> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.emanate.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reading & Replying

> Read, reply, and use AI-powered drafting across all your connected inboxes

Once your inboxes are connected, Demand gives your team one view of every conversation, with AI assistance built in.

## Reading and replying

Open Demand and you'll see a list of threaded conversations showing the sender, subject, participant count, a
message preview, and timestamp. Unread threads are highlighted with a blue dot and bold text.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the thread">
    Click any conversation to open the full message history in a side panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the conversation">
    Scroll through the complete thread, including any attachments.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Compose your reply">
    Type your response in the composer at the bottom. Add CC/BCC recipients and file attachments as needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send">
    Click **Send**. Your reply goes out from whichever inbox you currently have selected.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Info>
  If you're viewing the shared `sales@` mailbox, your reply comes from that address, not your personal account. Use
  the inbox switcher to control which address you send from.
</Info>

### Everyday actions

| Action           | Description                                            |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Star**         | Mark important conversations to find them later        |
| **Mark as read** | Clear the unread indicator                             |
| **Search**       | Find threads by subject, sender name, or email address |
| **Forward**      | Forward any thread on through its own provider         |
| **Refresh**      | Pull in the latest messages on demand                  |

### Replied / Needs reply

Every thread carries a **Replied** or **Needs reply** badge, and a filter row across the top lets you jump straight
to what still needs a response, with counts so you can see the size of the pile at a glance.

### Linked to lead or account

Every thread is automatically paired with the lead or account whose contacts are on it. The **Linked to** badge on
the thread row shows the match. Click it to jump straight into that lead or account, with the thread already
scrolled into view on its Interactions tab.

* Matching happens on sync, so new threads get the badge within seconds.
* An account pairs if **any** of its contacts is on the thread.
* Threads with no match simply show no badge.

This makes it easy to go from a customer reply to their full history without searching.

## AI-powered drafting

Instead of writing every response from scratch, let the AI email agent draft one for you.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a conversation">
    Click into any email thread.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate a reply">
    The agent reads the full thread and drafts a contextual response, drawing on your knowledge base and past conversations.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and edit">
    The draft pre-fills the composer with a provenance pill (**✨ AI suggested → edited · Revert to AI · Clear**), so there's one place to edit, and you can always revert to the original suggestion.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Send">
    Click **Send** when it looks right, or stage it as a draft to send later.
  </Step>
</Steps>

The agent draws on:

* **Your knowledge base:** product docs, FAQs, pricing, and any files you've uploaded
* **Conversation history:** earlier threads for context on the relationship
* **Attachments:** it reads incoming RFQs, spec sheets, and drawings so its reply reflects what the customer actually sent

How much the agent does on its own (draft only, or reply automatically) is set per inbox and per thread. See
[Channels](/channels/overview).

## Team collaboration

When an inbox is set to **Organization** visibility (or is a shared mailbox), everyone sees the same thread list:

* **No blind spots:** if someone's out, others pick up the conversation.
* **No double-replies:** everyone sees what's already been sent.
* **Consistent voice:** replies from shared inboxes come from the team address.

Inboxes connected as **Only Me** stay private, useful for personal prospecting or executive accounts.

## Email and account sync

Emanate automatically attaches email conversations to the right lead and account records in the background. When
anyone emails a prospect from a connected inbox, that history shows up on the lead or account's Interactions tab,
so the whole team has full context before their next touch. There's nothing to configure.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Messages aren't syncing">
    * Verify the inbox is still connected under **Demand** → **Inboxes**.
    * Check that your provider hasn't revoked permissions (re-authenticate if needed).
    * Use **Refresh** to trigger a manual sync.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="AI drafts are off-topic or inaccurate">
    * Upload more relevant documents to your [Knowledge Base](/knowledge-base/overview).
    * Confirm the right agent is assigned to the inbox. See [Channels](/channels/overview).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't connect a Microsoft 365 shared mailbox">
    * Confirm you have **Full Access** or delegate permissions on the shared mailbox.
    * Ask your IT admin to check for mail-forwarding or connection restrictions.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Channels" icon="bot" href="/channels/overview">
    Control how the AI agent drafts and replies
  </Card>

  <Card title="Quotes" icon="file-text" href="/demand/quotes">
    Turn a request into a finished quote
  </Card>

  <Card title="Knowledge Base" icon="book" href="/knowledge-base/overview">
    Improve draft quality with better context
  </Card>

  <Card title="Accounts" icon="building-2" href="/accounts/overview">
    Where linked threads land
  </Card>
</CardGroup>