Messaging Overview
The Communications section of the admin portal brings your mail inbox and chat into the same workspace. Mail handles external correspondence — contact messages, client emails, and any direct replies — while chat covers real-time conversations between team members.
This article orients you to both surfaces. Step-by-step guides for specific tasks are linked in the sidebar and at the bottom of this page.
Your mail inbox is the primary destination for inbound external correspondence. When a contact submits a message through your website contact form, the submission routes through Resend and arrives here alongside any direct replies to messages you send.
Accessing mail:
Open the admin portal. Select Communications in the left sidebar. The inbox opens by default.
Inbox layout
The inbox panel shows a list of messages with:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Sender | Name or email address of the message author |
| Subject | Message subject line |
| Preview | First line of the message body |
| Date | Timestamp of the most recent message in the thread |
| Unread | Blue dot indicator on unread messages |
Selecting a row opens the message thread in the reading pane to the right.
Folders
The folder list appears in the left rail of the Communications section. Default folders:
- Inbox — all incoming messages
- Sent — messages you have sent
- Drafts — messages saved but not yet sent
- Trash — deleted messages (held before permanent removal)
You can create custom folders to organize messages by client, project, or topic. See Organizing Your Inbox for details.
Unread state
Unread messages appear with a blue dot in the message list. Selecting a message marks it read automatically. You can manually mark messages read or unread from the message context menu.
Chat
The chat panel sits alongside mail in the Communications section. It covers real-time communication between team members: channels for group conversations and direct messages for one-on-one exchanges.
Accessing chat:
Select Communications → Chat in the sidebar, or use the Chat icon in the persistent sidebar rail.
Chat covers:
- Channels — topic-based group conversations open to any team member
- Direct messages — private conversations between two or more team members
- Calls — voice or video calls initiated from a chat thread
Guides for each:
Next steps
- Composing and Sending Email — open a compose window and send your first message.
- Organizing Your Inbox — folders, search, and message actions.
- Chat: Channels and Direct Messages — channel and direct message guide.