> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cortado.pro/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Compose Emails > Write one-off emails to customers from any lead, contact, booking, quote, or invoice ## Compose Overview Compose Email is how you write one-off, personal messages to customers from inside Cortado. It's distinct from automated system emails (covered in [Marketing & System Emails](/guides/marketing)) and notification digests (covered in [Notifications](/guides/notifications)) — Compose is for the messages you choose to send to a specific customer at a specific moment. Every email you compose is permanently attached to the record you sent it from, so future teammates can see the full conversation history. Compose requires at least one Gmail account or a verified domain configured under Settings > Communications. See [Email](/guides/integrations/email) for setup. Without one, the Compose button is disabled and a tooltip explains why. ## Opening Compose Compose Email is available from the Activity area on any record that has a customer attached: * A lead * A contact * A booking * A quote * An invoice Open the record's detail page, scroll to the **Activity** area, and click **Compose Email** in the toolbar. A side sheet slides in from the right. ## The Compose Sheet ### From The From dropdown lists every sender identity available to your organization. Each option is clearly labeled so you know which path it's using: * `Name (Gmail)` — a linked Gmail account * `Name (Domain)` — an address on your verified domain Accounts that need reconnection are hidden from the list. The default selection follows the [send precedence](/guides/integrations/email#send-precedence) — verified domain first, then your linked Gmail, then the organization's default Gmail. ### To The To field is pre-filled with the record's primary email address and is read-only. To send to a different recipient, update the contact on the record or use the Share action on a quote or invoice. ### Subject Subject is required. When you're replying to an existing thread, Cortado pre-fills "Re: …" with the original subject so the conversation stays grouped in the customer's inbox. ### Body The body is a rich-text editor with formatting, links, and support for email templates and template variables. Empty bodies can't be sent. Paragraphs, lists, and line breaks you enter in the editor are preserved in the email the customer receives — including the plain-text copy some mail apps show instead of HTML. Signatures with line breaks (name, title, and business on separate lines) stay stacked instead of collapsing into one run-on line. ## Email Templates If you've built reusable templates at Settings > Communications > Email Templates, the body's toolbar includes a **Templates** menu. It lists every template available for this record's context: * Inquiry * Quote * Booking * Invoice * General Click a template to insert its subject and body into the compose sheet, with variables filled in automatically from the record — customer name, event date, quote total, and so on. Templates are the fastest way to keep tone consistent across the team. If you find yourself rewriting the same follow-up email week after week, save it as a template once and pull it in from the Templates menu thereafter. ## Variables You can insert variables — pieces of data pulled from the record — anywhere in the body or subject. * Type the `{{variable_name}}` syntax directly, or use the inline **variable picker** to browse a contextual list of everything available for the current record. * Variables show as labeled **badges** in the editor so they're easy to spot and remove. * A variable that doesn't exist for the current record shows with a warning highlight. You can't send until every variable resolves to a real value. ## Signature You can set a per-user rich-text **email signature** in your account settings (see [Account](/guides/account)). The compose sheet has an **Include signature** checkbox that toggles whether to append your signature to this specific message. It defaults to on if you have a signature configured. Signatures are user-specific, not organization-wide. Each teammate sets their own — useful when different staff handle different parts of an event. ## Sending Click **Send**. Cortado uses the From address you selected and sends through the matching path — Gmail or verified domain. After sending: * The email is added to the record's **Emails** tab in the Activity area. * Anyone with access to the record can see the message. * If the recipient replies and your domain has inbound routing enabled, the reply appears in the same Emails tab automatically. ### Validation Before Send Cortado blocks Send until: * Subject is not empty * Body is not empty * Every template variable resolves to a real value * At least one Gmail account or verified domain is available to send from If any of these aren't satisfied, the Send button stays disabled and the offending field is highlighted. ## Email History Every lead, contact, and booking has an **Emails** tab in the Activity area showing 20 messages per page, newest first. The tab includes both messages sent from Cortado and incoming messages routed through your verified domain. Each row shows: * Sender and recipient * Timestamp * Subject Click a row to expand the body inline. The tab is read-only — to reply, click **Compose Email** in the toolbar to draft a fresh message linked to the same record. The Emails tab is the easiest way to hand off a customer to a teammate. They can scroll the full history before reaching out, so the customer never has to repeat themselves. ## Best Practices 1. **Verify a domain or link a shared inbox** — sending from a branded `team@` address is more professional than a personal Gmail, and replies stay accessible if staff turn over. 2. **Build templates for repetitive sends** — first-touch outreach, follow-ups, and thank-yous belong in templates so anyone on the team can send them in seconds. 3. **Write a strong signature in your account settings** — a consistent signature with your name, role, and best contact number elevates every email you send. 4. **Use the variable picker for safety** — picking variables from the menu prevents typos that would block sending. 5. **Add a personal touch on big-deal replies** — templates are great for routine emails, but high-value leads deserve a couple of personal sentences before the template body. 6. **Use the Emails tab as a handoff aid** — before transferring a customer to a teammate, point them to the Emails tab so they can read the full history first. Connect Gmail or verify a domain so Cortado can send and receive email. Customize the automated emails Cortado sends on your behalf. Set your personal signature, profile, and notification preferences. Browse the full timeline of emails, notes, and changes on every record.