How Automatic Email Threading Works in BoldDesk
Email threading allows you to group related emails together into a single conversation. This can be helpful for keeping track of extended email chains or for organizing emails that are related to the same topic or subject.
- Email threading in BoldDesk determines whether an incoming email reply is added to an existing ticket. It does not control how an external email application displays or groups messages in the recipient’s mailbox.
- BoldDesk includes ticket and email-threading identifiers and can maintain a consistent subject across ticket notifications. However, whether the messages appear as a single conversation in Outlook, Gmail, or another mail system depends on that email application’s conversation-view settings and threading behavior.
- Email conversations in Outlook are grouped based on the Conversation View setting. If related emails are not appearing together, ensure that Show as Conversations (Outlook desktop app) or View as Conversation (Outlook Web) is enabled. Once enabled, Outlook automatically groups emails with the same conversation thread, making it easier to track and manage related communications.
We are identifying ticket threading based on the below three conditions,
- Subject Contains Ticket ID
If you send an email to the support email and the email subject contains the Ticket ID and it follows the format that we have configured, our tool will automatically detect this ticket ID and the format. This allows the emails to be automatically threaded together, so that all of the messages related to a particular ticket are displayed together.
Format: #{{ticket.ID}} - {{ticket.subject}}
- Even if the {{ticket.subject}} differs, the {{ticket.ID}} should be the same. Also, if the structure of the email subject does not meet the format, the update will not be recognized as part of the existing thread and the system will create a new ticket.
- Refer to the example format below:
#234134 - How to add an update to the ticket? - For migrated tickets, email threading is still evaluated using the BoldDesk ticket ID and the ticket identifiers included in BoldDesk notification emails.
- Large email threads may increase in size due to accumulated conversation history, including quoted messages, HTML formatting, email signatures, security disclaimers, and other inline content. To maintain optimal performance, BoldDesk displays only the 25 most recent comments in the Recent Comments section. This behavior is by design and helps provide quick access to the latest interactions while minimizing the performance impact of processing the entire email thread.
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Body content Contains Hidden Ticket ID
If you send an email to create a ticket, you will receive a notification email from our system, and that notification email contains the hidden ticket ID. If you reply to that notification email, our system detects the hidden ticket ID and will post the replied content in the ticket. -
Email Unique Message ID
When a user replies to an email, the original message ID is included in the header of the reply. This reference allows the system to recognize the reply as part of the same conversation. As a result, users don’t need to include the ticket ID in the subject line or forward the message to the support email address—the reply will automatically be linked to the correct ticket.
Here is the priority order for updating an email reply in a ticket. This will work using the “OR” condition.
- Initially, the subject of the email will be validated. If it matches, the replied content will be posted in the ticket.
- If the email subject does not match, the hidden ticket ID will be validated. If it matches, the replied content will be posted in the ticket.
- If no hidden ticket ID is found, the unique message ID will be validated. If it matches, the replied content will be posted in the ticket.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is the ticket subject important for threading?
The ticket subject can differ. Email threading depends on the Ticket ID matching and the subject following the configured format when subject-based threading is used. -
What is the priority order for validating email replies?
BoldDesk checks, in order:- Subject with Ticket ID (configured format)
- Hidden Ticket ID in the body
- Unique message ID in the header
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Do users need to manually include the ticket ID when replying?
Not necessarily. If a user replies to the BoldDesk notification email, BoldDesk can thread using the hidden ticket ID or the message ID reference. -
Can email threading work for forwarded emails?
Forwarded emails may not retain the original message ID reference or hidden ticket ID. To improve threading reliability for forwarded emails, include the Ticket ID in the subject using the correct format. -
Can the ticket ID format used in email subjects be customized?
Yes. BoldDesk allows configuration under Admin → Email Settings. -
Why do replies sometimes create a new ticket instead of updating the existing ticket?
A new ticket can be created when the inbound email does not match any of the three identifiers, including cases where the subject does not match the configured format and the hidden ticket ID or message ID reference is missing. -
Why does BoldDesk show only part of a long email conversation in Recent Comments?
BoldDesk displays only the 25 most recent comments in the Recent Comments section to reduce performance impact from very large email threads.
