Overview

Thena's Bidirectional email integration offers a practical solution for smoothly managing customer emails from Slack and the Thena web app. When customers send an email, Thena directs it to the appropriate customer Slack channel and email platform of your choice. This enables you to reply to customer emails from Slack or email according to your preference.

Features

Pre-requisites

You will require the following:

1. A customer-facing support email address that receives customer queries.
2. A new Slack channel to route emails to, which is different from your existing triage channel.

Configuration

🚧

IT administrator is required to configure DNS settings and activate email forwarding

Step 1 - Provide support alias

Begin by providing your support email address in the Thena webapp settings and select from the dropdown menu the channel where you want to receive and respond to emails.

📘

Note that this will be the channel meant only for receiving and responding to emails. You will continue to receive emails marked as Thena requests on your configured Slack triage channel.

Step 2 - Update DNS settings

You need to set up the DNS settings by adding new records to your domain. The values for each hostname are displayed on the Thena web app. The table below provides examples of how a hostname would appear.

Please refer to the image below where the Host name, Record type, Priority, and Expected values are populated. You need to set up these values on your DNS platform.

Setup on DNS platform

Google (Squarespace)

• Navigate to DNS settings in Squarespace
• Add the TXT and MX records using the 'Add more to this record' action

🚧

In Squarespace, the domain name is appended by default to the hostname. Consider removing your domain while copying the hostname from the Thena Webapp. For instance, if your domain is acme.com, use smtp.domainkey.thena instead of smtp.domainkey.thena.acme.com.

---

AWS Route 53

• Navigate to DNS settings in Route 53
• Add the TXT & MX records using the 'Add another record' action

🚧

In Route 53, the domain name is appended by default to the hostname. Consider removing your domain while copying the hostname from the Thena Webapp. For instance, if your domain is acme.com, use smtp.domainkey.thena instead of smtp.domainkey.thena.acme.com.

---

GoDaddy

• Navigate to DNS settings in GoDaddy
• Add the TXT & MX records using the 'Add another value' action

---

Cloudflare

• Navigate to DNS settings in Cloudflare
• Add the TXT & MX records using the 'Add record' action

---

Verification

Click "Verify" on the Thena web app to proceed after completing the DNS setup

---

Step 3 - Add auto-forward logic

The last step requires you to set up email forwarding from your current support email address to the email address provided by Thena in the Thena web app. To do this, follow the steps outlined below.

Setup in Email platforms

• Access your email platform settings -> Forwarding/Rules section
• Add Rule/Forwarding address
• In the 'From' field, input [email protected], and in the 'Forward to' field, input [email protected]

🚧

For email forwarding, your IT admin may have to whitelist Thena's domain and enable auto-forwarding to other domains

📘

Your existing email address will continue to receive emails after the auto-forward setup

Instructions for Gmail and Outlook

Gmail

• Navigate to Gmail settings
• View All Settings -> Forwarding and POP/IMAP
• Add a forwarding address (If Thena's email address has not been previously configured)
• Set Forward a copy of incoming email to to [email protected]

📘

Gmail will send a verification link that you'll need to authorize, after adding a forwarding address

Allow members outside your organization

🚧

Navigate to the domain or group settings and make the following updates

Outlook

1. Navigate to Admin Panel -> Click Show All -> Select Exchange
2. Navigate to Mail flow -> Click Rules -> Add a Rule -> Create a new 'Rule'
3. In Set rule conditions, enter a name for the rule, and the below information
   1. Apply this rule if 'The recipient' -> is this person [email protected]
   2. Redirect the message to ->is this person [email protected] -> Save
   3. Click Next -> Set Rule Settings -> Next -> Review and Finish
4. Enable the rule by clicking on the Rule in the Rules page and taking the relevant action.

---

Email forwarding channel

You have the option to change the configured Slack channel. If changed, all future incoming emails will be directed to the newly selected channel.

📘

Updating this channel will only mean updating the email communication channel. Your triage will continue to receive emails marked as Thena requests.

❗️

Switching your Slack channel will result in replies on the old channel not triggering emails. This happens because the email feature becomes associated with the newly configured channel.

AI enabled spam filter

Thena's AI stops spam emails from reaching Slack, keeping communication smooth and focused. It is recommended to disable during testing to allow a thorough assessment of all email interactions.

🚧

Spam blocking is disabled by default

Use cases

Email <> Slack - Bidirectional conversation flow

Once the setup is configured, all emails will be forwarded to the configured Slack channel. Your support agents can reply to the email from Slack, and your customer will receive the response on email where they originally reached out.

Emails as Thena Requests

Thena routes emails received in your configured Slack channel identifying them as requests and sends internal notifications on the configured triage channel.

After receiving the request, you have the ability to perform standard actions such as adjusting its priority, responding, assigning it, and more.

FAQs

How long does it take to verify the DNS after making the relevant changes?

The verification process may range from one minute to up to twenty-four hours.

What if my email attachment is too large for Slack?

If the email attachment surpasses Slack's size limits, we provide a link to our encrypted store (you can also configure your own S3 bucket), where you can view or download the attachment.

What does the product do in case of a failed email post?

In case of a failed post, the system will attempt to repost the email twice. If still unsuccessful, an error notification will be sent via a Slack DM and displayed on the channel. This will include an option to manually retry the post.

How are known domains or customers identified?

When an email is received from a known customer domain (one that's recognized on Slack), the system associates that email with the corresponding customer account, ensuring its visibility on the Kanban, App Home, and other channels.