Build an email support agent with Mailboxes

Give the agent a mailbox, receive a customer request and prepare a reply in the original thread. Keep the business action separate from the act of sending an email.

Run the complete Node.js support inbox or Python support inbox first. Both examples create a local case, acknowledge a received message and reconcile an uncertain reply. Replace the fixed acknowledgement with your reviewed draft only after connecting the authorized business action.

Follow your first agent mailbox to create an address and inspect a thread. Give the mailbox a clear purpose, such as support for a single application, and retain its identifier with your integration configuration.

Use mailbox operations to retrieve messages and reply. The same documented operations are available through Bird's agent setup; a coding agent does not require a separate email protocol.

Handle the incoming mailbox event using the email events guide. Record the incoming message ID before scheduling agent work so a repeated event does not create another support task.

Load the thread's relevant messages. Treat quoted text and attachments as customer-provided content. They may describe a request, but they do not establish account ownership or grant permission to change an order.

Look up the customer's order or case in your application. Ground the reply in the current record and distinguish a requested change from a completed change. For example, report that a refund was issued only after the payment system confirms it.

During rollout, present the draft and proposed business action to a reviewer. Store the approved text and the source message so a retry does not silently create a different response.

Use the documented thread reply operation for the message being answered. Save the outgoing message ID and inspect its outcome. Avoid creating an unrelated new email when the customer expects a reply to an existing conversation.

A customer may correct the request while the agent is working. Check for a newer message before performing a consequential action or sending a stale draft. Keep the case open when the customer's intent is unclear.

Test a duplicate event, a second customer reply, an attachment the agent cannot read and a send failure. Mailbox troubleshooting covers these boundaries.

Mailbox resources includes migration paths and shared Email guides.