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Use this guide when Inbox buttons are grayed out, messages will not send, or your team is getting ready to use customer texts, emails, and calls for the first time. Most setup happens on Settings > Communications. This guide explains what to check on that page and why each setting matters for day-to-day Inbox work.

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What you will accomplish

  • Understand which settings control texting, calling, and email in Inbox.
  • Confirm your facility has a customer-facing phone number and email domain.
  • Choose who should receive alerts when customers need a reply.
  • Know how to test Inbox safely before messaging real customers.

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Before you start

  • You should be signed in as a team member who can open Settings > Communications. Facility owners and admins usually have this access. Other staff need the Inbox permission—ask your admin to review Manage team permissions if the page is blocked.
  • Know the phone number your customers already recognize for your facility.
  • Know the email address style you want to use, such as service@yourfacility.com.
  • Have someone ready to help with website or domain records if the app asks for DNS verification.
  • Decide which staff members should watch Inbox and respond to customers.
If Inbox says it is not configured yetWhen phone and email setup are incomplete, Inbox may show a message that Inbox is not configured yet and mention Team Settings. That means the same page as Settings > Communications in the left sidebar—not a separate hidden menu. Finish the steps in this guide, save your changes, then refresh Inbox.

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Open communication settings

1

Open Settings > Communications

Go to Settings > Communications.This page controls phone and text messaging, email sending, social links, review requests, and notification preferences.
2

Scan the page from top to bottom

The page title is Communications. The subtitle says Channels for email and phone, alerts for staff and customers, then marketing accounts.Work through these areas in order:
  • Channels — three cards labeled Email, Calling, and SMS. Tap a card to open its setup.
  • Alerts — Staff defaults and Customers automated messages.
  • Marketing — Instagram, Facebook, and similar accounts. Optional for Inbox.
3

Save your changes

Save any updates before returning to Inbox.If the page shows verification steps, finish those steps before you test texting or email with customers.
Expected result: You can see all three communication sections and any setup buttons your team still needs to finish.
Yellow banner on Inbox: not configured yetWhen you open Inbox before setup is complete, you may see a yellow banner that says Inbox isn’t configured yet. That is normal during your first week.What still works: Your team can read conversation history and practice finding customers in the list.What is blocked: Text, Email, and Call buttons stay gray until an admin finishes the steps below on Settings > Communications.What to do: Work through this guide from top to bottom, save your changes, then refresh Inbox. The banner should disappear when at least one channel (text or email) is ready.
Why staff still see Inbox is not configured yetThe yellow banner on Inbox appears when neither phone/SMS nor email sending is fully ready. Your team can still read conversation history, but Text, Email, and Call buttons stay disabled until the steps below are complete. Finish phone setup first if your team texts customers every day.
Settings Communications page showing Channels cards for Email, Calling, and SMS plus the Alerts section
Settings > Communications starts with three Channels cards — Email, Calling, and SMS. Each card shows On, Off, or Optional. Tap a card to set it up.

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Check SMS (text messaging)

Text setup is the SMS card in Channels. Do this before Calling. Inbox texts and your facility phone number both live here.
1

Tap the SMS card

On Settings > Communications, find Channels. The helper line says Email, calling, and SMS. Tap a card to configure.Click the SMS card.Expected result: The card highlights and a setup panel opens under the three cards.
2

Confirm your team has a phone number

When SMS is ready, the card shows your facility number (for example +15555550100) and a green On label.If the card says No number yet and Off, follow the setup in the open panel or ask your admin to connect a number.
3

Return to Inbox and check Text

Open Inbox and select a customer who has a phone number.Expected result: The Text tab at the bottom of the conversation is available (not gray).
Communications Channels section with the SMS card selected and On status showing a facility phone number
Tap SMS to connect the number customers already know. Inbox Text stays gray until this card shows On.
Use a recognizable numberCustomers are more likely to trust a text or call when the number matches the number they already know for your facility.

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Check Calling

Calling is a separate card from SMS. You need the SMS number first. Then you finish calling so staff can use Call and Quick call in Inbox.
1

Tap the Calling card

On the same Channels row, click Calling.
2

If you see Set up SMS number

The panel may say Get an SMS number first, then configure call routing and emergency address.Click Set up SMS number and finish the SMS card, then come back to Calling.
3

Finish address and routing

When a number exists, Calling may still show Off with a note such as Forwarding · address needed.In the open panel you will see Routing (for example Forward to number), Forwarding numbers, and Call recording. Complete the emergency address the page asks for.Why this matters: A phone number without calling setup lets you text, but Call and Quick call stay gray.
Expected result: The Calling card shows On. Staff can follow Call a customer from Inbox.
Communications Channels section with the Calling card selected showing Off and a note that an address is needed
Calling stays Off until SMS has a number and the emergency address is complete. That is expected during setup.
Use a recognizable numberCustomers are more likely to trust a text or call when the number matches the number they already know for your facility.

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Check Email

Email setup is the Email card in Channels. It affects Inbox replies, invoice emails, portal invites, and other customer messages.
1

Tap the Email card

Click Email in Channels.
2

Read the status on the card

The card footer can say:
  • Optional — messages can send from the shared mail.carstoragesoftware.com domain (fine while you get started).
  • On — your own domain is verified (or you use a custom domain).
  • Off — a domain was started but DNS is not finished yet.
The smaller line on the card may say Sending from mail.carstoragesoftware.com, Needs DNS, or Verified.
3

Complete verification if requested

If the open panel asks for domain records such as SPF, DKIM, DMARC, or MX, copy them exactly and send them to the person who manages your website or domain.You do not need to finish a custom domain on day one. Optional is enough to practice Inbox email.
4

Return to Inbox and test email

Open Inbox, choose a customer with an email address, click Email, and confirm Subject and Write your email… are available.
Expected result: The Email tab in Inbox is available for customers who have an email address on file.
Communications Channels section with the Email card selected showing Optional and the shared sending domain
Tap Email to review how outgoing mail is sent. Optional means you can practice Inbox email before your own domain is verified.

