# Shared inbox for humans and AI agents

> Startup Mail gives people and AI agents access to the same real custom-domain mailbox. Agents use scoped API keys, webhooks, or MCP. People review the same threads in a web inbox and take over when judgment matters.

## The short answer

Use one durable mailbox as the record. Let automation handle routine work; let people see the original message, proposed reply, recipients, attachments, and complete conversation before anything sensitive leaves the company.

## What both operators use

- People read, search, draft, reply, and send in the Startup Mail web inbox.
- Agents use mailbox-scoped API keys through the REST API, SDK, signed webhooks, or MCP.
- Both work from the same stored message and thread history.
- Access stays explicit, mailbox by mailbox.

## A controlled handoff

1. Mail arrives once and remains in the shared mailbox.
2. An agent performs a narrow task with only the capabilities it needs.
3. A person opens the same thread, reviews the source, and amends or sends the reply.

This model fits support triage, booking and operations inboxes, structured extraction from expected mail, and agents with their own durable company identity.

## Boundaries

Startup Mail does not permit campaigns, newsletters, cold outreach, purchased lists, or scraped contacts. It is not a replacement for an office suite when every employee needs calendars, documents, meetings, storage, and device administration.

## Price and next steps

Startup Mail costs $12 billed yearly and includes every email feature plus 1,000 monthly email events.

- [Start a mailbox](https://staging.startupmail.dev/app)
- [Agent inbox documentation](https://staging.startupmail.dev/docs/agent-inboxes.md)
- [Security documentation](https://staging.startupmail.dev/docs/security.md)
- [Acceptable use](https://staging.startupmail.dev/acceptable-use)