Manage all of your workspace's emails in one place with the Messages tab. View, reply, and organize email threads across your entire account, whether they're tied to a project or not.
Messages tab overview
The Messages tab is a centralized location where you can view and manage all client email threads in your workspace. It's a holistic view of every email thread inside Dubsado, working in sync with the email threads found within each individual project.
When you're managing client communication, the Messages tab gives you a high-level overview, while viewing the Messages tab within a project offers a more focused view of emails related to that specific client and project.
In order to send and receive unlimited emails within Dubsado, you will need to first connect your own external email account to your workspace.
Head to Settings ➔ Email or access the settings directly within Messages ➔ Settings to connect your account.
What the Messages tab is used for
The Messages tab helps you:
View and reply to incoming emails
Manage project communication seamlessly from one place
Reply to emails with project-specific links, like invoices, contracts, and forms
Manage sent messages and archived emails
Create and use message templates for efficient communication
Good to know: The Messages tab works synchronously with the Messages tab found inside each project. Any email thread connected to a project appears both in the main Messages tab and inside the project itself.
Navigating the Messages tab
The left sidebar categorizes your messages into various folders: Inbox, Sent, Archive, and Unread.
In each of these folders, email entries always display the following information:
the contact
the email's subject line
the project the email is associated with
if no project is assigned to a thread, this column shows (no project)
the date the email was received or sent
You can use the checkboxes on the left side of each email entry to take bulk actions within each of these folders.
The Inbox folder
In the Inbox folder, you'll see all un-archived threads where there is at least one received message from a contact.
In order for an email to be imported into Dubsado, the sender's email address must match an existing contact in your workspace. And, that sender must be sending their email to the email address you've connected within Settings ➔ Email.
You can differentiate between unread emails and read emails at a glance, since unread emails are bolded and show a blue dot next to the email's subject line.
Click on an email to open the conversation thread. You'll see all messages within the thread, and at the bottom of the screen you can compose a reply.
If an email is already assigned to a particular project, you can click on the project's title to go straight to the project. Or, if no project is assigned to an email thread, click Add a project at the top of the page to choose from your existing projects.
You can always assign an email thread to a different project, even if a thread has already been assigned to a project. To do so, click the ellipsis (...) next to the project name and choose to either change the assigned project or remove the assignment entirely.
The Sent folder
The Sent folder displays all emails that you have sent via Dubsado, allowing you to quickly find a sent email or review your client communication without searching through projects one at a time.
Keep in mind that emails sent from Dubsado will also appear in your external email account's Sent folder, since Dubsado is using your own email account to send these messages.
Click on a sent email to open the conversation thread. You'll see all messages within the thread, and at the bottom of the page you can compose a follow-up reply.
The Archive folder
The Archive folder contains emails that you've chosen to archive from your inbox. The purpose of archiving an email is simply organizational—allowing you to declutter your incoming client communication within the Inbox folder.
Emails that are archived are not deleted. They appear within the Archive folder and can be unarchived at any time. Archived emails remain assigned to a project if they were previously assigned to one.
Click on an archived email to view the conversation thread and draft a message. To unarchive the thread, click the archive box icon in the top-right corner of the thread.
Important: Archiving does not stop future replies from landing in the same thread. If a contact replies to an archived thread, the reply will still be added to that thread.
The Unread folder
The Unread folder displays all messages that have not yet been read, regardless of whether they're received or archived messages. This provides a quick way to catch up on unread communications across your entire workspace.
Searching and filtering messages
No matter which Messages folder you're currently viewing, you can apply filters to narrow down your results.
Sorting options
Click the Date dropdown to sort message threads by date in ascending or descending order. By default, the Messages tab displays email threads by date, with the most recent emails at the top of each list.
Filter options
Click the Filter button to access filtering options:
Search Subject: Type keywords to search only the subject lines of messages
From: Filter by the sender of the message
Project: Filter by the project a message is assigned to
After/Before: Filter by date ranges
Read Status: Filter for read or unread messages (available in certain folders)
Composing new messages
You can compose new emails directly from Messages.
Starting a new message
Click the Compose button in the top-left corner when viewing the main Messages area. The new message composer window can be dragged around the screen or minimized/maximized using the buttons in the top right of the composer.
Adding recipients and project context
Add 'To' Recipients: Click + Add next to "To:" to select existing contacts or type in new email addresses. You can add multiple recipients.
Add 'CC' Recipients: Click + CC to add carbon copy recipients.
Select Project (Optional): After a recipient is added, you can optionally select a project to associate this message with. This enables Project Links, Scheduled Send options, and project-specific Smart Fields.
Composing your message
While composing, you can:
Use the text formatting options at the bottom of the composer for styling your message
Insert an email template by clicking the Templates button to populate your subject and body
Use Smart Fields to pull contact, workspace, date, or project data by clicking the Smart Fields button
Add Project Links like forms, contracts, and invoices (when a project is selected) by clicking the Project Links button
Attach files or add hyperlinks using the toolbar options
Note: Information can only populate via Smart Fields if that data exists. For example, you can't use the Client Company Name smart field if a company name isn't saved for your chosen client.
Replying to messages
When viewing a message thread, you have several options for replying.