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Check Alerts

Alerts sits below Channels. The helper line says Who gets notified, and which automated customer messages are on.
1

Review Staff defaults

Under Alerts, find the Staff heading. The line under it says Defaults for your team. Change yours on your profile.Choose one card:
  • All scheduled — every scheduled event on the calendar
  • Assigned to me — only when I am on the event
  • Custom — choose which activities alert you
Then set Channels: Email, Text, and Push. The helper line says these apply to teammates who have not set their own preferences yet.Avoid turning on every alert for everyone. Too many pings make important Inbox messages easier to miss.
2

Set your own alerts on Your profile

Click your profile in that sentence, or open Settings > Your profile.Why this matters: The Communications page sets team defaults. Each person still chooses how they want to be pinged.
3

Review Customers alerts (optional for Inbox setup)

Below Staff, find Customers. The line says Scheduling, reminders, and billing messages.Choose Off (Scheduling & transport paused — billing still sends) or On (Scheduling, transport, and billing emails). Then you may see Scheduling, Reminders, and Billing cards.These messages go to customers automatically. They are not required for sending a manual Inbox reply, but they keep pickup times and invoices from depending on one person remembering to text.
4

Skip Marketing until Inbox works

Marketing (Instagram, Facebook, and similar) is further down the page. You can leave it for later. It does not turn Inbox Text, Email, or Call on or off.
Expected result: The right people know when a new customer text, email, or call needs follow-up.
Communications Alerts section showing Staff defaults and a link to your profile
Alerts has two parts: Staff defaults for your team, and Customers automated messages. Inbox replies still start from the Channels cards above.

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Test before you message customers

After you save settings, confirm each channel works before real customers depend on replies.
1

Open Inbox and check the yellow banner

Go to Inbox.Expected result: The yellow Inbox isn’t configured yet banner is gone when at least one channel (text or email) is ready. If the banner remains, return to Settings > Communications and finish the missing section.
2

Pick an internal test customer

Use a customer record your team controls, such as a staff-owned test account.Why this matters: A test message to a real customer can cause confusion. Use someone on your team who expects the test.
3

Send one small test text or email

Follow Start a new Inbox conversation or Send an email from Inbox with that test customer.Check that Text, Email, and Call buttons look active (not gray) when the customer has phone and email on file.Expected result: The message appears in the timeline. Texts should show DELIVERED when SMS is configured.
4

Confirm staff alerts (optional)

Ask one front-desk teammate to open Overview on another browser tab, then send a test message to your facility line.Expected result: The teammate sees the conversation in the Inbox panel or receives a browser notification when alerts are enabled.
5

Fix setup before going live

If buttons stay gray or messages fail, return to Settings > Communications and finish the missing step.
Expected result: Your team can send a test message successfully before using Inbox with real customers.
Why test with your team firstA five-minute internal test prevents embarrassing first messages to customers—such as texts that fail silently or emails that land in spam before your domain is verified.

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Quick setup checklist

Use this table before you tell staff Inbox is ready:

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What success looks like

After setup:
  • Inbox shows available Text, Email, and Call options when setup is complete and the customer has contact details on file.
  • Customer messages are sent from a phone number or email domain your customers recognize.
  • Staff know who is responsible for watching Inbox.
  • Your team completed a small internal test before using the channel with customers.

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Troubleshooting

Text messages are not sendingOpen Channels and tap SMS. Confirm the card shows On and a phone number. Also confirm the customer’s phone number is valid in Contacts.
The Call button is disabledTap Calling on Settings > Communications. The card must show On. If it says address needed or Set up SMS number, finish those steps first. Also confirm the customer has a usable phone number.
Email is not availableEmail sending may not be configured, the sending domain may not be verified, or the customer may not have an email address. Check the customer record and Settings > Communications.
Inbox says it is not configured yetOn Inbox, a yellow or gray notice may say Inbox isn’t configured yet and point to Team Settings. That means texting, email, or both still need setup. Open Settings > Communications from the sidebar (not the global admin area) and finish phone and/or email setup on this page.
Domain records feel confusingIt is normal for domain records to feel unfamiliar. Copy the records exactly as shown and send them to your website or domain helper. Ask them to add the records without changing the values.Common record types you may see:
  • SPF — tells email providers your facility is allowed to send mail from this domain
  • DKIM — adds a digital signature so messages are less likely to land in spam
  • DMARC — tells providers what to do if a message fails those checks
  • MX — routes inbound mail (only needed if you receive email at this domain inside the app)
You do not need to memorize these. Copy each row from the setup screen into your domain host exactly as written.
I can open Communications but Inbox buttons stay graySave your work on this page, wait a minute for verification to finish, then hard-refresh Inbox. If Text or Email is still gray for a specific customer, open their record in Contacts and confirm they have a valid phone number or email address—not just a name.

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What to do next

After communication settings are ready, open Inbox and run the test before you message customers steps above. When a test message appears in the timeline, continue with Start a new Inbox conversation. If more than one person will answer customers, share Coordinate with your team in Inbox. For the full settings walkthrough outside Inbox, see Configure communications.
Who should complete this setup?Pick one facility admin or office manager to own communication setup. Front-desk staff can test Inbox afterward using Use Inbox from your Overview dashboard and Start a new Inbox conversation.