# Email replies and support conversations

Reply to customers, forward selected ticket content or consult another recipient in a linked support conversation.

*Release 3.3 · operator, supervisor, visitor*

**Settings › Email › General Settings**

## What it is

You can reply to a customer from an enabled email account, copy other recipients or forward selected ticket content. A **Support Conversation** keeps a consultation with another recipient linked to the ticket while maintaining its own exchange. Visitors receive the email content and copies selected for that message.

## Who uses it and why

- Operators answer customers and consult suppliers or colleagues.
- Supervisors check recipients, selected history and outstanding support work.
- Visitors continue their enquiry by replying to the email they receive.

## Where to find it

Open the ticket's reply composer, **Forward Ticket** or **Start new Support Conversation**. Use the linked **Support Conversation** to read and answer that recipient's replies.

Powerfront manages **Settings › Email › General Settings**. Ask Powerfront to change sender selection, available reply statuses, support controls or transcript restrictions.

## How it works

For a customer reply, check **Send From**, the customer address, **CC** and **BCC**. Write the message, select any files and choose the send action for the required status. Review existing copies on each reply and remove any that should no longer receive it.

To forward content, open **Forward Ticket**. Enter **To**, review **Subject** and **Description**, then choose **Attach Conversation** and the messages to include. **Attach Internal Comments** starts off. Turn it on only when those comments should be disclosed to the forwarding recipient.

To consult someone, use **Start new Support Conversation**, choose the recipient and write the request. Replies remain with that support exchange. A support conversation cannot send to the main ticket customer as its primary recipient; use the customer reply composer for that.

Support work has its own unread and delivery feedback. Before resolving a parent ticket, review its open support conversations and finish or retain that work as appropriate.

## Configure it

Ask Powerfront to enable the reply options you need. **Allow Changing From Email Address** controls sender changes, while **Enable Subsite Restrictions for Email Accounts** can narrow the choices.

Ask Powerfront to keep **Restrict related conversations in email replies** on if ordinary ticket emails should omit linked conversations. Selected messages sent in a support context are an exception. Turning the restriction off broadens transcript content to related conversations.

### Settings

| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allow Changing From Email Address | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Allows operators to change the sending account when alternatives are available. |
| Restrict related conversations in email replies | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | On | Powerfront, on request | Omits related conversations from normal ticket email transcripts; selected messages in a support conversation are an exception. |
| Disable Support Conversations | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Hides the associated support and forwarding controls. |
| Disable Send As Pending | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Removes Pending from the available reply actions. |
| Disable Send As Open | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Removes Open from the available reply actions. |
| Include Operator Name in From Address | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | On | Powerfront, on request | Adds the selected operator's screen name to the sender display name. |
| Can reply to Tickets without being Available | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Allows ticket replies when the operator is not Available. |
| Use Operator's Email Alias | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Uses a configured operator email alias for replies when one is available. |
| Enable Subsite Restrictions for Email Accounts | Settings › Email › General Settings | website | Off | Powerfront, on request | Restricts the email accounts offered for the relevant subsite. |

### Fields

| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send From | Ticket editor | Yes | Selects an enabled sending account when sender selection is allowed. |
| CC | Ticket editor | No | Copies other recipients visibly on the email. |
| BCC | Ticket editor | No | Copies recipients without showing them in the visible recipient list. |
| To | Forward Ticket | Yes | Identifies the forwarding recipients. |
| Subject | Forward Ticket | No | Sets the forwarded email subject. |
| Description | Forward Ticket | No | Supplies the explanatory message for the recipient. |
| Attach Conversation | Forward Ticket | No | Includes conversation content, subject to the selected messages. |
| Attach Internal Comments | Forward Ticket | No | Explicitly includes internal comments in the forwarded content. |

## Limits and good to know

- Ordinary ticket emails exclude internal comments by default. Forwarding can explicitly include them.
- **Attach Conversation** starts on in **Forward Ticket**. Review the message selection before sending.
- A support conversation has its own recipients and history. Check which composer you are using.
- Clearing **CC** is different from leaving existing copies unchanged. Confirm the resulting list before sending.
- Closing or resolving a customer ticket should not replace reviewing outstanding support work.
- Delivery failures on support messages belong to the support exchange; inspect that message when retrying.

## Depends on and works with

### This feature uses

- **Requires** [Email account and mailbox setup](CHN-024.md): Outgoing messages use an enabled email account and its identity.
- **Requires** [Email ticket handling and statuses](CHN-026.md): Replies and support work belong to a parent ticket with its own status and assignee.
- **Configured in** [Operator settings](ADM-010.md): Operator signatures and configured aliases affect outgoing identity.
- **Configured in** [Email templates and ticket notifications](CHN-028.md): Templates determine the message layout, signature and transcript content.
- **Configured in** [Email sender blocking and exceptions](CHN-030.md): Email block rules can prevent delivery to the main recipient.
- **Configured in** [Email send cancellation and delivery failures](CHN-031.md): Email send-delay and retry settings control queued replies and failed delivery attempts.
- **Works better with** [Internal comments](CHAT-014.md): Internal comments remain private unless explicitly included in forwarding.
- **Works better with** [Saved responses](CHAT-015.md): Saved responses can supply reply and forwarding text.
- **Works better with** [Attachments in conversations](CHAT-018.md): Selected files can accompany replies and forwarded content.
- **Works better with** [Merging tickets and related conversations](CHAT-026.md): Linked conversations can supply extra transcript content when the email reply settings permit it.
- **Works better with** [Incoming email and ticket replies](CHN-025.md): Reply references attach incoming support and customer replies to their conversations.

### Used by

- **Configures** [Email Autopilot for tickets](AI-012.md): Email reply settings control the normal sending path used for Autopilot replies.
- **Configures** [Email templates and ticket notifications](CHN-028.md): Transcript selection and related-conversation restrictions affect rendered email content.
- **Enhances** [History and message inspection](CON-016.md): Email messages offer original-message and source inspection.
- **Enhances** [Saved responses](CHAT-015.md): Email response insertion can supply formatted text and blind-copy recipients.
- **Enhances** [Merging tickets and related conversations](CHAT-026.md): Support email conversations move with a merged ticket and can remain separate threads under a parent conversation.
- **Enhances** [Incoming email and ticket replies](CHN-025.md): Replies to support requests can return to their separate linked support conversation.
- **Enhances** [Email ticket handling and statuses](CHN-026.md): Replies and linked support work are managed from the ticket.
- **Enhances** [Email recipient suggestions](CRM-009.md): Email reply, forwarding and support workflows provide additional recipient controls that use suggestions.
- **Enhances** [Ticket reports](REP-011.md): Replies and forwarding supply handling activity.

## FAQ and troubleshooting

### Why can I not change Send From?

Powerfront may have disabled sender changes, only one enabled account may be available, or subsite restrictions may exclude alternatives.

### Why is Forward Ticket or the support action missing?

The ticket state or **Disable Support Conversations** can hide these controls. Ask Powerfront to check the website setting.

### Will the customer receive my support request?

The support request goes to its selected recipient. Check **To**, any copies and the selected transcript before sending.

### Why did the forwarded email include internal comments?

Check whether **Attach Internal Comments** was selected. That option deliberately includes them in the forwarded content.

### Why is history from a linked conversation missing?

The default restriction omits related conversations from ordinary ticket replies. Review the selected messages when sending in a support conversation.