Set up the email channel

Route inbound support email into conversations and verify the domains you send from.

DU
Demo User
Written By Demo UserLast updated 2 months ago

Not every customer wants to chat live. Email into conversations so a support inbox reply and an email reply are the same thread, no matter which side the customer answers from.

Configure email at Admin → Settings → Emails.

Inbound routing

Enter the address you want support email routed through, for example [email protected]. Quackback turns each message sent there into a conversation (or threads it into an existing one) and creates a contact if the sender is new.

Note:
For self-hosted deployments that can't expose a public inbound webhook, IMAP polling is an alternative way to receive inbound mail from a mailbox you already control.

Sending addresses

Set a sending address for each module that emails customers: Support, Feedback, and Changelog. Each gets its own verified From identity, so a support reply and a changelog announcement never look like they came from the same place unless you want them to.

Sending domains

Add and verify the domain you send from so mail lands in inboxes instead of spam. Verification checks two DNS records:

  • An SPF TXT record authorizing your email provider to send on your domain's behalf
  • A DKIM CNAME record so receiving servers can confirm the message wasn't altered in transit

Add both records at your DNS provider, then click Verify. Verification runs a live DNS lookup, so the only wait is DNS propagation, not a background job.

Tip:
DNS changes can take time to propagate. If verification fails right after adding records, wait a few minutes and try again before assuming something's wrong.

How inbound trust works

Anyone can forge the "From" address on an email. Before Quackback attaches an inbound message to a contact, it checks whether the sending domain authenticated the message with DMARC:

  • DMARC pass: the message is trusted. If the sender's address matches an existing contact, it attaches to that contact automatically. If it's a new address, a new contact is created.
  • Anything weaker than a pass (no DMARC record, a policy of quarantine or none, or an unparseable result): a new contact is created, but it's marked unverified. Even if the address happens to match an existing contact, Quackback won't silently attach the message to that identity.
  • A hard DMARC failure under a reject policy: the message is dropped. No conversation or contact is created.

Note:
This check only applies to cold inbound mail, meaning messages from addresses Quackback hasn't already verified through a prior authenticated exchange. Replies inside an existing conversation thread are matched by the conversation's own reply address instead.

Next steps

Was this helpful?

Your feedback shapes what we write next.

← Previous

Set up a status page

Next →

Use macros

Related articles

Receive email over IMAPTurn inbound email into conversations without exposing a public webhook.SupportAnswer customers in real time and track requests that need more than one reply.Handle conversationsManage the conversation lifecycle, priority, internal notes, CSAT, and handoffs from Quinn.Email NotificationsNotify users and teams by email when feedback is submitted, statuses change, or comments are posted. Configure SMTP or Resend.