> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.marzipan.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Receiving customer replies

> Set up inbound email so customer replies arrive in your inbox.

Sending email from Marzipan works as soon as your domain is verified. Receiving replies takes one extra step: **inbound email**, which routes messages sent to your domain back into your [Messages](/messages/overview) inbox.

## Setting up inbound email

For customer replies to arrive in Messages, you need to add **MX records** to your sending domain.

<Steps titleSize="p">
  <Step title="Open your email settings">
    Navigate to **Settings > Email**, where your sending domains are listed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the MX records">
    Marzipan displays the DNS records for your domain, including the MX records that route inbound replies back to Marzipan. Add them with your domain registrar or DNS provider.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for verification">
    Return to the email settings page to check the verification status. Each record shows as **Verified** or **Pending**, and the page auto-checks roughly every 60 seconds while records are pending.
  </Step>
</Steps>

See [Settings > Email](/settings/email) for the full list of DNS records and how verification works.

## Use a subdomain

<Warning>
  Putting MX records on your **root domain** (e.g. `yourdomain.com`) captures **all** email for that domain, including mail sent to your normal mailboxes. To avoid this, use a dedicated subdomain such as `mail.yourdomain.com` for sending and inbound replies.
</Warning>

## The inbound email banner

Messages shows a banner at the top of the inbox until inbound email is working. There are two versions, depending on where you've got to:

| When                                           | What it tells you                                                                                                             |
| ---------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Inbound email **isn't configured**             | Customer replies will be delivered to your store email address instead of appearing in Messages                               |
| Configured, but **MX records aren't verified** | Messages will still be sent to customers, but their replies won't appear in Messages until the DNS records have been verified |

In both cases you can carry on sending messages and replying from Marzipan - it's only the customer's response that doesn't thread back into the inbox.