Compose and Send Your First Email

What this guide covers

This guide walks you through composing and sending your first email from the JobsiteOn inbox. You will learn how to open the compose window, select a recipient, write your message with formatting, attach files, and send the email.

By the end of this guide you will know how to:

• Open the compose window from any page in the inbox
• Search for and select recipients from your contact list
• Write a subject line and compose a formatted message body
• Attach files to your email
• Review and send the message
• Verify delivery status after sending

Before you begin

Make sure you have completed these prerequisites:

• Your company email address is configured. You need a verified sending address to compose emails. See Set Up Your Company Email Address if you have not done this yet.
• You have at least one contact in your database. You can send emails to any email address, but having contacts in your database makes recipient selection faster. See the Contacts documentation for how to add contacts.
• You have inbox access enabled. Your workspace owner or admin must have granted you access to the inbox. If you do not see the Inbox option in your sidebar, contact your administrator.

Note: All emails you send from JobsiteOn come from your configured company email address, not from your personal email. This ensures a professional and consistent sender identity.

Step 1 -- Open the inbox

Navigate to the inbox by clicking the Inbox icon in the left sidebar. The inbox view shows your conversation list on the left and the selected conversation on the right.

If this is your first time opening the inbox and no conversations exist yet, you will see an empty state with a prompt to compose your first email.

Step 2 -- Click the compose button

Find the Compose button at the top of the inbox sidebar. It is typically displayed as a prominent button with a pen or plus icon.

Click this button to open the compose window. The compose window appears as a panel where you can enter all the details of your new email.

Tip: You can also start a new email from a contact's profile page. Navigate to the contact, and use the email action to open the compose window with the recipient pre-filled.

Step 3 -- Select or search for a recipient

The To field is where you specify who will receive your email. You have two options:

Search your contacts

Start typing a name, company name, or email address in the To field. JobsiteOn searches your contact database in real time and shows matching results in a dropdown.

Each search result shows:

• The contact's full name
• Their company name (if available)
• Their primary email address

Click a contact to select them as the recipient. Their name and email address will populate the To field.

Enter an email address manually

If the recipient is not yet in your contacts, you can type their full email address directly into the To field and press Enter. JobsiteOn will send the email to that address even if no matching contact exists.

Note: When you send an email to an address that is not in your contact database, you will have the option to create a new contact from the conversation later.

Adding multiple recipients

You can add multiple recipients to a single email. After selecting the first recipient, continue searching or typing to add more. Each recipient appears as a tag in the To field that you can remove individually by clicking the X on the tag.

CC and BCC fields

If you need to copy other people on the email, expand the CC and BCC fields. These work the same way as the To field -- search for contacts or type email addresses directly.

• CC (Carbon Copy) -- recipients can see each other and the main recipient can see them
• BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) -- recipients are hidden from all other recipients

Step 4 -- Write a subject line

Click the Subject field and type a clear, descriptive subject line. The subject line is the first thing your recipient sees, so make it specific and relevant.

Good subject line examples:

• "Estimate for kitchen remodel at 123 Main St"
• "Schedule confirmation for Monday Feb 10"
• "Invoice #1042 -- payment reminder"

Poor subject line examples:

• "Hi"
• "Quick question"
• "FYI"

Tip: A specific subject line helps both you and your customer find the conversation later when searching. It also becomes the conversation name in your inbox, so your team can scan and prioritize more effectively.

Step 5 -- Compose the message body

Click in the message body area and start writing. The rich text editor gives you several formatting options:

Text formatting

Use the toolbar above the editor to format your text:

• Bold -- emphasize important words or phrases
• Italic -- for subtle emphasis or references
• Underline -- highlight key details
• Strikethrough -- show corrections or removed items

Lists

Create organized content with:

• Bullet lists -- for unordered items (click the bullet list icon)
• Numbered lists -- for sequential steps or prioritized items (click the numbered list icon)

Links

Highlight text and click the link icon to add a hyperlink. This is useful for directing customers to:

• Your online booking page
• An invoice payment link
• A document or resource

Paragraphs and spacing

Press Enter to start a new paragraph. Use short paragraphs and clear language. Business emails that are easy to scan get faster responses.

Here is an example of a well-structured email body:

Hi Sarah,

Thank you for reaching out about the fence repair at your property on Elm Street.

I have reviewed the photos you sent and here is what we recommend:

- Replace the three damaged panels on the east side
- Re-stain the entire fence to match the new panels
- Add a new post cap to the corner post

Our estimated cost is $1,200 and we can schedule the work for next Thursday.

