Read and answer replies

When a reader replies to the email of a conversation, the reply is kept with that conversation. Open the conversation's Insights (the chart icon on its row in Studio > Conversations): its Replies list is under the figures.

A row shows the reader, the conversation's subject, the first words of the last message ("You: ..." when your team wrote last), and how long ago. A dot and a bold subject mean it is unread. Badges say if it is Unanswered, Spam, Assigned to me, Done or snoozed ("Snoozed until ...").

The number of unread replies is on the Conversations entry of the Studio's menu, and is read again every 30 seconds while the Studio is open.

Open a reply

A click on a row opens the reader's message in a side window:

• At the top, the reader's name and address. When they are a subscriber you also see their status, what they pay and their labels, with an Insights button for that subscriber.
• Below, the messages from oldest to newest. Yours are on the right, the reader's on the left. An automatic reply is dimmed, spam is marked, and attachments are listed, with a download for those that were kept.
• At the bottom, the answer box.

Opening a reply marks it read. Mark unread puts it back as unread and closes the window.

Answer

Write in the answer box. You can use paragraphs, lists, quotes, bold, italics, underline and links. A line under the box reminds you that the answer is signed with your name and sent from your publication. Press Send.

The answer is sent by email to the reader. By default, the reader's next reply is also emailed to you: that is the Also send replies to my email switch in the tab's Settings. Turn it off to read replies in Peakub only.

Saved answers

If you write the same answer again and again, keep it:

1. Write the answer, then choose Save as a saved answer under the box.
2. Give it a name. It is offered with the first words of the answer.
3. Next time, choose Saved answers under the box and click one. It goes into the box where your cursor was, and you can change it before sending.

With more than five saved answers, a search field filters them. Each one has a small menu with Rename and Delete. Deleting a saved answer does not change the answers already sent.

Saved answers belong to your publication and are shared by the team members who see conversations. They are separate from your email templates: a saved answer never shows up in "My templates", and a template never shows up as a saved answer.

Keep track of a reply

At the top of the reply's window:

• Mark done moves the reply out of "Unanswered", and Reopen brings it back.
• Snooze puts the reply off: Later today, Tomorrow morning, Next week or Pick a time. It leaves your inbox and comes back unread at that time. End the snooze brings it back now.
• Assign gives the reply to a teammate who sees conversations, or to Nobody. It then carries the badge Assigned to me for that person.

Delete

Owners can use Delete this conversation, after a confirmation. The reader's messages and the answers are erased for everyone on the team. This cannot be undone.

Who sees conversations, and the tab's settings

Studio > Conversations > Settings has two settings:

• Also send replies to my email, on by default.
• Who sees conversations, for owners: one switch per team member. Owners always see conversations. An editor does once you turn them on.

Replies are private to your team. A reader's reply is never shown on your publication.

Replies to your pieces and your automations

Readers also reply to the pieces you send: an article, a zine, a chapter or a page. Those answers are in the Conversations list, under the piece's own Conversation: filter the tab with About your pieces. See Readers answering your pieces.

Replies to automation emails, and to a digest, are not in that list. Read them in the automation's Replies section and its insights. They open in the same window and are answered the same way.

What happens to a reader's replies if they leave

If a reader deletes their Peakub account, their conversations with every publication they subscribed to are erased, and so are your team's read marks on them.

If replies can't be shown

If Peakub can't reach the replies for a moment, the list says "Replies can't be shown right now" and offers Try again. Your readers' replies are safe and appear again as soon as the service is back.