Common questions: your Renta inbox address and email forwarding

Quick answers about Inbox setup. The Inbox is Renta's shared mailbox for customer email. Setup gives your business its own Renta address and shows you how to forward your existing mail into it.

Where to find it

Settings → Inbox, and Inbox in the sidebar once it is switched on. If you cannot find either, see the first answer below.

Questions and answers

Why can't I find Settings → Inbox or the Inbox in my sidebar?

The Inbox is switched on by Renta, and it is off by default. While it is off, the Settings → Inbox page does not exist and there is no Inbox link in the sidebar. On the Integrations page you see an Email Inbox tile marked Coming soon, which says "Read and reply to customer email from inside Renta". There is nothing for you to turn on yourself.

What is the Inbox?

A shared mailbox inside Renta where your team reads and replies to customer emails in one place. See Reading and replying to customer emails in Renta.

How do I get my inbox address?

Open Settings → Inbox. If you have no address yet, the page says "Set up your Inbox address". Press Set up email. Renta creates a dedicated address for your business and shows it under Your Inbox address.

What will my inbox address look like?

It starts with your account's web name (the short name in your storefront address) followed by Renta's mail domain, which is mail.getrenta.io unless Renta has set a different one. A Copy button next to it puts it on your clipboard ("Copied!").

Can I choose or change my inbox address?

Not from this page. The address is built from your account's web name, and once it exists the page offers no button to change it.

What do the Verified, Pending, Failed, and Not started badges mean?

They show how far Renta's check of your mail address has got. Verified means it is ready. Pending means the check is still in progress (some parts can take time to come through, so it can sit here for a while). Failed means the check did not pass, and Not started means it has not begun. Press Check status to run the check again; the button disappears once you are Verified.

Why does the Inbox say "Replies to this message will go to your Gmail, not here"?

Your Inbox address is not Verified yet. Until it is, replies you send from the Inbox go out from "[Your business] via Renta" and the customer's answer goes to your regular email instead of back into the Inbox. Once the status is Verified, replies come from your Inbox address and customer answers return to the Inbox.

How do I forward my Gmail into the Inbox?

On the Forward your mail here card, the Gmail steps are: open Gmail Settings → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP; click Add a forwarding address and enter your inbox address; Gmail sends a confirmation code to that address, so click the link it provides; then choose Forward a copy of incoming mail to and save.

How do I forward my Outlook mail into the Inbox?

The Outlook steps on the same card are: open Settings → Mail → Forwarding, enable forwarding, enter your inbox address, and save.

What does the "I've set it up" button do?

It records that you have set up forwarding, and the card then shows "Forwarding confirmed." It does not test the forwarding, so check that a forwarded email really arrives.

Can I give my inbox address straight to customers?

Yes. The page subtitle says "Give customers one address to email — replies land back here." Forwarding is for mail that arrives at your existing Gmail or Outlook address.

My status stays on Failed or Pending. What now?

Press Check status again after a while, since parts of the check can take time to come through. If it still says Failed, email Renta support at team@rentalabs.io.

Where do I read and answer customer emails after setup?

In Inbox in the sidebar. Threads sit under Open, Archived, Spam, and Trash. See Reading and replying to customer emails in Renta.

How is this different from the "Reply-to address" on the Emails page?

They are two separate settings. The Sender name and Reply-to address on Settings → Emails control what customers see on Renta's automated emails (see Common questions: customer emails, sender name, and text messages). The inbox address is a mailbox Renta creates for you.

Who is allowed to set up the inbox address?

Anyone with the "Manage email inbox" permission, which Owner, Manager, and Staff all have by default. Viewing needs "View email inbox", which all three also have.