Use this guide when Inbox buttons are grayed out, messages will not send, or your team is getting ready to use customer texts, emails, and calls for the first time.

Most setup happens on Settings > Communications. This guide explains what to check on that page and why each setting matters for day-to-day Inbox work.

What you will accomplish

• Understand which settings control texting, calling, and email in Inbox.
• Confirm your facility has a customer-facing phone number and email domain.
• Choose who should receive alerts when customers need a reply.
• Know how to test Inbox safely before messaging real customers.

Before you start

• You should be signed in as an admin or have permission to open communication settings.
• Know the phone number your customers already recognize for your facility.
• Know the email address style you want to use, such as service@yourfacility.com.
• Have someone ready to help with website or domain records if the app asks for DNS verification.
• Decide which staff members should watch Inbox and respond to customers.

Open communication settings

1. Open Settings > Communications

   Go to Settings > Communications.

   This page controls phone and text messaging, email sending, social links, review requests, and notification preferences.

2. Scan the page from top to bottom

   Work through these three areas in order:

   • Phone Number & SMS Text Messaging
   • Email Domain & Deliverability Settings
   • Notification Preferences & Alerts
3. Save your changes

   Save any updates before returning to Inbox.

   If the page shows verification steps, finish those steps before you test texting or email with customers.

Expected result: You can see all three communication sections and any setup buttons your team still needs to finish.

Check phone and text messaging

Phone setup affects customer texts, bulk text tools, and calling from Inbox.

1. Find Phone Number & SMS Text Messaging

   On Settings > Communications, find the heading Phone Number & SMS Text Messaging.

   This section is near the top of the page.

2. Confirm your team has a phone number

   Your facility should show a business phone number customers can recognize.

   If there is no number yet, follow the setup option on the page or ask your admin to connect one.

3. Confirm SMS is ready

   Text messaging must be active before staff can send customer texts from Inbox.

   If the Text button is gray in Inbox, start here first.

4. Confirm calling is ready if your team uses calls

   Calling must be active before staff can use Call or Quick call from Inbox.

Expected result: Inbox can show an active Text button and Call button when a customer has a valid phone number.

Check email sending

Email setup affects Inbox replies, invoice emails, portal invites, campaign emails, and other customer messages.

1. Find Email Domain & Deliverability Settings

   Scroll to Email Domain & Deliverability Settings on the same page.

2. Confirm your sending domain

   The domain is the part after the @ symbol in an email address.

   Example: in service@yourfacility.com, the domain is yourfacility.com.

3. Complete verification if requested

   The app may ask for domain records such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or MX.

   These records are usually added where your website domain is managed. If those terms are unfamiliar, copy the records exactly and send them to the person who manages your website or domain.

4. Return to Inbox and test email

   After email is verified, open Inbox, choose a customer with an email address, click Email, and confirm the Subject and message fields are available.

Expected result: The Email button in Inbox is available for customers who have an email address on file.

Check staff notifications

Notifications help staff know when a customer needs attention.

1. Find Notification Preferences & Alerts

   Scroll to Notification Preferences & Alerts on Settings > Communications.

2. Turn on alerts people can act on

   Turn on alerts for the staff who should respond.

   Avoid sending every alert to everyone. Too many alerts can make important messages easier to miss.

3. Review team roles if someone is missing alerts

   If a staff member cannot open Inbox or does not receive expected alerts, review their access in Settings > Team.

Expected result: The right people know when a new customer text, email, or call needs follow-up.

Test before you message customers

1. Open Inbox

   Go to Inbox.

2. Pick an internal test customer

   Use a customer record your team controls, such as a staff-owned test account.

3. Send one small test

   Send a short text or email to confirm the message appears in the conversation timeline.

4. Fix setup before going live

   If buttons stay gray or messages fail, return to Settings > Communications and finish the missing step.

Expected result: Your team can send a test message successfully before using Inbox with real customers.

What success looks like

After setup:

• Inbox shows available Text, Email, and Call options when setup is complete and the customer has contact details on file.
• Customer messages are sent from a phone number or email domain your customers recognize.
• Staff know who is responsible for watching Inbox.
• Your team completed a small internal test before using the channel with customers.

Troubleshooting

What to do next

After communication settings are ready, return to Inbox and continue with Start a new Inbox conversation.

For the full settings walkthrough outside Inbox, see Configure communications.