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Inbox widget

Show the mail about one desk on that desk, picked by a rule you can see and change, then read and reply without leaving the desk.

All plansUpdated

The Inbox widget is your mailbox narrowed to one desk. It shows only the messages that match a rule, such as "from the client, about the launch, in the last 30 days", and the rule is always written on the widget so you can see why each message is there. New mail that matches turns up by itself, and you can open a message, read it and reply without leaving the desk.

Use it on any desk where mail drives the work: a client account, a deal, a hire, an event, a supplier order. The four messages that matter stay in view on the desk instead of sitting somewhere in a busy inbox.

More about this widget Coming soon

Before you start

  • Connect a mailbox in Mail. The Inbox widget reads the mailbox you connected in Mail. Mail runs in the PlexiDesk desktop app. See Connect your email account Coming soon.
  • Plans. The Inbox widget is part of every plan. Drafting a reply with AI is part of the Pro and Team plans, and needs AI set up: sign in to use PlexiDesk credits, or add your own Anthropic key. See AI settings.

Add the widget

  1. Open the desk.
  2. Click Add widget in the header.
  3. Click Inbox. The widget appears on the desk and reads your mailbox straight away.

In the Add widget menu, Inbox sits in the People & messages column, between Contacts and Chat. You can also type "inbox" into the search box at the top of the menu and press Enter.

You can also press ⌘ K on a Mac or Ctrl K on Windows, type Add Inbox and press Enter.

To move, resize, rename or remove the widget itself, use its title bar. See The widget title bar.

How the widget chooses its mail

The widget looks through the latest 200 messages in your inbox and shows the ones that match its rule, newest first. The rule is written in a line just under the widget's header.

The rule it starts with

The first time, the widget makes a rule from the desk's name: up to two of the longest words in the name, and mail from the last 30 days. It skips words shorter than three letters, plain numbers and common words such as "the", "and", "project", "plan" and "notes".

For example, on a desk named "Q4 launch plan" the rule line reads about launch · in the last 30 days.

When a mail tag is about this desk

In Mail you can make a mail tag and choose a desk under About a desk or task. If a tag is about this desk, a new Inbox widget follows that tag's rule instead, and the rule line reads Following the and the tag's name mail tag. See Tag your mail Coming soon.

When there is no rule

If the rule is empty, the line reads Everything in the inbox — tap to narrow, and the widget shows all of the latest 200 messages. Click the line to set a rule.

Change the rule

  1. Click Edit filter (the sliders icon at the top right of the widget), or click the rule line.
  2. Fill in any of these:
    • From: a name or an address. Separate several with commas; a comma means "or".
    • Subject contains: words in the subject. Again, a comma means "or".
    • Unread only, Flagged and Has attachment: tick any you want.
    • Last: any time, 7 days, 30 days or 90 days.
  3. The list changes as you type. Click Done when the rule is right.

A message is shown when it matches every field you filled in. Within one field, any of the comma-separated words can match. Matching ignores capitals and finds your words anywhere in the sender's name or address, or in the subject.

To go back to the rule made from the desk's name, open Edit filter and click Reset to this desk.

Read the widget

  • The header shows how many messages match, for example 12 matching, and how many of those are unread, for example 3 new.
  • Each row shows the sender, how long ago the message arrived (such as 5m, 3h or 2d, or the date for older mail) and the subject. Unread messages are in bold. A paperclip marks a message with an attachment, and a flag marks a flagged one.
  • The footer shows how many of the latest messages were checked and when, for example 12 of 200 scanned · updated 2m.

The widget checks again by itself when new mail arrives. To check now, click Refresh (the circular arrow at the top right).

Read and reply to a message

  1. Click a message in the widget. It opens over the desk and is marked as read.
  2. Read it. The top shows the subject, the sender and the date. If the message is part of a longer exchange, click the line above it, such as 2 earlier messages in this thread, to see the messages before it.
  3. Any attachments are listed by name under the message. Rest the pointer on one to see its type and size.
  4. To answer, click Reply or Reply all. Check the To line, and the Cc line for Reply all, then write your reply in the box.
  5. Click Send. The reader shows Sent. when your mailbox has sent it.

To close the message, press Esc or click outside it. For everything else you can do with your mail, such as forwarding, archiving and searching, open Mail. See Read and reply to mail Coming soon.

Draft a reply with AI

Drafting with AI is part of the Pro and Team plans.

  1. Open the message and click Reply or Reply all.
  2. Click Draft with AI.
  3. Plexii writes a draft into the reply box from this message and the earlier messages in the same thread. When there is enough of your own sent mail to learn from, the draft follows the way you usually write.
  4. Read the draft, change what you need and click Send.

A line under the draft says what it was written from, for example how many earlier messages it read. If the message does not look like one that wants a reply, Plexii tells you so instead of writing a draft. See AI reply drafts Coming soon.

When the widget shows a message instead of mail

The widget says What to do
Reading the mailbox… Wait a moment while it reads your mail.
No mailbox connected Click Open Mail and connect your account, then come back to the desk. See Connect your email account Coming soon.
Nothing matches No message among the latest ones checked fits the rule. The note under it says how many were checked and repeats the rule. Click Edit filter to widen it, for example by choosing a longer Last period.
Couldn't read the mailbox Click Try again. If it keeps happening, open Mail to check that your account is still connected.
Mail isn't available here Mail runs in the PlexiDesk desktop app. Open the desk there.

When you share a live view of the desk

When you share a live web view of the desk, the Inbox widget appears to viewers as a placeholder, so your mail is not shown. See Share a live web view of a desk.

Good ways to use it

  • A client desk. Set From to the client's company domain and Last to 30 days. Put a Contacts widget beside it with the people involved.
  • A desk for one deal or order. Put the reference or order number in Subject contains, so every message about it collects on the desk.
  • A morning check. Tick Unread only to see just what you have not read yet about this work.
  • The message that matters. When one email is the record of the work, such as the quote or the agreement, send it to the desk from Mail so it stays there. See Email widget: keep an email on a desk.

Common questions

Is this the same as Inbox in the Office menu? No. Inbox in Office holds your notifications and share invites. The Inbox widget shows your email. See Your Inbox of notifications Coming soon.

Why is an older email missing? The widget checks the latest 200 messages in your inbox, and the Last setting can leave out older mail. To find anything in your mailbox, use the search in Mail. See Search your mail Coming soon.

Does the rule move or change my mail? No. The rule only decides what the widget shows. Opening a message marks it as read, and replies are sent from your connected mailbox.

The widget stopped following my mail tag. Once you open Edit filter, the widget keeps a rule of its own, which you can change freely. To follow the tag again, add a new Inbox widget to the desk.

Can I have more than one Inbox widget on a desk? Yes. Each one keeps its own rule, so you can have one for the client and one for a supplier on the same desk.

Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].