This article explores the various ways in which Checkbox's matter management product supports email intake. These intake methods cater to the different request flows into the legal team.
Things to Note
- By default, boards will classified new matters as the "General Request" matter layout. For more information on how to configure the fields of matter, head over to Matter Fields and Layouts.
- Users without a Checkbox account will appear as "Public Users". For example, if a user without a Checkbox account emails a shared inbox which forwards all emails to the board email. It will appear as:
- John.Doe <john.doe@acme.com> (Public) via Email
Email Intake Methods
Email-intake addresses
| Address type | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Board-intake address (BIE) | matters@yourdomain.com | Create a brand-new Matter or keep working in the same Matter that started with this address. |
| Matter-intake address (MIE) | matter-123@yourdomain.com | Attach emails directly to a known Matter (and, if needed, to multiple Matters by CC’ing several MIEs). |
Email Routing - How emails route to Matters
| What you send / do | Result in Checkbox | Quick tip |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh email to BIE | New Matter is created. | Use when you don’t yet have a Matter ID. |
| Reply / forward on a thread that started with the same BIE | Email is added to that same Matter. | No need to swap addresses mid-thread. |
| Reply / forward to BIE on a thread that was originally added via an MIE | A new Matter is created (BIE always signals “start something new” here). | Double-check the To / CC line before sending. |
| Email to MIE | Email is added to that specific Matter. | CC more MIEs to attach the same email to several Matters. |
| Forward to BIE | Always creates a new Matter, regardless of prior mapping. | Perfect when the forward should kick off a fresh Matter. |
| Forward to MIE | Email is added to that Matter and threaded by subject. | Ideal for forwarding documents or evidence into an existing Matter. |
Board Intake Email
The primary mechanism for creating matters in Checkbox is via the board intake email. This email address is located under the Board Settings > Integration tab. A default board email address is provided, which can be white-labelled at the admin level.
Matter Intake Email
Method to attaching emails to specific matters. The email address is located within the matter, after clicking "Add" in the threads section.
Email Grouping / Threading inside a Matter
- Messages group by identical subject line, case-insensitive.
- Prefixes like Re:, FW: and Fwd: are ignored.
- Changing the subject (even slightly) starts a new thread. If unrelated emails share a generic subject, rename one or contact Support to split the thread.
Email Journeys
Common email-journey patterns
| Scenario | Steps |
|---|---|
| Direct email to attorney | 1️⃣ Attorney decides the email belongs in Checkbox. 2️⃣ Attorney CC’s the board-intake address to create a Matter. |
| Shared inbox → Matter creation | 1️⃣ Attorney replies to a message in the shared inbox. 2️⃣ Attorney CC’s the board-intake address. — or set an auto-forward rule from the shared inbox to the BIE. |
| Business emails legal directly | Business users email the board-intake address; each new thread creates a new Matter. |
1. Direct Email to Attorney
When a request is emailed directly to an attorney:
- The attorney determines if the email should become a matter.
- The attorney forwards the email to the board intake email by adding it in the CC field.
Can the tracking email address be put in BCC?
-
- Yes, though this approach is not recommended. The attorney must re-add the tracking board intake email to the thread each time they reply to continue tracking the thread.
2. Shared Inbox
In the shared inbox scenario:
- The attorney replies to any email in the shared inbox.
- The attorney attaches the tracking board intake email to create the matter.
Alternatively, teams can set redirect rules to automatically create matters from emails sent to inbox. This will set the requester in the Requester Field. More information on how to set this up can be found here.
3. Direct Provision to Business
The board intake email address can be provided directly to the business:
- Requests from the business can create matters directly via email by using this address.
By utilizing these methods, the legal team can efficiently manage email intake and streamline the matter creation process in Checkbox.
Changing default intake matter layout
By default, matters will be set to the "General Request" matter layout. This can be changed to another layout configured via the integrations tab within the board settings.
If the selected matter layout is archived, the fallback matter layout “General Request” will be used.
FAQs
-
Can one email be attached to more than one Matter?
- Yes — just CC any additional Matter-intake addresses (MIEs). The same email will appear on every referenced Matter.
-
Why did an email create a new Matter instead of joining the one I expected?
- If you replied or forwarded with the board-intake address (BIE) to a thread that was originally added with a Matter-intake address, Checkbox deliberately creates a new Matter. Send the message again using the correct MIE to place it in the existing Matter.
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What if the subject line is very generic (for example, “Agenda”)?
- Threading is based on an identical subject line (case-insensitive) with prefixes such as “Re:” and “Fwd:” ignored. Two unrelated “Agenda” emails will be grouped together. Add a distinguishing word (e.g., “Agenda – Q3”) or contact Support to split threads.
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Does this new behaviour change emails that were filed before the release?
- No. Existing Matters and threads remain untouched. The rules above apply only to new incoming email after the release date.
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Which user is set in the Requester field?
- If a non-board user emails an intake address (or is included in a reply), Checkbox sets that person as the Requester — provided Automatic New User Creation is enabled.
- If multiple new recipients appear, Checkbox creates accounts for all of them and assigns the first recipient (left → right) as the Requester.
- If a board user sends the email, Checkbox sets that user as the Assignee.
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Why does forwarding to a board-intake address always create a new Matter?
- Forwards usually introduce new context (e.g., adding outside correspondence). To prevent accidental cross-talk, Checkbox treats every forward to a BIE as the start of its own Matter — even if related content already exists elsewhere.