Reply options
Reply: Click the Reply button in the top right to reply only to the original sender
Reply All: Click the Reply All button to include all original recipients (To and CC)
Drafting replies
When typing a reply within an existing message thread, your text is automatically saved as a draft after a few seconds. If you navigate away from the thread and return, your draft will still be present.
Note: Drafts can only be saved for existing email threads. If you're creating a new email thread, a draft of your message cannot be saved automatically.
Sending and scheduling messages
Once your message is ready, you have options for when to send it.
Send immediately
Click the green Send button (paper airplane icon) to send the email immediately.
Schedule for later
Click the up arrow next to the Send button to schedule the email for a later time.
If it's BEFORE 1:00 PM:
"Later today at 1:00 PM"
"Next Monday at 9:00 AM"
"Custom time..." for specific date and time selection
If it's AFTER 1:00 PM:
"Tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM"
"Next Monday at 9:00 AM"
"Custom time..." for specific date and time selection
In order to use scheduled send:
The email must be assigned to a project
You must be subscribed to the Premier plan (or be on a Trial account)
Scheduled send creates a one-step Flow to send the email at your desired time
Managing templates
Messages fully integrates message templates for efficient communication.
Custom Templates
These are templates you create and customize for various communication needs.
Access: Click Custom templates in the left sidebar
Create New: Click the + icon next to "Custom templates"
Edit: Select a template to modify its subject, content, formatting, and Smart Fields
Duplicate: Use the duplicate icon (two overlapping squares) to create a copy
Delete: Use the trash can icon to remove a template
Default Templates
These are system-generated templates for automated communications (e.g., appointment confirmations, payment reminders).
Access: Click Default templates in the left sidebar
Customize: Select and edit to align with your workspace voice
Note: You cannot create new default templates or delete existing ones. You can only customize them to match your brand voice.
Managing message threads
When viewing an individual message thread, several management options are available in the top-right corner:
Mark as Unread/Read: Click the envelope icon to toggle read status
Archive Thread: Click the archive box icon to move the thread to Archive
Delete Thread: Click the trash can icon to permanently delete the entire thread
Heads up: Deleting an email thread from Messages permanently removes it from the workspace. This action cannot be undone.
How Messages connects to projects
The Messages tab gives you a bird's-eye view of your emails, while each project's Messages tab focuses on communication tied to that specific project.
If an email thread is assigned to a project, any reply or action you take in the main Messages tab will reflect inside the project's Messages tab—and vice versa. The two views are connected.
Email threading and project assignment
Thread-level assignment: Project assignment happens at the thread level, not the individual message level
Reassigning threads: Changing the assigned project moves the entire thread to the new project
Unassigning threads: Removing a project assignment returns the thread to a no-project state (disables scheduled send)
When new threads are created
A reply may become a new, unassigned thread if:
The contact changed the subject or started a brand-new email
Their email client removed or altered the thread headers
They forwarded your email and replied from that forward
They replied from a different email address than what's stored on their Contact
When this happens, you'll need to manually assign the new thread to the appropriate project.
Messages Settings
Access your email settings directly from within Messages by clicking Settings in the left sidebar.
From here you can:
Connect your email account via Google, Microsoft, or SMTP
Add a tracking pixel to see if sent emails have been read
Edit your email signature that appears at the bottom of outgoing emails
A note on external emails
Emails you send outside of Dubsado (for example, directly from Gmail or Outlook) won't be pulled into Dubsado email threads. Only emails sent through Dubsado will appear in the Messages tab and inside your projects.
Additionally, incoming emails are imported only when the sender's email address matches an existing Contact in your workspace. Messages from unknown senders are not imported.
FAQ
Why isn't my client's reply showing up?
First, confirm the client's email address exactly matches what's saved in their Contact record. Then check both the Inbox and Sent folders—Inbox only shows threads with at least one received message. If you still don't see it, look for a new unassigned thread, as the client may have broken the original thread by changing the subject or forwarding the email. Finally, verify your email connection is active in Messages ➔ Settings and reconnect if needed.
Why didn't the reply go back into the project thread?
This is likely a broken thread situation. The reply may have created a new thread if the client changed the subject, used a different email address, or their email client altered the thread headers. Search by subject to find the new thread, then manually assign it to the correct project.
Why can't I use scheduled send?
Scheduled send requires two things: the email must be assigned to a project, and you must be subscribed to the Premier plan (or be on a Trial account). If both conditions are met and you're still having issues, try reassigning the project to refresh the connection.
Why are my smart fields blank?
Smart fields only populate when the underlying data exists. Ensure the email is assigned to a project (for project-based fields) and that the Contact has the relevant information saved (like first name or company name).
When creating or editing a custom template, smart fields will display in code-view by default, since there is no project or client context.
Why can't I find my email with search?
The search function currently indexes subject lines only. Try using the Filter options to narrow by sender (From), Project, or date ranges instead. You can also check the Sent or Inbox folders directly.
How can I preserve email threading?
To maintain consistent threading, encourage clients to use Reply rather than composing new messages, and ask them not to change the subject line when replying. Also, keep an eye on replies from alternate email addresses and add those to the Contact's record when appropriate.