Threads are used to easily group associated documents together, for example, an email conversation. Documents are automatically threaded by FYI, and cannot be manually added. To group documents together refer to Stapled Documents.
The Email Thread icon is used in Lists when the Hide Threads option is enabled and the underlying emails are hidden (you will only see the most recent email). The Threads icon appears to the right of the list. Refer to Displaying Threads in a List below.
Note: If an email has been added to FYI using drag and drop a thread will not be created. Any future emails filed from Outlook replying to the original drag-and-drop email will be added to a new thread. Refer to Drag and Drop and Managing Emails from Outlook.
Displaying Threads in a List
Hover the mouse over the icon to display the number of emails in the thread.
You have the option of hiding the underlying conversation thread of emails. When Hide Threads is enabled, the button displays as green and the underlying conversation thread of emails is hidden so you only see the most recent. This gives a more focused view of emails so you can find what you want faster.
To view all threaded emails in a list, click Hide Threads to disable it. The emails are displayed in the list as separate documents in the list, sorted using the currently set sort sequence for that list. When Hide Threads is NOT enabled, the button displays with a grey background.
Emails that are auto-filed can be automatically threaded (see Email Threads AutoFile below).
Displaying Threads in the Drawer
Where there are threads in a trail, you can see the emails/documents that are in the threads in the Thread section of the Drawer.
You can click on one of the threads in the Drawer to select it in the list and display it in the Preview pane. The currently selected document in the thread displays with a grey background in the Thread section in the Drawer.
If an email or document in the thread has attachments, this shows a paperclip icon next to the document name in the Threads section in the Drawer.
Note: To preview attachments in an email in a thread, you need to use the Export function (refer to Exporting Documents) and look at the attachments in the downloaded email.
Thread List
On the list, click the Thread icon next to the document to display the Thread list.
This displays the Documents list filtered to show only the emails/documents in the Thread.
The Threads list displays as follows.
Clicking Clear Thread Filter re-displays the list with all documents.
Documents with Threads
When single documents are sent for signing and the signed documents are brought back into FYI from a client’s DocuSign, Adobe Sign, Annature or FuseSign, they show as a thread in the same way as email threads. The Document Owner will be set to the original document owner in FYI. Refer to Digital Signatures using DocuSign, Digital Signatures using Adobe Sign, Digital Signatures using Annature and Digital Signatures using FuseSign.
Changing the Name or Filing Details of Threaded Emails
If you send an email, receive a response and then change the name of the sent email, this will lose the thread name.
To maintain emails in a thread, set the Name in the FYI filing details before any replies to the email have come in. In this way, the FYI AutoFile function will be able to pick it up.
Where you need to change the name (subject) of an email, note the following:
- Changing the name of the email in FYI will not change the subject of the original email in the email application (Outlook).
- Updating the name of the email in Outlook will update the Email subject. This will also update the name of emails within the thread.
- Changing the subject line item of your email in Outlook can break the thread and file the email as a new document in FYI.
When an email is part of a thread, you cannot change its name or filing details if it is one of the underlying conversations. If the email is not the most recent in the thread, the Filing section in the drawer is hidden. If you need to change the filing details (such as Cabinet, Category, Jobs, Tags, or Keywords) you need to first unlink it from the thread (see below).
Threading is dictated by Outlook’s conversation ID and is known to have inconsistencies when breaking threads based on subject name changes. We recommend starting a new email if a separate document is required to ensure threading does not apply. Refer to Creating Emails #lightspeed with FYI.
Unlinking a Document from the Thread
To unlink an email/document from the thread, in the Thread section in the Drawer, click the Unlink icon next to the relevant thread. You cannot unlink the topmost part of the thread as this is the summary of the thread.
Note: If you need to send a reply using the unlinked email, and the client then replies to that, the client's reply will be linked back to the original threaded email unless you change the subject before you send a response to the unlinked email.
Deleting a Document from the Thread
From the Documents List, you can choose to delete the latest document or all documents in the thread, including emails and document threads. If deleting an email thread, the latest email must be marked as a draft to delete that email only.
If you want to delete an email in the thread that's not the latest email, or the latest email has been marked as sent, you will need to first unlink the email you want to delete (see above Unlinking a Document from the Thread) and then delete the individual email.
If a thread is accidentally deleted, change the view to the Deleted view and Restore the email (refer to Deleting Emails and Recovering Deleted Emails). Individually restored emails will not be re-added to the thread.
Delete Latest Document
To delete the latest document, open the Documents List. If the document to be deleted is an email, the email must be marked as a Draft.
- In FYI click the Documents tab.
- Click to highlight the Draft Email to be deleted.
Note: If you click any email in the thread other than the latest email the entire email thread will be deleted.
- Click the Delete button.
- The Threading delete prompt will be displayed.
- Click Latest document only.
- The document will be deleted.
The remaining emails will still be threaded, whereas for other documents, the thread will be removed and documents will be unlinked, for example, PDF files.
Delete All Documents
To delete all documents, you can select one or more documents, and the entire thread will be deleted. If using the Thread List, deleting a document will delete all documents in the thread.
- In FYI click the Documents tab.
- Click to highlight any document or email in the thread to be deleted.
- Click the Delete button.
- If you have selected the latest email in draft mode, the Threading delete prompt will be displayed; click All to delete all documents. Otherwise, you will be prompted to confirm you would like to remove the selected documents.
- Click Yes.
- All emails from the thread will be deleted
AutoFile for Email Threads
When emails are auto-filed, once one email in a thread is filed, all other emails in that thread are automatically filed with the same filing details.
If an email in a thread is filed manually by a user, this will automatically file any emails in the thread that were received/sent before or after the email being filed.
Forwarding Threaded Emails to an Internal Email Address
If you forward an email to an internal email address, this will break the thread. So if the person the email was forwarded to then replies to the client this will not thread the email and therefore it will not automatically file it under the thread. If you need to notify an internal user about an email, you can send a comment or set up a task (refer to Adding Comments and Notifying Team Members and Adding a Task to an Email or Document).
Replying to or Forwarding an Email from Outlook
When replying to an email in Outlook, the reply email is threaded to the original client. If you want the reply to be filed under a different client, you will need to create a new email.
When forwarding an email from Outlook, the threading is controlled by Outlook. The forwarded email will be threaded to the original email that is in FYI. It will not be filed under the client that relates to the recipient selected for the forwarded email. Both the original email and the forwarded are filed under the client of the original email.
Further to this, when recipients in an email are changed in Outlook it can lead to duplicate email threads being saved depending on the auto-file settings for those recipients. To avoid this occurring, we strongly recommend sending emails from FYI. Refer to Creating Emails #lightspeed with FYI.
User in Activity section of Threaded Emails
For emails that are part of a thread, when a threaded email that is in the In Tray is filed, the related emails will show that the user "System" filed the email. When a document is removed or restored, as it is in a thread, the related documents will show that the user "System" removed/restored the email. The email that is filed or removed shows the user who performed the action, not "System" and the user "System" only shows on the related emails/documents.