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

# Contact Inbox vs Ticket Inbox

> Understand the difference between contact-based and ticket-based inboxes, and choose the right model for your team.

## Overview

Conduit supports two common inbox models:

* **Contact-based inbox**: one ongoing thread per person (or guest)
* **Ticket-based inbox**: one separate issue record per request

Both can work well. The best choice depends on whether your team primarily manages **relationships** or **individual tasks**.

## Contact-based inbox

A contact-based inbox keeps communication centered on the person. Messages from the same contact are grouped into an ongoing conversation, even when the topic changes over time.

### How it behaves

* New messages from a contact continue the same thread
* Context stays in one place (history, preferences, prior resolutions)
* Agents and teammates reply in a continuous conversation flow
* Follow-up questions are naturally handled in the same thread

### Best for

* Hospitality and property operations
* Guest communication across the full stay lifecycle
* Teams that want full relationship context before replying

## Ticket-based inbox

A ticket-based inbox treats each request as a separate work item. One contact can have multiple open tickets at the same time, each with its own status and lifecycle.

### How it behaves

* Every new issue creates (or is assigned to) a distinct ticket
* Each ticket has clear ownership, status, and resolution tracking
* Work can be routed by issue type or priority
* Reporting focuses on queue performance (SLA, time to resolution, backlog)

### Best for

* IT and internal support desks
* Product or technical support teams
* Operations with strict SLA and queue management requirements

## Side-by-side comparison

| Area                 | Contact-based inbox                      | Ticket-based inbox                |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| Primary unit of work | Person/conversation                      | Issue/ticket                      |
| Thread model         | Persistent, relationship-first thread    | Separate thread per problem       |
| Context              | Rich contact history in one view         | Detailed issue history per ticket |
| Ownership            | Often shared by relationship owner/team  | Explicit assignee per ticket      |
| Reporting focus      | Contact outcomes, response quality       | SLA, backlog, resolution metrics  |
| Works best when      | You need continuity with the same people | You need strict process per issue |

## Practical examples

### Example 1: Hospitality guest messaging (contact-based)

A guest asks about check-in, then later requests early checkout, then asks for parking help. In a contact-based inbox, your team keeps one continuous thread and sees the full context instantly.

### Example 2: Internal IT support (ticket-based)

An employee reports a VPN problem, a laptop battery issue, and a password reset request. In a ticket-based inbox, each issue is tracked separately, assigned to the right specialist, and measured against SLA targets.

## Pros and tradeoffs

### Contact-based inbox

**Pros**

* Strong relationship continuity
* Faster replies with full context visible
* Cleaner experience for teams handling repeat interactions

**Tradeoffs**

* Harder to measure separate issues in the same conversation
* Complex multi-issue threads can become noisy

### Ticket-based inbox

**Pros**

* Clear ownership and accountability per issue
* Better queue prioritization and SLA reporting
* Easier to manage high-volume support operations

**Tradeoffs**

* Context can fragment across multiple tickets
* Agents may need to jump between tickets for one person

## Which should you choose?

<Tip>
  Use a **contact-based inbox** when your team’s success depends on relationship continuity and conversational context.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  Use a **ticket-based inbox** when your team’s success depends on issue-level accountability, queue management, and SLA performance.
</Tip>

If your operation has both needs, many teams run a hybrid approach:

* Contact-based inbox for guest/customer conversations
* Ticket workflows for complex or technical escalations

That gives your front-line team a relationship-first experience while preserving strict operational tracking for issue resolution.