Back to User Guide

Smart Inbox

The Smart Inbox is Relay's AI-powered ticket management view that automatically organizes your tickets for maximum efficiency.

Overview

Unlike traditional ticket lists, the Smart Inbox uses AI to triage tickets into three columns:

ColumnDescriptionTypical Actions
TriagedNew tickets analyzed by AI, awaiting actionReview, assign, respond
ActiveTickets you're currently working onContinue conversation, update status
On HoldWaiting for customer responseMonitor, follow up if needed

How It Works

Automatic Triage

When a new ticket arrives:

  1. AI Analysis: Ticket is analyzed for priority, sentiment, and content
  2. Summary Generated: 2-3 sentence overview created
  3. Priority Suggested: AI recommends urgency level
  4. Placed in Triaged: Ticket appears in the left column

Column Transitions

Tickets move between columns automatically based on status:

New Ticket → Triaged
     ↓
Agent Replies → Active
     ↓
Customer Replies → Active (stays or returns)
     ↓
Awaiting Customer → On Hold
     ↓
Resolved/Closed → Removed from inbox

Using the Smart Inbox

Triaged Column

What's here: New tickets that need attention

What to do:

  1. Review the AI summary (visible on hover or in preview)
  2. Check the suggested priority
  3. Assign to yourself or a team member
  4. Start working on the ticket

Quick actions:

  • Click to open and respond
  • Drag to Active column to claim it
  • Right-click for assignment options

Active Column

What's here: Tickets you or others are actively working on

What to do:

  1. Continue conversations
  2. Add internal notes
  3. Update status as needed
  4. Resolve when complete

Filtering active tickets:

  • My tickets: Only tickets assigned to you
  • All active: All team's active tickets
  • Unassigned: Active but not assigned

On Hold Column

What's here: Tickets waiting for customer response

What to do:

  1. Monitor for customer replies
  2. Follow up if no response
  3. Close if abandoned

Automatic behavior:

  • Tickets move here when status is "Pending"
  • Return to Active when customer replies

Customizing Your View

Switching Views

Toggle between inbox layouts:

  1. Smart Inbox: Three-column AI-triaged view
  2. List View: Traditional ticket list
  3. Table View: Spreadsheet-like view

Click the view switcher in the top right to change.

Filtering

Use the filter bar to narrow down tickets:

  • Status: Open, Pending, Resolved
  • Priority: Urgent, High, Normal, Low
  • Assignee: Specific agent or unassigned
  • Tags: Any configured tags
  • Date Range: Created or updated timeframe

Sorting

Sort tickets by:

  • Created date (newest/oldest first)
  • Updated date (most recent activity)
  • Priority (urgent first)
  • SLA status (breaching first)

Working Efficiently

Quick Actions

From the inbox, you can:

ActionHow
Open ticketClick anywhere on the ticket row
PreviewHover to see summary and details
AssignClick the avatar icon
Change priorityClick the priority badge
Add tagRight-click → Add tag
Change statusRight-click → Change status

Keyboard Navigation

ShortcutAction
J / KNavigate up/down
EnterOpen ticket
AAssign
PSet priority
SChange status
EscapeClose / go back

Bulk Actions

Select multiple tickets for bulk operations:

  1. X to select/deselect individual tickets
  2. Shift + X to select a range
  3. Cmd/Ctrl + A to select all visible

Bulk action toolbar appears with options:

  • Bulk assign
  • Bulk status change
  • Bulk tag
  • Bulk reply
  • Bulk delete (admin only)

AI Enhancements

In the Inbox

  • Priority badges: Color-coded urgency indicators
  • Sentiment indicators: Visual mood representation
  • Summary preview: Quick ticket overview on hover

When Opening Tickets

  • Full AI summary: Detailed ticket summary
  • Reply suggestions: AI-generated response options
  • Similar tickets: Related historical tickets
  • Article recommendations: Relevant KB articles

Tips for Success

  1. Start with Triaged: Begin your day by working through triaged tickets

  2. Don't let Triaged grow: Keep this column as empty as possible

  3. Use bulk actions: Handle similar tickets together

  4. Trust the AI priority: AI suggestions are based on sentiment and content analysis

  5. Review On Hold daily: Follow up on stale tickets

  6. Create saved views: Save common filter combinations for quick access

Troubleshooting

"Tickets aren't being triaged"

  • Check that AI features are enabled in settings
  • Verify your organization has API credits
  • Some very short tickets may skip AI analysis

"Wrong tickets in On Hold"

  • On Hold is based on "Pending" status
  • Check your automation rules for status changes
  • Manually adjust status if needed

"Can't see all columns"

  • Ensure your browser window is wide enough
  • Try collapsing the sidebar
  • Switch to List view on smaller screens

← Back to Tickets | Creating Tickets →