Internal Notes

Internal notes are comments you add to a message thread that are only visible to staff. They never appear in the client's portal and don't trigger any client notification. Use them to share context, log phone calls, or leave reminders for teammates on the same thread.

How to Add an Internal Note

1. Open a message thread in the inbox.
2. In the reply box at the bottom, check the "Internal Note" checkbox before typing.
3. Type your note.
4. Click Save Note (instead of Send — the button label changes when the checkbox is checked).

How Notes Look

In the staff thread view, internal notes appear with an amber/gold tint — clearly different from client-visible messages so staff can instantly tell what the client can and can't see. A staff-only badge is also shown on the note.

The client's view of the same thread shows none of these notes — they're completely invisible from the portal.

When to Use Internal Notes

Internal notes are most valuable for preserving context that your team needs but shouldn't be shared with the client:

• "Client called this morning — prefers contact after 10 AM."
• "Waiting on K-1 from their accountant's office. Expected next week."
• "Nick spoke to client — the issue was resolved verbally. No action needed."
• "Client is going through a divorce — handle with care. Don't mention spouse."

Notes and Thread Status

Adding an internal note does not change the thread's status. A note doesn't flip the thread to "Waiting" the way a client-visible reply would. The thread status only changes based on messages the client can see.

Who Can See Notes

All staff with access to the thread can see internal notes — including staff who are shared into the thread via @mention. Notes are firm-internal only; they are never visible to the client under any circumstances.