How to set up inbox on Intercom

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Setting up your Intercom inbox involves accessing the Inbox settings, configuring routing rules, setting up team assignments, and customizing notification preferences. The process typically takes 10-15 minutes and ensures your team can effectively manage customer conversations.

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Prerequisites

Active Intercom account with admin access
Team members added to your workspace
Basic understanding of customer support workflows
Messenger installed on your website or app

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access Inbox Settings

Log into your Intercom dashboard and navigate to Settings in the bottom left corner. Click on Inbox under the Teamwork section. This will open the inbox configuration panel where you can customize how conversations are handled.

Make sure you have admin permissions before attempting to modify inbox settings.

Configure Conversation Routing

In the Routing tab, choose how new conversations should be assigned. Select Round robin to distribute conversations evenly among team members, or choose Load balancing to assign based on current workload. You can also set up Custom rules to route conversations based on specific criteria like customer attributes or conversation source.

Start with round robin routing if you're unsure - you can always adjust this later based on team performance.

Set Up Team Assignment Rules

Click on Assignment rules and create rules to automatically assign conversations to specific team members or teams. Use conditions like Customer location, Plan type, or Previous assignee. Click Add rule and define the conditions using the dropdown menus, then select the team member or team to assign matching conversations to.

Create rules for high-priority customers or specific product areas to ensure expert team members handle relevant conversations.

Configure Business Hours

Navigate to the Office hours section and toggle Enable office hours. Set your team's working hours by selecting the timezone, days of the week, and specific hours. Configure what happens outside business hours by setting up an Away message or routing to specific team members who handle after-hours support.

Set realistic response time expectations in your away message to manage customer expectations.

Set Up Notification Preferences

Go to Notifications and configure how team members receive alerts about new conversations. Enable Desktop notifications, Email notifications, or Mobile push notifications based on your team's preferences. Set notification frequency to Real-time, Every 15 minutes, or Hourly digest.

Balance staying informed with avoiding notification fatigue - consider different settings for different team roles.

Configure Conversation Management

In the Conversation settings section, enable features like Auto-resolve conversations after a specified period of inactivity, Prevent teammate collision to avoid multiple people responding to the same conversation, and Require internal note when closing conversations to maintain quality records.

Set auto-resolve to 7-14 days initially and adjust based on your typical conversation lifecycle.

Test and Customize Views

Return to your main Inbox and customize the conversation views. Click on All conversations dropdown to create filtered views like Unassigned, Mine, or custom filters. Set up Saved replies by clicking on the Reply button in any conversation and selecting Saved replies to create templates for common responses.

Create at least 3-5 saved replies for your most common customer inquiries to improve response efficiency.

Verify Setup and Train Team

Send a test message through your messenger to verify routing and notifications work correctly. Check that conversations appear in the correct team member's inbox and that notifications are delivered as configured. Provide team members with a brief walkthrough of the inbox interface, showing them how to view assigned conversations, use saved replies, and manage their workflow.

Document your inbox setup and routing rules for future reference and new team member onboarding.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Conversations not routing to the right team members

Check your Assignment rules in Settings > Inbox > Routing. Ensure rules are ordered correctly (rules are processed top to bottom) and conditions are properly configured. Verify that team members are marked as Available in their status.

Team members not receiving notifications

Go to Settings > Notifications and verify notification preferences are enabled. Check that team members have allowed browser notifications and haven't muted Intercom notifications in their personal settings. Test with a sample conversation.

Auto-resolve feature closing conversations too quickly

Navigate to Settings > Inbox > Conversation settings and increase the auto-resolve timer. Consider adding conditions to exclude certain conversation types from auto-resolve, such as conversations with specific tags or from VIP customers.

Inbox views showing incorrect or missing conversations

Clear your browser cache and refresh the page. Check your conversation filters by clicking All conversations and ensuring no unintended filters are applied. Verify your team permissions allow access to the conversations you expect to see.

Prices mentioned in this guide are pulled from current plan data and may change. Always verify on the official Intercom website before purchasing.

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