Please let me know if you would like to proceed or if you have any questions.

Best regards,
Mike

Tip: Keep your emails concise and professional. Most customers prefer shorter emails that get to the point quickly. Use bullet points for lists of items instead of long paragraphs.

Step 6 -- Add attachments

If you need to include files with your email, you can attach them in two ways:

Click to attach

Click the attachment icon (paperclip) in the editor toolbar. A file picker opens where you can select one or more files from your computer.

Drag and drop

Drag files from your desktop or file explorer directly into the compose area. A drop zone indicator appears when you hover files over the editor.

Supported file types and limits

JobsiteOn supports common business file types including:

• Documents -- PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV
• Images -- JPG, PNG, GIF, WEBP
• Archives -- ZIP

Note: There is a file size limit per attachment. If you need to send very large files, consider using a file sharing service and including the link in your email body instead.

Reviewing attachments

After adding attachments, they appear below the message body as file cards showing the file name, type, and size. You can remove an attachment by clicking the X on its card before sending.

Step 7 -- Review before sending

Before you hit send, take a moment to review:

1. Recipient -- Is the correct person (or people) in the To field?
2. Subject -- Is it clear and specific?
3. Body -- Is the message complete, professional, and free of typos?
4. Attachments -- Are all necessary files included?
5. Sender -- Confirm the sending address shown is your intended company email

Tip: Read your email once from the customer's perspective. Does it answer their question? Does it include all the information they need to take the next step?

Step 8 -- Send the email

Click the Send button to dispatch your email. After sending:

• The compose window closes
• A new conversation is created in your inbox with the sent message as the first entry
• The message is delivered to the recipient's email inbox
• A confirmation indicator briefly appears to confirm the email was sent

The new conversation appears in your inbox list. You can open it to see the sent message and to reply when the customer responds.

What happens after you send

Once the email is sent:

• A conversation is created in your inbox, making it easy to track the thread going forward
• The recipient is linked to the conversation if they match an existing contact
• Your team can see the conversation since the inbox is shared
• The customer receives a normal email in their inbox and can reply directly

When the customer replies, their response appears in the same conversation thread automatically. See Reply to Customer Conversations for how to manage ongoing threads.

Composing emails from other areas

You do not always need to start from the inbox to compose an email. JobsiteOn lets you send emails from several places:

From a contact profile

Open a contact's profile and click the email action. The compose window opens with the recipient pre-filled. This is the fastest way to reach out to a specific customer.

From a job or quote

Some workflows let you send emails directly related to a job or quote. The compose window may pre-fill the subject and recipient based on the context.

From anywhere with the keyboard shortcut

Press C from the inbox view to open the compose window instantly without clicking the button.

Troubleshooting

The compose button is grayed out or missing

This usually means one of the following:

• Your company email address is not yet configured. Go to Settings to set it up.
• Your user role does not have inbox compose permissions. Ask your workspace administrator to check your access level.

I cannot find a contact when searching in the To field

The search looks at contact names, company names, and email addresses. If you cannot find someone:

• Check for typos in your search term
• Verify the contact exists in your Contacts list
• Try searching by email address instead of name
• If the contact does not exist yet, type their email address manually

My email was sent but the customer says they did not receive it

Check these common causes:

• Ask the customer to check their spam or junk folder
• Verify the recipient email address is correct (open the sent conversation to confirm)
• Ensure your domain's SPF and DKIM records are properly configured. See Set Up Your Company Email Address for DNS setup instructions.

FAQ

Can I save a draft and finish composing later?

JobsiteOn automatically saves your compose state while you are working. If you navigate away from the compose window, your draft is preserved. Return to the compose view to continue where you left off.

Can I schedule an email to send at a specific time?

This feature is not currently available. Emails are sent immediately when you click the Send button. If you need to send a message at a specific time, set a reminder for yourself using the snooze feature on a conversation.

Can I send an email to someone who is not in my contacts?

Yes. Type the full email address directly into the To field and press Enter. You do not need to create a contact record first. After the conversation is created, you can optionally link or create a contact from the conversation view.

What email address does the customer see when I send a message?

The customer sees your configured company email address as the sender. They do not see individual team member email addresses. This keeps communication consistent and professional.

Related articles

• How Email Works in JobsiteOn
• Reply to Customer Conversations
• Create Email Templates
• Set Up Your Company Email Address