it. Existing inboxes do not move on their own. To move an existing inbox, open its email settings. In **Identity**, select your domain in the list after the @, then confirm.
**Shared email settings** also shows the domain in the **Custom domain** card, with the badge **One per workspace**. With no custom domain, the card shows the shared domain and **Shared domain · no custom domain yet**.
### Remove your domain
On **Settings** > **Email Domains**, select **Remove**, then confirm. The confirm message says that agents fall back to the default sending domain, but Squad does not move inboxes for you.
Squad refuses the removal while any inbox still has an address on the domain. The dashboard does not show this error, so the domain simply stays. First change those inboxes' addresses to the default domain, or delete the inboxes. Then select **Remove** again.
## Delete an inbox
Open the agent's email settings.
Under **Delete this inbox**, select **Delete inbox…**.
Read the dialog, then select **Delete inbox**. Select **Keep inbox** to stop.
The dialog shows how your subscription changes. Some workspaces have free inbox seats. If the inbox uses one, the dialog says **No change; this inbox uses a free seat**.
The address is deleted permanently, and mail sent to it bounces. Its allow and block rules and its scheduled sends are deleted too. Emails the inbox already sent and received stay readable on the **Email** screen. If this is your last inbox, deleting it also disconnects your custom email domain. To use the domain again, you set it up again with your DNS host.
To remove the emails of deleted inboxes, open **Shared email settings** and select **Clear emails from deleted inboxes**, then confirm. This cannot be undone. The emails of your current inboxes stay. Squad says **Clearing started. Old emails disappear from the list as they are removed.**
## What agents can do with email
An agent with an inbox can:
* Read, search, and reply to its email, and send new email.
* Read the attachments of email it receives.
* Write a draft for your review, change it, send it, or discard it.
* Escalate an email to you.
* Schedule an email for later.
* Change its own signature and handling instructions.
* Add and remove allow and block rules for its own inbox.
* Wait for an email to arrive, for example a sign-in code, and read the code from it.
* Turn an email into a mission.
An agent's own sends always follow the daily cap and the other send limits, including when it sends one of its drafts.
```text Ask the agent theme={null}
Go through your inbox. Reply to anything routine, draft a reply for my review to anything from a customer, and escalate anything about money. Then give me a short summary.
```
## What Squad does not do
* Squad does not show why an email bounced or was marked as spam. A bounced email shows as **Sent**.
* Agents and **Compose** cannot send attachments today. Agents can read attachments on email they receive.
* The dashboard has no control to pause one inbox. To stop an inbox, delete it.
* There is no label or folder system for email. The label menu above the list offers only **All**.
## Common questions
Mail to the old address no longer arrives. Tell your contacts the new address, or ask the agent to email them.
Yes. Open **Email** in the dashboard on your phone, open the draft, and select **✓ Approve & send draft**.
No. A draft waits in **Drafts** until you approve it, discard it, or the agent sends or discards it.
The agent sent it directly. Handling instructions are not enforced. See [Write the handling instructions](#write-the-handling-instructions).
## Check that it works
* The agent's email settings show the address with **Active**. While an address change runs, it shows **Updating…**.
* A test email that you send to the address shows in the agent's inbox on the **Email** screen.
* After you connect a domain, **Settings** > **Email Domains** shows **Connected · DNS verified**.
## Troubleshooting
* The domain status stays **Waiting for DNS**. Cause: the records are missing or have not spread yet. Fix: check each record at your DNS host, wait, and select **Verify now**.
* **Remove** on your domain does nothing. Cause: an inbox still uses the domain. Fix: change that inbox's address to the default domain, then remove the domain.
* **Cancel send** did not remove a scheduled email. Cause: the email already went out, or the cancel failed. Fix: check the **Sent** tab. If the email is still scheduled, select **Cancel send** again.
* The agent sent an email you expected as a draft. Cause: handling instructions are not enforced. Fix: make the instructions clearer, and set a low **Daily send cap**.
For more, see [Fix email problems](/docs/email-troubles).