Compose and Track Email
The Inbox keeps application events, automated acknowledgements, outbound email, and inbound replies together in each contact's conversation. Team members can write a polished email without leaving the contact they are reviewing.
Open Email
Open the Inbox in the main navigation, then select a contact. The workspace has:
- A searchable contact list with application-type and decision filters
- A chronological conversation containing submissions, decisions, notes, sent email, and replies
- The original application details beside the conversation
- A reply composer with templates, formatting, attachments, and review
On mobile, select a contact to open it, then use Back to return to the list.
Automated application and notification emails appear beside staff replies and applicant responses. Each email card shows its direction and delivery status.
Compose an Email
Select a contact in the Inbox, then use the reply composer to write to the submitter. The email and future replies remain connected to that contact and submission.
Add the recipient name, one or more To addresses, a subject, and the message. Select CC / BCC to reveal copy fields. Multiple email addresses can be separated with commas, semicolons, or spaces.
PawPlacer checks for invalid addresses, duplicate recipients across To/CC/BCC, missing pet selections, and unrecognized personalization fields before sending.
Use an Email Template
Choose an enabled template from Email template to fill the subject and body. You can edit the result before sending.
Email templates are managed in Inbox > Email Templates. Automated application messages and the resolved text sent to an applicant appear in the contact's conversation.
Add Friendly Personalization
Select Add something useful to insert friendly dynamic fields instead of typing template syntax yourself. Available quick fields include:
- Recipient name
- Organization name
- Pet name
The values are filled when the email is sent. The composer also recognizes organization contact fields and role-specific recipient names used by PawPlacer templates. If a field is unknown, the review step explains what needs attention instead of sending unresolved text.
You can also search for a PawPlacer record and insert a direct profile link for pets, adopters, fosters, volunteers, donors, surrenders, clinics, veterinarians, and drivers.
Include a Pet Record
Use the pet selector to choose the relevant pet. You can include selected profile sections:
- Basic details
- Health
- Medical
- Vaccinations
- Microchip
- Behavior
- Adoption
The email uses the pet currently selected in the standard PawPlacer pet selector. You can also choose available shared or medical documents from that pet's record. The recipient sees only the information and files selected for that email.
Review Before Sending
Select Review before the final send. The review shows:
- The resolved recipient list
- The personalized subject
- The personalized body with preserved line breaks
- The organization footer that will be added
- Whether pet record sections are included
- Any validation issue that still needs to be fixed
When the review is ready, select Send and track. If you change the draft after reviewing, PawPlacer requires a fresh review so the confirmation always matches the message being sent.
Organization Footer and Signature
Open Footer & signature from the email composer to preview the shared closing used by your organization. An organization administrator can:
- Turn the shared footer on or off
- Write a signature with preserved line breaks
- Insert the organization name
- Add an optional footer note
- Include the organization's saved email, phone number, and website
The preview shows how the closing will look to a recipient. Changes apply only to future email. PawPlacer saves a snapshot of the exact footer with every sent email, so older history remains accurate after branding changes.
Team members without permission to manage organization email settings can still preview the footer.
Read and Find Email
Search the Inbox by contact name, email address, or message text. Use the application-type and decision filters to narrow the contact list.
The status badge can show states such as:
- Pending
- Sent
- Delivered
- Received
- Bounced
- Failed
Select a contact to read every tracked email and application event in chronological order.
Replies and Forwarding
Email sent to or received from a contact appears as an email card in that contact's tracked thread. From the card, use:
- Reply all to start a response with the relevant recipients and subject
- Forward to create a new draft containing the original subject and message
Inbound replies are connected to the tracked thread when the reply address can be matched. Staff can then see the external response alongside the submission or contact history.
Email from the Applicant Inbox
Replies written in an applicant's Inbox conversation are sent as tracked email, and inbound replies land back in the same conversation. See Work the Applicant Inbox for the full workflow.