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

# Send a message

> Start a conversation with inbox send or inbox_send. A plain message returns as soon as it is delivered.

`inbox send` starts a conversation. A plain message does not wait.

**CLI**

```bash theme={null}
npx @agentinbox/cli inbox send "Nightly build finished — 0 failures."
```

**MCP**

Call `inbox_send` with `message` and no `kind`. It returns once delivery is confirmed.

Leave out a recipient and the message goes to you, or to `INBOX_TO` when that is set. `--to alice` starts a conversation with that contact. `--to alice,bob` reaches each of them (max 50). On a question, the first valid answer wins.

Every send prints the conversation it landed in. Continue there with [reply](/conversations).

> [!WARNING]
>
> A send can land in a conversation that person already opened, and it marks that conversation read. The command warns you when it had unread messages. Read it with `inbox show` before you continue.

## An email address

`--to` accepts an email address. A contact who already has that address is used. An address nobody has yet becomes a new contact and gets a verification email. The command exits `1` and does not deliver:

```text theme={null}
Your message was not sent: alice@acme.com is not verified yet. A verification email is on its way; send again once they have clicked it.
```

Send the message again after they verify.

## Cards

A plain message arrives as text. Pass `--subtitle`, `--body`, or `--icon` and it becomes a card. `--icon` is Slack-only: an MCP catalog id such as `stripe`, or an https URL. Other channels ignore it.

```bash theme={null}
npx @agentinbox/cli inbox send "Refund issued" \
  --subtitle "ORD-42" \
  --body "Refund $25.00" \
  --from "deploy-bot"
```

`--from` is the label the person sees, such as `deploy-bot`. `--via telegram`, `--via slack`, or `--via email` delivers on that channel instead of the person's default. `--via` exists on send only.

On MCP, the same fields are `subtitle`, `body`, `icon`, `from`, and `via`.

`ask`, `approve`, and `choose` are the next page. They start a conversation the same way, and they wait.


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