Mailbox

Process incoming emails as things. Connects to your email account via IMAP and creates items automatically.

What it's for

The Mailbox box type turns an email inbox into a structured, trackable queue. Every new email thread becomes a Thing; replies add comments to the same Thing. No manual entry needed — just point it at an IMAP account and let it run.

Ideal for: support queues, shared team inboxes, incoming request triage, or any workflow where work arrives by email.

How it works

1

Connect an IMAP mailbox
In Box Settings → Email, provide your IMAP credentials. Th1ngs polls the inbox on a schedule.
2

New email → new Thing
Each new email thread creates a Thing. The subject becomes the summary; the body becomes the description.
3

Replies → comments
Subsequent replies to the same thread are appended as comments on the existing Thing. Quoted text is stripped automatically.
4

Attachments saved
Any file attached to the email is stored directly on the Thing.

Fields

Field	Type	Description
Summary	Text	Email subject line
Description	Long Text	Email body (first message in thread)
From	Email	Sender email address
Received	DateTime	Timestamp the email was received
Assignee	User	Team member responsible for handling this item

Workflow

The Mailbox type uses a simple triage workflow out of the box:

New

→

In Progress

→

Resolved

Items start as New when the email arrives. Move them to In Progress when someone is handling it, and Resolved when done. Items can be reopened at any stage.

For Gmail: enable IMAP in Gmail settings and use an App Password (not your regular password) when 2-Step Verification is active.

Tips

Create a dedicated email alias (e.g. support@yourcompany.com) and forward it to the mailbox Th1ngs monitors — keeps your personal inbox clean.
Use custom fields to capture priority, category, or customer name extracted from the subject line.
Combine with the REST API to trigger actions when an item reaches Resolved state.

All Box Types Stuff