Service Requests by Email

Create, update, comment on, and receive Service Request notifications through email

1. Introduction

Each BriefSpec project has its own Service Request email addresses. Send email to the create, update, or comment address for that project. You may also receive notifications from the project notification address.

• Work in BriefSpec as usual — email does not replace the Service Requests screen.
• Always copy the address from the project you are in. Other projects use different email addresses.
• Other modules, such as Defects, may have separate email addresses. This guide covers Service Requests only.

2. What you can do by email

Goal	Use this email address	What to include in the email
Create a Service Request	SR create address	Subject = title. Body = description.
Update a Service Request	SR update address	Service Request ID in the subject. New text in the body. The new text is appended to the existing description.
Add a comment	SR comment address	Service Request ID in the subject. Comment text in the body.
Attach files	Same create, update, or comment email	Files on the current message only
Reply to a notification	The original notification thread	Your new reply text. It is added as a comment.
Receive notifications	SR notification address (From)	No sending action required

TIP  Prefer the dedicated create, update, or comment email address. Those addresses already tell BriefSpec what you want to do, so you do not need an Action line.

3. Who can see and manage email settings

If you can…	You can…
Edit the project (Application Administrator or Project Manager)	View and copy addresses, Edit the local part before @, turn AI on or off for this project, and open Manage Aliases from the Projects list actions menu.
View or use the project	View and copy addresses, open View sample, and send valid emails. You cannot change addresses or the AI setting.

SECURITY Knowing an email address does not bypass access. BriefSpec still checks that you are a authorized user with access to the workspace, project, and Service Request.

4. Opening the email feature

1. Open the project and go to Service Requests.

2. Select the email button. The tooltip reads: Create, update, or comment on Service Requests by email.

3. Confirm the popup title: Create, Update & Comment by Email.

4. Check the Project ID under the title before you copy an address.

Figure 1.  Open the Service Request email options from the project toolbar.

NOTE  If the paper plane is not shown, email intake may be unavailable for this workspace, or you may not have access to the project.

5. Understanding the popup

You will see	What it is
Project	The current project ID, shown under the title.
Use AI for Service Request emails	Project-only switch. Read-only if you cannot edit the project.
SR create / update / comment	Dedicated email addresses. Create uses subject and body. Update appends the body text to the SR description. Comment stores the body as the comment.
Update note	Under the SR update address: the new text is appended to the existing description. The original description remains unchanged. This note is not copied.
Service Request notification address	Shown under Notifications when available. Mail is sent from this address.
Copy / Edit / View sample	Copy the address, rename the local part if permitted, or open a sample. In the sample: Copy subject, Copy body, Copy full email, and Open in email app.
Attachments are supported	Note at the top: include files when creating, updating, or commenting.

When a sample is open, use Copy subject, Copy body, or Copy full email. You can also select Open in email app. Notes under the sample are not included in the copy.

Figure 2.  Project-specific Service Request email addresses and settings.

6. Creating a Service Request by email

Send to the SR create address for the project. BriefSpec identifies the project from the email address.

• Put the title in the subject. Put the description in the email body.
• Do not add labels such as Title: or Description:. The subject and body are enough.
• Status is Open when the Service Request is created.
• When AI is off, the subject is saved as the title and the body is saved as the description, as you wrote them.
• When AI is on, the subject and body are used to draft the Service Request. The title is rewritten into a clear title, and the description is one professional paragraph.
• AI does not store recommended resolution notes inside the description.
• You still need a subject and a body. AI does not invent a Service Request from an empty email.
•  

1. Select View sample on the SR create address.

2. Choose Copy subject, Copy body, Copy full email, or Open in email app.

3. Keep the subject as the title and the body as the description, then send it to that address.

Sample – create Subject: Need help with OTP login setup Please enable OTP for all finance users by Friday. The subject becomes the title. The body becomes the description. When AI is on, both are used to draft the Service Request.

The sample note explains that the subject becomes the title and the body becomes the description. That note is only in the popup. It is not copied into the email.

7. Updating an existing Service Request

Send to the SR update address. Put the Service Request ID in the subject, for example SR0000014. Put the new text in the body.

• The new text is added below the existing description, with a blank line between them. The original description is kept.
• This address does not replace the description, and it does not change the title, status, priority, or severity.
• A note under the address says: Note: The new text has been appended to the existing Service Request description. The original description remains unchanged. That note is not copied.
• You can attach files even if you are not changing other fields.

Sample – update Subject: SR0000014 Finance users also need SMS fallback. This text is added after the existing description. The original description is retained.

The Service Request must belong to this project, and you must have access to it.

What the update confirmation shows Project details first, including the Service Request ID after the Project ID. Updated description, in a white box below, shows the full description: the original text, a blank line, then the new text.

You can attach files with the update. If the body is empty, an attachment can still be stored.

Figure 4.  Update sample showing Service Request ID and fields to change.

8. Commenting on a Service Request

Send to the SR comment address. Put the Service Request ID in the subject. Put the comment in the body, written as you want it stored.

• You do not need a Comment: label. If you include one, BriefSpec uses the text after it.
• Only the new text is stored. Quoted history, such as on … wrote: is not added to the comment.
• You can also reply to a Service Request notification or mention email. The reply is added as a new comment on that Service Request.

Sample – comment Subject: SR0000014 Checked with the vendor – ETA is Friday. The body is stored as the comment. A Comment: label is not required.

You can attach files. A comment can be added with attachments even if the comment text is empty.

Figure 5.  Comment sample with Service Request ID and Comment.

9. Using the general project address

Service Requests do not use a general project address. The popup shows only the SR create, SR update, and SR comment addresses.

Use the address that matches what you want to do. You do not add an Action line.

A general project address is not shown for Service Requests. Use the SR create, SR update, or SR comment address.

