Trello > Email: Manage shared inboxes inside Trello

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I've already written about how Trello is greater than all the other project management tools in the world, and while I don't plan to ever stop talking about that, I thought I'd switch to proving that Trello is greater than non-project management tools. 

Yeah, that's right. 

In this post, I'm going straight for the jugular of tools. I'm taking email head-on. And the best part is, I only need one Power-Up to do it. It's aptly named the Email for Trello Power-Up. And it, you know, let's you manage your email in Trello :)

I'll be the first to admit it's not exactly a replacement for your inbox if you're the only one that's hopping in your email and you don't have specific tasks tied to your inbox (although I'm quite sure you could still find a way to get some use out of this).

However, it's perfect for any team that shares an email address and needs to manage those emails without stepping on anyone's toes. Did someone respond to an inquiry already? Are there any tasks associated with an email? Email for Trello helps you deal with all of that. Let's see how it works, shall we?

Add Email for Trello to your board

Just add the power-up and authorize the settings. If you want to get started right away, just click "Quick Start".

Once you click that, you'll be prompted to define an email address. (Everything that goes to that email address will become a card in Trello). You can customize the middle bits!

This is perfect for any shared emails (like an `admin@` or `sales@` or `support@`. You don't have to worry about having everyone on your team check in to a shared inbox. Your Trello board becomes your shared inbox! 

See and respond to your emails in the comments

Wondering if someone has already responded to an email? Just view comments to see any email correspondence or click the "view emails and reply" button just below the description to open up a modal. 

I sent an email directly to my Sendboard email and boom! Here it is!

I can just reply in the comments to send an email back.  (Just make sure to start with `@reply`)

Missing your email editor? Don't worry, it's still there

If you miss having an editor and want to be able to add attachments, it's still an option. Just click the "View Emails & Reply" button below the card description and you'll be able to... well... view all emails and reply 😂 Doesn't get more straightforward than that. 

You can embed images, format text, add attachments, whatever you like!

Create templated responses with saved replies

If you find there's a certain email you send over and over, save your fingers. You can save email content and just select it as a template next time you need it.

When I first saw this, I was like this is cool, but I don't always send the same EXACT response to everyone. If you're not a spammer, you want to customize it a bit! You can inject custom fields into the email based on the info you have about that person. Here are a list of some of the fields you can choose from:

Set up email automation with Butler/Trello Automation

By using the `@reply` comment and including variables, you can use Butler/Trello automation to create automated email workflows. For example, you can create a rule to automatically add a comment to a card when it's moved to a certain list. 

In this case, when you move a card to a list, it will post a comment with your templated reply and custom variables.

Who is Email for Trello most useful for?

As I mentioned at the start of this article, it's probably not going to add a lot of value for you if you're a solo business owner or the only one in your inbox. But if you share an email address with your team, it's perfect for managing inquiries and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. 

• Hiring teams can use it to keep up with job applicants 
• Support teams can use it to manage tickets
• CRM teams can use it to keep up with their leads 
• Contracts and Vendors can use it to keep track of billing and invoicing
• eCommerce teams can use it for keeping track of order inquiries

Take it for a spin and AMA in the comments!

If you try it out and get stuck, post in the comments and I'll do my best to help you out!