Shared inboxes in Aptly make it easy for teams to manage messages together, whether it's maintenance requests, leasing inquiries, or general help desk support. By connecting a shared inbox, your whole team can access and respond to conversations in one place, keeping everything organized and efficient.
What You’ll Learn
- What a shared inbox is
- How to set up a shared inbox
- How to use a shared inbox
What is a Shared Inbox?
A Shared Inbox lets multiple team members manage emails from a single inbox. For example:
- A Maintenance inbox might handle work orders and repair requests.
- A Leasing inbox might manage applications, tours, and approvals.
- A Help Desk inbox could respond to resident questions or issues.
Everyone with access can read and reply to messages, so nothing falls through the cracks. You can also automate the process by setting up Email Parsers and Inbox Rules to turn emails into tasks or cards.
How to Set Up a Shared Inbox (Admins Only)
Only administrators can create a shared inbox.
- Click your profile avatar (bottom left) and go to Settings.
- Under Company Settings, click Shared Inboxes.
- Choose Connect Microsoft Account or Connect Gmail Account, and follow the steps to allow Aptly access.
- Customize your inbox settings (explained below).
- Click Save—your inbox is now ready for your team!
Shared Inbox Settings Explained
Here are the options you can customize when setting up your shared inbox:
Inbox Name | Give your inbox a clear name (like “Leasing” or “Maintenance”) so your team knows what it’s for. |
Inbox Color | Choose a color to make the inbox easy to spot in Aptly. |
Auto Categorization | Automatically tag incoming emails with topics based on keywords. Great for organizing high-volume inboxes. |
Exclude from Auto Sharing
| Selecting this option will exclude any emails in this inbox from being automatically shared with your team based on inbox sharing rules set on user roles. |
Inbox Signature | Set a shared email signature for all replies sent from this inbox. |
Access | Choose who can use this inbox. Once added, users will see it under My Inboxes. |
Auto Assignment Rules
| Decide how new messages are assigned:
- Manual: You assign messages yourself
- Round Robin: Evenly split messages across team members
- Specific User or Team: Route all messages to a set person or team
💡 For advanced routing (e.g., by contact type or property), use Inbox Rules. |
How to Use a Shared Inbox
Shared Inboxes work just like your personal inbox—with a few key differences:
- Multiple users can access and reply to the same messages
- Reading a message won’t mark it as read for others
- Actions like snoozing, archiving, or deleting affect the message for everyone in the inbox
Shared Inboxes make teamwork easier:
- Everyone stays on the same page
- You can leave comments, assign messages, or collaborate in real-time
- Learn more: Collaborating in the Inbox
Frequently Asked Questions
Does everyone in the company have access to the Shared Inboxes?
No, only users who have been granted access can view a Shared Inbox. Access is managed by selecting specific users in the Shared Inbox settings. Even administrators must explicitly add themselves to the inbox to gain access.
If I open a message in a Shared Inbox, will it show as read for my teammates?
No, opening a message yourself won’t mark it as read for your teammates. Everyone sees their own read/unread status.
However, if you take an action on the message (like archive or delete it), that action will apply to everyone. For example, if you archive the conversation, it will disappear from the inbox view for all team members.
Can I use a Google Group or email distribution list as the email address for a Shared Inbox?
No, at this time only direct email addresses can be used as the email address for a Shared Inbox. Email addresses are only accepted from Gmail and Microsoft. We cannot sync inboxes from other hosted sites.
What happens if inbox access is disabled for my team?
If inbox access is disabled, users can still send and receive messages through specific process boards (like Screening). However, they won’t be able to view or manage conversations directly from the inbox view in Aptly.