Skip to content
HelpWell

How customers reach your Inbox

2 min read Updated October 16, 2026

Customers reach your Inbox in three ways: through the chat widget on your site, by replying to an email from you, or by writing to your support address. Each one ends up as a conversation you answer in the Inbox.

#The website widget

A visitor asks a question in the widget and your AI agent answers. If they want a person, they click Talk to a person.

The widget then says "The team will reply here." It also tells the visitor where the reply will be emailed if they leave, with part of the address hidden, for example "we'll email you the reply at v***@example.test".

You open the conversation in the Inbox. The thread shows what the visitor asked, including the AI agent's earlier answers. Your reply appears in the widget. See Reply to a customer conversation.

#Email replies

When you reply and the customer does not see it in chat, HelpWell emails it. If the customer replies to that email, the reply lands in the same conversation.

HelpWell matches the email to its conversation in one of two ways:

  • By the signed reply-to address on the email.
  • By the email's In-Reply-To and References headers, if the signed address is missing.

The quoted earlier messages are left out of the thread.

If the conversation was closed, a customer's email reply reopens it. It becomes open, is marked unread, and is handled by a person.

#Messages to your support address

When email is set up for your workspace, a message sent to your support address starts a conversation in the Inbox.

  • From a known contact: it starts a conversation.
  • From someone who is not a contact: it is parked in External.
  • Automatic mail: it never becomes a conversation.

Email setup must be finished first, and the forwarding test in your email setup checks that mail reaches HelpWell.

#Held emails

HelpWell can hold back an incoming email. The thread shows a note that starts "Held for review", with the reason. For example: "it failed the SPF, DKIM and DMARC checks".

On a held message you can choose:

  • Accept as customer message. Only admins can do this. Any files on the email arrive once it is accepted.
  • Dismiss. Agents and admins can do this.

Important

Check a held email before you accept it. It was held because it failed the checks that confirm who sent it.

Was this article helpful?

Related