Waymaker
Email

Shared Inbox

A shared inbox is an email address that your whole team can see and respond to:

CollaborationTeam
Last updated: February 2026

Shared inboxes let your team collaborate on email. Perfect for support, sales, or any address that multiple people need to access.

Overview

A shared inbox is an email address that your whole team can see and respond to:

Multiple team members can read emails, reply, and assign conversations to each other.

Creating a Shared Inbox

Prerequisites

Before creating a shared inbox:

  1. Your domain must be added and verified
  2. You need admin access to WaymakerOS

Setup Steps

  1. Go to WaymakerOne > Email > Shared Inboxes
  2. Click Create Shared Inbox
  3. Enter the email address (e.g., support)
  4. Select your verified domain
  5. Choose which team has access
  6. Click Create

The shared inbox is now active and ready to receive email.

Assigning Access

Team Access

The simplest way to manage access is through teams:

  1. Create a team (e.g., "Support Team")
  2. Add team members
  3. Assign the team to the shared inbox

Everyone on the team can now access the inbox.

Individual Access

You can also add individuals:

  1. Go to WaymakerOne > Email > Shared Inboxes
  2. Select the inbox
  3. Click Manage Access
  4. Add individual users
  5. Click Save

Using the Shared Inbox

Accessing in Commander

  1. Open Commander
  2. Click Email in the sidebar
  3. Your shared inboxes appear below your personal inbox
  4. Click on a shared inbox to view its emails

Reading Emails

Shared inbox emails show:

  • Who the email is from
  • When it arrived
  • Subject and preview
  • Assignment status

Click an email to read the full content.

Replying

When replying from a shared inbox:

  1. Open the email
  2. Click Reply
  3. Write your response
  4. Click Send

The reply comes from the shared inbox address, not your personal email.

Assigning Emails

To assign an email to a team member:

  1. Open the email
  2. Click Assign
  3. Select a team member
  4. They'll be notified of the assignment

Assigned emails show who's handling them so your team doesn't duplicate work.

Marking as Done

When you've finished with an email:

  1. Click Done or use the checkbox
  2. The email moves to a "Done" folder
  3. Other team members can see it's been handled

Folders and Organization

Default Folders

Shared inboxes have these folders:

  • Inbox - New and unhandled emails
  • Assigned - Emails assigned to someone
  • Done - Completed emails
  • Spam - Detected spam (review regularly)

Custom Folders

Create folders to organize your workflow:

  1. Go to the shared inbox in Commander
  2. Click New Folder
  3. Enter a name (e.g., "Pending Review", "Escalated")
  4. Drag emails into folders as needed

Notifications

Personal Notifications

Each team member can configure their notifications:

  1. Go to Commander > Settings > Notifications
  2. Under shared inboxes, choose:
    • All emails - Notified of every email
    • Assigned only - Only notified when assigned
    • None - No notifications

Team Notifications

Admins can set default notification behavior for the team.

Best Practices

Clear Ownership

Always assign emails when you start working on them. This prevents duplicate responses.

Use Folders

Create folders for your workflow:

  • "Waiting for Customer" for pending responses
  • "Escalated" for issues needing attention
  • "Requires Research" for complex questions

Set Response Expectations

Agree on response time goals with your team:

  • First response within 4 hours
  • Resolution within 24 hours
  • Escalation process for complex issues

Regular Cleanup

Periodically review:

  • Old "Done" emails that can be archived
  • Spam folder for false positives
  • Assigned emails that haven't been touched

Shared Inbox vs Personal Mailbox

FeaturePersonal MailboxShared Inbox
Who can accessOnly youYour team
Reply addressYour emailShared address
AssignmentN/AYes
Best forPersonal communicationTeam collaboration

Frequently Asked Questions

Can customers see who replied?

Replies show the shared inbox address (e.g., support@yourcompany.com), not individual team member addresses.

How do I know if someone is already handling an email?

Check the assignment status. Assigned emails show who's responsible.

Can I reply from my personal email instead?

In Commander, you can choose which address to reply from. Select your personal email if you want the reply to come from you directly.

What happens to emails when someone leaves the team?

Emails assigned to them remain accessible to the team. Reassign their emails to other team members.

Can I forward emails from the shared inbox?

Yes, forward emails just like you would from any inbox.