TIP  Use a dedicated address when it is available. It is simpler and avoids mixed operations.

Use AI for Service Request emails applies only to Service Request emails for this project. It does not change other projects, and it does not change Defect emails. Only users who can manage project aliases can turn it on or off.

AI is used when creating a Service Request only. Update and comment emails are stored as written. AI does not rewrite them.

AI enabled	AI disabled
Subject and body are drafted into a clear title and one description paragraph.	Subject is saved as the title. Body is saved as the description.
The description does not include recommended resolution notes.	The text is stored as you wrote it.
Update and comment are not rewritten by AI.	Update appends the body. Comment stores the body.

When AI is off, create uses the subject as the title and the body as the description. Update needs the Service Request ID in the subject and new description text in the body, or an attachment. Comment needs the ID in the subject and the comment in the body, optionally you can attach files.

Figure 6.  Project-specific AI setting for Service Request emails.

11. Adding attachments

Attach files to the same email used to create, update, or comment. Only files on the current message are processed — quoted files from earlier messages are not added again.

• Up to 10 files can be attached per email; 10 MB Max; 25 MB total.
• Documents, images, PDFs, spreadsheets, text files, and zip archives are accepted.
• Executable and script files (for example .exe, .bat, .cmd, .sh, .ps1, .dll) are blocked.
• If one file is skipped, the rest of the request can still be processed. The confirmation lists stored and skipped files.

Figure 7.  Reminder that files can be included with create, update, or comment.

12. Service Request notification address

When configured, this address appears under Notifications in the popup. It is the From address for project Service Request mail, and is separate from create, update, and comment email addresses.

These messages use it when available:

• Assign and unassign, including bulk assignment and unassignment.
• Comment mention emails.
• Time-entry emails linked only to Service Requests in a single project.

Other BriefSpec notices may still use the organization’s standard sending address.

• Authorized users can edit the local part; others can view and copy it.
• Reply in the same thread to add a comment. BriefSpec stores the new reply text on that Service Request when it can identify the request and you are authorized.
• A new, unthreaded message to this address does not create a Service Request.

Figure 8.  Project notification From address, separate from create, update, and comment.

13. Editing an email address

If Edit is shown, you can change the local part (the text before @). The domain does not change.

1. Select Edit beside the address.

2. Use 3 to 64 characters: lowercase letters, numbers, hyphens, or underscores. Start and end with a letter or number.

3. Select Save. The name must be unique. Reserved names such as admin, support, no-reply, and postmaster are rejected.

Renaming does not change the project or purpose.

Figure 9.  Edit mode with the local-part field and domain after @.

14. Copying and using an address

1. Select Copy and paste the address into To in your email application.

2. Confirm the Project ID and the address: create, update, or comment.

3. Do not change the domain after @. Use the current project’s address, not one from an older email.

15. Confirmation and clarification emails

BriefSpec replies in the same email thread. The reply does not repeat the Service Request ID in the subject when the subject is already that ID. For example, the subject is Re: SR0000014, not SR0000014 [SR0000014].

Reply	Meaning
Service Request created, updated, or comment added	The action succeeded. Project details are first. The Service Request ID appears once, after the Project ID. A new comment or the full updated description is in a white box below.
Missing information or clarification needed	Reply in the same thread with the missing details or Service Request ID.
Sender not recognized / destination not recognized	Use your registered BriefSpec email and copy the address from the popup.
Access denied / not found / wrong project	You lack permission, or the SR ID does not belong to that project.
Unable to process / attachment skipped	The email could not finish, or the file was not stored. The rest may still succeed.
Email help / format	The action was unclear, or required text was missing. Use the create, update, or comment address from the popup.

The reply has no blue heading. Project details come first: project name, Project ID, then the Service Request ID once. A comment or the updated description is in a separate white box below Project details.

16. Permissions and security

• Send from the same registered email address you use with BriefSpec.
• You must have access to the workspace and project. Updates and comments also need access to that Service Request.
• Do not forward project addresses or Service Request content to people who should not see them.

SECURITY  Never include passwords, one-time codes, access tokens, or other secrets in an email.

17. Troubleshooting

What you notice	What to do
My email was not processed	Copy the current project address, send from your BriefSpec email, and use View sample.
BriefSpec asks which workspace or project	Reply with the workspace and Project ID or send directly to the popup address.
Email creates no subject or body	Put the title in the subject and the description in the body, then send it again.
Service Request ID was not found	Copy the ID from BriefSpec and use that project’s update or comment address.
I do not have permission	Ask a project manager to grant access.
My attachment was skipped	Use an allowed file type, stay under 10 MB / 25 MB total / 10 files, and resend if needed.
I cannot edit the address / AI is read-only	Ask someone who can edit the project. View-only users can copy addresses only.
I sent to the wrong project	Open the intended project and copy its address. The other project will not move the item.
I replied, but no comment was added	Use the SR comment address with the Service Request ID in the subject and the comment in the body.
I did not receive a confirmation	Wait a short time and check junk mail. Confirm you sent from your registered address.
The address was recently renamed	Open the popup and copy the current address. Share it with the team.

18. Best practices

• Use the dedicated address for the current project.
• Write a clear subject, Title, and Description.
• For an update or a comment, put only the Service Request ID in the subject. Put the new description text or the comment in the body.
• Keep replies in the original thread. Attach only needed files. Never include secrets.
• Read the confirmation. The Service Request ID appears once, after the Project ID.

19. Quick reference

Goal	Email Address	Minimum information
Create a Service Request	SR create address	Subject = title. Body = description.
Update a Service Request	SR update address	Service Request ID in the subject. New description text in the body.
Add a comment	SR comment address	Service Request ID in the subject. Comment in the body, or an attachment.
Receive notifications	SR notification address	No sending action required