The Inbox is the central place in Aptly where your team manages conversations with customers, applicants, owners, and vendors.
Whether messages come in through email, phone, or SMS, they all flow through the Inbox. Features like Help Desk and Phone are not separate tools — they are shared inbox experiences built on top of the Inbox.
Understanding Inbox Types
Aptly supports multiple inbox experiences, depending on how your team works.
Personal Inbox
A personal inbox is owned by an individual user.
Use a personal inbox to:
- Manage one-to-one conversations
- Handle messages assigned specifically to you
- Keep personal workflows separate from team queues
Personal inboxes appear under Mine in the sidebar.
Shared Inbox (Help Desk)
A shared inbox, also known as the Help Desk, is used by teams to manage conversations together.
Use a shared inbox to:
- Collaborate on customer conversations
- Assign and reassign messages across a team
- Track performance and response times
- Manage higher message volume without losing accountability
Shared inboxes appear under Help Desk in the sidebar.
Inbox with Phone & SMS Enabled
Any inbox — personal or shared — can have phone and SMS capabilities enabled.
When a phone line is connected:
- Calls and texts appear directly inside inbox conversations
- Team members can respond to calls and SMS just like emails
- Shared phone lines allow teams to manage inbound calls together
Phone is an extension of the inbox, not a separate experience.
How Everything Fits Together
Think of it this way:
- Inbox → where conversations live
- Help Desk → shared inboxes used by teams
- Phone & SMS → additional communication channels inside inboxes
All inboxes support:
- Assignments
- Topics and rules
- Automation
- Collaboration
- Reporting and insights
Who This Applies To
- Agents use the Inbox to respond to messages, calls, and texts
- Admins configure inbox settings, access, automations, and phone lines
- Teams collaborate through shared inboxes and shared phone numbers
What’s Next
Depending on what you want to do, start here:
- New to the inbox? → Inbox Quick Start
- Managing team conversations? → Overview of Shared Inboxes
- Setting up calls and SMS? → Making phon calls and sending SMS in Aptly (Using Twilio)
- Organizing messages? → Inbox Rules