Custom inboxes and filter presets are two of the most powerful tools available in the Agorapulse Inbox. Used together, they allow you to organize incoming messages by brand, team, or workflow so users can focus on what matters most to them without having to sift through unrelated content.
Custom inboxes are available on Professional, Advanced, and Custom plans. While filter presets require an Advanced or Custom subscription plan. Please reach out to our support team if you would like access to these features.
This article will cover:
How to plan your custom inbox structure
A custom inbox groups multiple social profiles into a single, focused view. Before creating any inboxes, it is worth thinking about:
Profiles & structure: How many social profiles do you manage, and do they belong to a single brand or multiple distinct entities (e.g., store locations, product lines, separate brands)?
Example: "12 profiles 4 store locations each with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok" or "6 profiles for one brand across multiple networks"Team: How many people handle inbox moderation, and do they each focus on specific profiles/entities, or does everyone work across all profiles?
Example: "3 people, each owning a region" or "2 people covering everything"
Volume: Roughly how many inbox items (comments, DMs, mentions) do you receive per day across all profiles?
Example: "~50/day", "200–500/day", "1,000+"
Note: For step-by-step instructions on creating a custom inbox, check out this article.
When to use a custom inbox
Custom inboxes work best when you manage two or more profiles that belong to a distinct entity, such as a brand, store location, region, or product line. If you only manage a single profile, a custom inbox is not necessary; the default profile view is sufficient.
Use the following rules to guide your structure:
Team type | Recommendation |
Multiple entities, each with 2+ profiles | 1 custom inbox per entity, containing ALL profiles for that entity across all networks |
Single brand, 2+ profiles across networks | 1 unified custom inbox with all profiles |
Each entity has only 1 profile | No custom inboxes. Use the default profile view. Filter presets still apply. |
Team specializes by entity | Align 1 custom inbox per ownership area (e.g., per CM, per region) |
Team specializes by language/geography | 1 custom inbox per language/region if each contains 2+ profiles |
Conglomerate with disparate brands/shows | 1 custom inbox per brand/show if each has 2+ profiles; otherwise, default profile view |
Naming your custom inboxes
Use clear, descriptive names that reflect the entity or ownership area, for example, EMEA Region, Brand North America, or Store Locations – France. Avoid generic names like "Inbox 1" or "My Inbox."
Guidelines to follow when creating a custom inbox
Always include all profiles for a given entity in the same custom inbox.
You shouldn't create a custom inbox for only some of the profiles belonging to a single entity
Don't create a custom inbox based on message type (for example, a "DMs inbox" or a "Comments inbox"). Message type belongs in filter presets, not inbox structure.
How to Plan Your Filter Presets
Filter presets let you save a specific combination of filters as a named, one-click view within the Inbox. They are designed to surface the items that matter most quickly and without requiring you to reapply filters each session.
Note: For step-by-step instructions on creating an Inbox Filter preset, check out this article.
How many presets to create
Start conservatively. A small number of well-chosen presets is far more effective than a long list that goes unused. Use your daily inbox volume as a guide:
Daily inbox volume | Recommended number of presets |
Fewer than 50 items/day | 2–3 presets |
50–200 items/day | 3–5 presets |
200–500 items/day | 5–7 presets |
500+ items/day | 7–10 presets (do not exceed 10) |
How to construct a preset
Each preset should use exactly two filter criteria. Common combinations include:
Item type + review status (for example, DMs that are "To Review")
Sentiment + review status (for example, Negative items that are "To Review")
Label + review status (for example, items tagged "Support" that are "To Review")
Naming presets
Keep preset names between 7 and 15 characters. Names should be clear and purposeful. For example, DMs To Review, Ads Negative, or Unassigned. Try to avoid vague names like "test," "R," or "New Preset 3."
Do not create a broad "All Items" preset, as it defeats the purpose of filtering and adds no value over the default inbox view.
If you use labels in your inbox, name each corresponding preset to match the label exactly. This makes it immediately clear what each preset surfaces.
Choosing which presets to create
The right presets depend on how your team works. Use the following signals to guide your choices:
You use "To Review" as a working queue: Add review status as a filter criterion in every preset.
You use assignment to route messages to team members: Add an Assigned to Me preset and an Unassigned preset.
Your team checks DMs first every morning: Place a DMs To Review preset first in your preset order.
Ad comments make up most of your volume: Add an Ads Review preset (ad comments + To Review) and consider an Ads Negative preset (ad comments + negative sentiment + To Review).
Negative or crisis messages are a priority: Add a Negative preset (negative sentiment + To Review).
You handle support or sales inquiries: Create a moderation rule that auto-applies a label (for example, "Support"), then create a matching preset (label + To Review).
You already use labels: Create one preset per label (label + To Review), and match the preset name to the label name exactly.
Recommended Preset Combinations by Team Type
If you are unsure where to start, use the following preset sets as a baseline for your team type. You can always refine after the first few weeks of use.
Team type | Recommended preset set |
Workflow or sequence-driven teams | DMs To Review · Comments To Review · Mentions To Review |
Reputation or support-focused teams | Negative · Support · DMs To Review |
Collaborative teams using assignments | Assigned to Me · Unassigned · My Team |
Label-based workflows | One preset per label (label + To Review) |
High ad comment volume | DMs · Ads Neg · Ads Review |
How to implement your setup
For most teams, a phased approach works best. Rather than configuring everything at once, build your setup gradually so you can observe what is actually being used.
Week 1: Core setup
Create your custom inboxes (if applicable), following the structure guidelines above.
Create your core three to five filter presets based on your team type and daily volume.
Order presets so that the highest-priority view appears first.
Week 2: Add automation (Advanced and Custom plans)
Identify two to three inbox item types that need consistent labeling (for example, support requests, sales inquiries, or negative reviews).
Create moderation rules to auto-apply labels to matching messages.
Add a corresponding filter preset for each new label (label + To Review).
Note: For guidance on setting up moderation rules and inbox labels, read our Help Center articles on How to Create and Manage Inbox Labels and How to Set Up Automated Moderation in the Inbox.
Week 3: Review and refine
Remove any presets that have not been used after two weeks.
Expand keyword-based moderation rules as needed based on what you observed in Week 2.
Reassess preset order based on actual usage patterns.
Tip: A unified inbox with high message volume and no filter presets becomes difficult to manage quickly. If your team is working from a single large view without presets, adding even two or three targeted presets will have an immediate impact on moderation efficiency.