Messaging Overview
Serene Studio brings your mail inbox (Email) and Chat into the same workspace. Mail handles external correspondence — client emails and replies to messages you send — while chat covers real-time conversations between team members.
Email and Chat are separate items in the left sidebar. Each one appears when it is turned on for your workspace.
This article orients you to both surfaces. Step-by-step guides for specific tasks are linked in the sidebar and at the bottom of this page.
Your mail inbox is the primary destination for inbound external correspondence, including replies to messages you send. Messages submitted through your website contact form do not arrive here. They appear on the Submissions tab of Website, which workspace admins can see.
Accessing mail:
Open Serene Studio. Select Email in the left sidebar. The inbox opens by default.
Inbox layout
The inbox shows a list of messages. Each row shows:
| Item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Sender | Name or email address of the message author |
| Subject | Message subject line |
| Preview | The start of the message text |
| Time | When the most recent message in the thread arrived |
| Unread | Unread messages are marked and shown in bold |
Selecting a row opens the message in the reading pane.
Folders
The folder list appears on the left side of the Email page. Default folders:
- Inbox — incoming messages
- Sent — messages you have sent
- Archive — messages you have archived
- Drafts — messages saved but not yet sent
- Trash — deleted messages (you can restore them for 30 days)
You can create custom folders to organize messages by client, project, or topic. See Organizing Your Inbox for details.
Unread state
Unread messages appear in bold with a marker in the message list. Opening a message marks it read automatically. You can mark messages read or unread yourself from the message context menu.
Chat
Chat sits alongside mail in the sidebar. It covers real-time communication between team members: channels for group conversations and direct messages for one-on-one exchanges.
Accessing chat:
Select Chat in the sidebar.
Chat covers:
- Channels — topic-based group conversations. Public channels are open to anyone in your workspace; private channels are invite-only.
- Direct messages — private conversations between you and one other team member
- Calls — calls started from a channel or direct message, when calls are turned on for your workspace
Guides for each:
Next steps
- Composing and Sending Email — open a compose window and send your first message.
- Organizing Your Inbox — folders, search, and message actions.
- Chat: Channels and Direct Messages — channel and direct message guide.