Use @Mentions to Collaborate
Learn how to mention team members in conversations to notify them, request input, and collaborate on customer emails.
What this guide covers
This guide explains how to use @mentions in the JobsiteOn inbox to bring team members into a conversation, notify them of something that needs their attention, and collaborate on customer communication without forwarding emails around.
By the end you will know how to:
- Mention a team member in an internal note
- Understand how mention notifications work
- Use mentions to assign responsibility or request input
- Follow mention etiquette for effective team collaboration
Before you begin
- You need an active JobsiteOn workspace with at least two team members
- You must have inbox access enabled for your account
- The team members you want to mention must also have inbox access
How @mentions work
Mentions let you tag a specific team member inside an internal note on a conversation. When you type the @ symbol followed by a name, JobsiteOn shows a dropdown of matching team members. Selecting a person inserts their name as a highlighted mention and triggers a notification to that person.
Mentions are only available in internal notes, not in customer-facing replies. This means the customer never sees your mentions or the internal discussion around them.
Screenshot: The compose area showing an internal note with the @ dropdown listing matching team members as the user types
Step 1 -- Open a conversation
Navigate to the Inbox from the left sidebar and click on the conversation where you need to collaborate. The conversation thread opens on the right side of the screen.
Step 2 -- Switch to an internal note
Below the conversation thread, locate the reply area. You will see a toggle or tab to switch between Reply (sends an email to the customer) and Note (creates an internal-only message visible to your team).
Click Note to switch to internal note mode. The compose area changes to indicate you are writing an internal note, typically with a yellow or highlighted background.
Tip: Always double-check that you are in Note mode before typing a mention. If you accidentally type
@TeamMemberin a Reply, the mention syntax will appear as plain text in the customer's email.
Step 3 -- Type @ and select a team member
Start typing @ followed by the first few letters of the team member's name. A dropdown appears showing matching team members from your workspace.
Each entry in the dropdown shows:
- The team member's full name
- Their role or title if available
- Their profile avatar
Click a name or use the arrow keys and press Enter to insert the mention. The mentioned name appears as a highlighted chip in your note.
Screenshot: The @mention dropdown showing three matching team members with names and avatars
Step 4 -- Write your message and submit
After inserting the mention, write the rest of your note with the context or question you want that person to see. For example:
@Sarah Chen Can you review the estimate this customer is asking about?
The job is at 456 Oak Drive and they want it done before April.
Click Send Note to post the internal note to the conversation timeline. The mentioned team member receives a notification immediately.
How mention notifications work
When you mention someone, JobsiteOn sends them a notification through the following channels based on their notification preferences:
- In-app notification -- A badge appears on their Inbox icon and in the notification center
- Email notification -- If enabled, they receive an email summary with a link to the conversation
- Browser push notification -- If enabled, a desktop notification appears
The notification includes the conversation subject, your name, and a preview of the note so the recipient can decide how urgently to respond.
Note: If a team member has disabled mention notifications in their preferences, they will not receive alerts even when mentioned. Encourage your team to keep mention notifications enabled for smooth collaboration.
Mention best practices
Be specific about what you need
A mention works best when paired with a clear ask. Instead of just tagging someone, explain what you need from them.
Avoid over-mentioning
Mentioning every team member on every conversation creates notification fatigue. Reserve mentions for situations where someone's specific input or action is needed.
Use mentions instead of forwarding
Rather than forwarding a customer email to a colleague's personal inbox, mention them in an internal note. This keeps the conversation history centralized and visible to the whole team.
Animation: A walkthrough showing a user opening a conversation, switching to Note mode, typing @, selecting a team member, writing a message, and submitting the note
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