Can be configured by: Admins, Managers, Coordinators
Location: Communication > Mailing lists

About
Create a public inbox
What happens when mail is received
Why it works this way

A Public Inbox is a specific type of mailing list in CG4 that allows your organization to receive email from anyone, while only sending notifications to selected internal members.

It does not forward or send outgoing email from your site.

If you are looking for a mailing list that can both receive and forward messages to recipients, please see this help page instead:
https://groupanizer.crunch.help/en/choir-genius/email

What Is a Public Inbox?

A Public Inbox is ideal for email addresses such as:

• contact@

• info@

• admin@

Anyone can send an email to this address. When they do:

• The message is posted inside your CG4 site

• Selected people are notified

• You can view the message within CG

• Replies must be sent from your personal email client

This design protects your site's email reputation while still allowing public communication.

How to Create a Public Inbox

1. Navigate to:
   Communication > Mailing lists

2. Click the Add mail list button.

3. On the next page:

   • List Name
     Enter a clear internal name (e.g., Contact Us, Info, General Inquiries).

   • List Address
     Enter the address portion people will email (e.g., contact, info).
     This becomes the public-facing email address.

   • Prefix
     Leave blank — not required.

   • List Name Setting
     No changes required.

   • Sending and Receiving
     Select Public Inbox.

   • List Members
     Select the people who should receive a notification when a new email arrives.

     Members must be selected via an Account Set.

     If you need a custom group:

     • Create a label or subgroup

     • Assign it to the desired people

     • Then select that Account Set here

   • Mail Template
     Leave as default.

4. Click Save.

Your Public Inbox is now active.

What Happens When Mail Is Received?

When someone sends an email to your Public Inbox:

• Anyone can send to it (no account required)

• The email is posted inside the list inbox on your CG site

• List Members receive a notification containing a link to view the message

• The message can be read within CG

Replying to Messages

• Clicking the reply arrow opens your device’s email client

• You cannot reply from inside CG

• If needed, you can copy the sender’s email address and paste it into your preferred email service

Why Public Inbox Works This Way

Public-facing email addresses attract spam. Unfortunately, spam is not just annoying — it can damage your email sending reputation.

Here’s why that matters:

Email systems (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, etc.) evaluate the reputation of the domain and IP address sending messages. If spam is forwarded from your site to your members or administrators, email providers may begin to:

• Flag your messages as spam

• Deliver them to junk folders

• Block them entirely

CG4 uses Mailgun for email delivery. Mailgun includes spam filtering, but no filtering system is perfect. Some spam always slips through.

If incoming spam were automatically forwarded from your site to personal email accounts, it would:

• Increase spam complaints

• Increase bounce rates

• Lower your domain’s sending reputation

• Reduce deliverability of important emails to your choir members

Modern email delivery is increasingly strict. Providers use:

• Domain reputation scoring

• SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication checks

• Engagement metrics (opens, clicks, spam reports)

• IP reputation monitoring

Even small reputation issues can significantly impact inbox placement.

By posting public email inside your CG site and sending only a notification link (rather than forwarding the full message), we:

• Protect your sending reputation

• Prevent spam from spreading to members

• Keep your outgoing emails more likely to reach inboxes

• Maintain long-term email stability for your organization

This structure prioritizes deliverability and protects your communication with your choir.

If you need a mailing list that forwards messages automatically instead of functioning as a Public Inbox, please refer to the standard mailing list help page linked above.