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

# Create an inbox

> Create a shared inbox and configure its channels, members, routing, and agent behavior.

Create a shared inbox when a team needs its own queue for customer conversations, separated by department and channel. For example, a sales team gets an inbox for its inbound leads, and the parts team gets a separate inbox so it only sees parts conversations.

This page walks through creating an inbox and configuring its channels, members, routing, and agent behavior.

## Create the inbox

1. Go to **Settings → Inboxes**.
2. Click **New inbox**.
3. Choose a name and icon.
4. Save the inbox.

## Configure general settings

Open the inbox and use the **General** tab to update the name and icon. You can archive a shared inbox from the danger zone when it should stop handling messages.

<Warning>
  Archiving an inbox stops the agent from handling messages in that inbox. Personal inboxes cannot be archived from this page.
</Warning>

## Add channels

Use the **Channels** tab to add:

* A phone number with **SMS and Voice**, **SMS only**, or **Voice only** preference.
* An email address built from a verified workspace email domain.
* A web chat widget for website conversations.

Channels must be available in **Settings → Channels** before you can attach them to an inbox.

## Add members

Use the **Members** tab to add workspace users who can view and respond to conversations. Choose an inbox role for each member.

## Configure routing

Choose how incoming leads are assigned:

| Strategy            | Behavior                                                                      |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Specific person** | Assigns every lead to one selected inbox member.                              |
| **Contact owner**   | Assigns to the contact owner when one exists, then falls back to round robin. |
| **Round robin**     | Distributes leads evenly across members.                                      |

## Configure the agent

Use the **Agent** tab to choose the agent mode, prompt, jobs, traffic split, and availability. See [Agent modes](/inbox/agent-modes) for details.

<Info>
  Screenshot placeholder: add a completed shared inbox configuration with channels, members, and agent mode visible.
</Info>