Reply to notification emails get threaded into threads/posts

[Nigel Moore]

On a lot of Community platforms, they have a feature that allows for users to reply to thread email notifications and their email reply gets added as a post inside the thread. 

This is wildly useful for engagement as there are a huge amount of people who love hanging out and replying to things in their Inboxes / mail client instead of inside a Forum. 

I thought I saw something about IPBoard adding this feature a few years ago but can't seem to find it.

Does anyone know if it was actually added?

Edited October 17, 2022 by Nigel Moore

[Marc]

This is not something that is a feature of the platform at the present time, unfortunately

[David N.]

On 10/17/2022 at 7:57 AM, Nigel Moore said:

On a lot of Community platforms, they have a feature that allows for users to reply to thread email notifications and their email reply gets added as a post inside the thread. 

That would explain why some of our members reply to the email notification rather than clicking the button to go to the thread in the forum: 

 

[Nigel Moore]

On 10/20/2022 at 8:44 AM, Jamynee said:

That would explain why some of our members reply to the email notification rather than clicking the button to go to the thread in the forum: 

Yes, this happens to us from time to time as well. 

On 10/17/2022 at 9:37 PM, Marc Stridgen said:

This is not something that is a feature of the platform at the present time, unfortunately

Ok, thanks for the reply. 

Is it something that would potentially be built out one day?

Or is it not worth chasing?

[Randy Calvert]

You can make the ask in the feature request forum, but I personally would not expect it to happen anytime soon if at all.  

One idea to consider though...  don't show the full message via email.  If only a part of the message is displayed via email, it forces users back to your site to reply.

ACP > Settings > Email Settings

This should stop a lot of those situations where someone just replies to the email notification.  

You could also look at editing your email templates to add a reminder to not reply.  Something like:

NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL MESSAGE.  YOU NEED TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO RESPOND.  EMAIL REPLIES ARE NOT PROCESSED. 

[David N.]

5 hours ago, Randy Calvert said:

I personally would not expect it to happen anytime soon if at all.  

Why not? It sounds like the feature wouldn't be very complex to implement and it's how many other platforms work. 

5 hours ago, Randy Calvert said:

One idea to consider though...  don't show the full message via email.  If only a part of the message is displayed via email, it forces users back to your site to reply.

That's already how my forum is set up, and that does not stop people from replying to the email notification. 

Case #1 short answers. I just received one that said: "Thanks. How is this helpful? I feel like I must be missing something obvious. " — that entire answer fits as a sample so it's shown in the email. 

Case #2 answers that are shortened with an elipsis added, but it's not clear that the answer the person posted isn't that shortened bit with the elipsis at the end. Something like "there was a case in the early 2000‘s where an iTunes update had a small error in the installer that would completely erase every attached any drive..." — it's not clear that the answer doesn't stop there and that there's more if you click the button. 

Case #3 short answers that are later edited by the poster. Only the short sample is sent in the notification, and it looks like you are getting the entire answer (no elipsis), but in reality there's more content to be read when you go to the forum.

Moreover, the button is labeled "Go to this Post", it should be labeled something like "Read the Full Reply" instead. 

Still hoping for the option to have no sample at all and a simple button "Read the Comment". For me, that would be the absolute best way to handle this.

Edited November 17, 2022 by Jamynee

[Marc]

7 hours ago, Nigel Moore said:

Is it something that would potentially be built out one day?

Or is it not worth chasing?

I can only suggest adding to the suggestions forum. I would not be able to advise on the likelihood of any specific item being added