> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.skillsdb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Inbox
> Learn how the Inbox centralizes your assessments, approvals, skill requests, and notifications in one place so nothing falls through the cracks.
**Quick Summary:** The Inbox is your central hub for everything that needs your attention — assessments to complete, certifications and training to approve, skill requests to review, and survey invitations. Items are organized into categories so you can prioritize what matters most.
# Overview
The Inbox consolidates every actionable item in SkillsDB into a single, filterable list. Instead of checking multiple pages for pending assessments, outstanding approvals, or new requests, you open the Inbox and see everything that requires your attention.
What appears in your Inbox depends on your role. Employees see their own assessments and survey invitations. Managers also see team assessments and certification or training approvals. Administrators see all of the above plus skill requests, certification requests, and training suggestions submitted by others across the organization.
The Inbox is accessible from the left sidebar and displays a badge count showing the total number of unresolved items. This count updates automatically as items are completed, approved, or archived.
***
## Inbox Categories
Items in the Inbox are organized into four category tabs. Select a tab to filter the list to that category, or select **All** to see everything together.
| Category | What it contains | Who sees it |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Notices** | Self assessments, manager assessments, and survey invitations | All users (assessments depend on assignment; surveys depend on targeting) |
| **Approvals** | Certification approvals and training approvals submitted by team members | Managers and administrators |
| **Requests** | Skill requests, certification requests, and training suggestions | Administrators only |
| **All** | Combined view of all categories | Varies by role |
### