> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.alex.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inbox

> One list of the candidates who need a person: replies to send, people to call back, questions Alex couldn't answer, and decisions to make.

Alex handles most of the work with candidates on its own. Now and then a candidate needs a person: they wrote back while Alex was paused, they asked to talk to someone, they asked something Alex didn't know, or they finished their interviews and are waiting on a decision.

The **Inbox** collects those moments in one list, so nothing waits on someone remembering to check. Work through it from the top: open a candidate, do what they need, and the item moves to your **Done**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> The Inbox is in pilot. Your Alex team makes it available to your company, and an admin turns recording on in **Settings → Inbox** (see [Set up the Inbox](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/set-up.md)). If you don't see **Inbox** in the sidebar, ask your admin whether your role includes it (see [Permissions](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/permissions.md)).

![The Inbox: the list of candidates on the left, the selected candidate's conversation on the right](https://mintcdn.com/apriora/MDTG4MwWsGXMaoCb/images/inbox/inbox-overview.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=MDTG4MwWsGXMaoCb\&q=85\&s=a9bf4ca8d012e0688a1f1a5c38ed5bbe)

## How the Inbox works

1. Something happens that needs a person, such as a candidate replying while Alex is paused.
2. While your company's Inbox is recording, Alex adds an **item** for that candidate as soon as it notices.
3. You open the item, see why it's there, and act: reply, call, decide, or answer.
4. The item closes, either because of what you did or because you **Mark complete**. It moves from **To do** to **Done**.

Each row in the list is one candidate on one job. If a candidate needs several things on the same job (say, a reply and a decision), they share one row: the row shows the most urgent item first and a **+1** (or more) for the rest.

Items appear from the moment an admin turns recording on. When they do, they can also bring in what already needed a person over the last 7, 14 or 30 days.

## Your To do and Done

Everyone works the same items, but each person has their own **To do** and **Done**:

* **Closing an item closes it for everyone.** When someone replies, decides or marks an item complete, it moves to everyone's Done.
* **Handing an item off moves it to your Done**, labelled **Handed off to** and their name. It stays in everyone else's To do, and lands in your teammate's.
* **Snoozing, reading and Mark To do are just for you.** Nobody else's list changes.

[Using your inbox](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/using-your-inbox.md) covers each of these.

## The six kinds of item

| In the list | What it means | What you usually do |
| - | - | - |
| **Reply** | The candidate wrote back while Alex was paused for them, so nobody has answered. | Reply in the conversation, or resume Alex. |
| **Accommodation** | The candidate asked for an accommodation for the interview or the job. | Open it to see what they asked for, then reply or follow up and mark it complete. |
| **Wants a person** | The candidate asked to talk to someone on your team. | Reply, or reach out another way and mark it complete. |
| **Question** | The candidate asked something Alex didn't know. | Answer them, or add the answer to the job's interview guide. |
| **Decide** | The candidate finished the job's last interview round and nobody has decided yet. | Read the report, then reject or shortlist. |
| **Follow up** | A **Send to Inbox** step in the job's workflow sent the candidate here, with its own title and note. | Do what the note asks, then mark it complete. |

When a candidate has more than one item, the row leads with them in this order: Reply, Accommodation, Wants a person, Question, Decide, Follow up.

[Item types](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/item-types.md) covers each kind in full: what opens it, how to work it, and what closes it.

## In this guide

> [card] [Set up the Inbox](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/set-up.md)
>
> For admins: turn recording on, bring in what already happened, and set the rules.

> [card] [Using your inbox](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/using-your-inbox.md)
>
> Mine and All, your To do and Done, snoozing, handing off and marking complete.

> [card] [Item types](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/item-types.md)
>
> Reply needed, Asked for a person, Asked for an accommodation, Alex couldn't answer, Needs decision and Follow up.

> [card] [Permissions](https://docs.alex.com/inbox/permissions.md)
>
> Who can see their own items, who can see everyone's, and what else they need.


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