Setting up your first inbox

An inbox in Deskwoot represents a communication channel. It could be a website live chat widget, an email address, a WhatsApp number, or any other supported channel. You need at least one inbox to start receiving conversations. This guide walks you through creating your first inbox, assigning agents, and avoiding common setup mistakes so you can begin helping customers right away.

Creating a website chat inbox

1. Navigate to Settings > Inboxes and click Add Inbox.
2. Select Website as the channel type.
3. Give your inbox a descriptive name (e.g., Website Chat).
4. Customize the widget appearance. You can set the brand color, welcome message, and widget position to match your site's look and feel.
5. Click Create. Deskwoot will generate a JavaScript snippet.
6. Copy the snippet and paste it into your website's HTML, just before the closing </body> tag. If you use a tag manager, you can add it there instead.

Once the snippet is live, the chat widget will appear on your site and any visitor message will create a new conversation in Deskwoot.

Creating an email inbox

1. Click Add Inbox and select Email as the channel type.
2. Choose your connection method: connect via IMAP/SMTP with your email provider credentials, or use email forwarding to route messages to Deskwoot.
3. If using IMAP, enter your IMAP server details, port, and credentials. For SMTP, provide the outgoing server information as well.
4. Save the inbox. Deskwoot will automatically poll for new messages and create conversations from incoming emails.

Next steps

Once your inbox is created, assign agents to it so they can see and respond to incoming conversations. You can manage inbox agents from the inbox settings page. Consider creating separate inboxes for different teams or departments. For example, Sales Chat and Support Email. To keep conversations organized.

Troubleshooting & common pitfalls

• Widget not showing: Verify the JavaScript snippet is placed correctly and that browser extensions (such as ad blockers) are not hiding it. Hard-refresh the page or test in an incognito window.
• Email not syncing: Double-check your IMAP/SMTP credentials, server address, and port. Some providers require you to enable access for third-party apps or generate an app-specific password.
• No agents assigned: An inbox without agents won't route conversations to anyone. Always assign at least one agent after creating the inbox.

Best-practice tips

• Use clear, recognizable inbox names so agents can quickly identify the channel source.
• Write a friendly welcome message for your website widget. It sets the tone for every customer interaction.
• Test each new inbox by sending yourself a message before going live to confirm everything works end to end.

FAQ

How many inboxes can I create?

You can create multiple inboxes across different channels. There is no hard limit, so feel free to add as many as your workflow requires.

Can I change the widget appearance after setup?

Yes. Go to Settings > Inboxes, select the inbox, and update the brand color, welcome message, or widget position at any time.

Do I need to re-embed the snippet if I update inbox settings?

No. Configuration changes are applied server-side and will reflect automatically on your website without modifying the embedded JavaScript snippet.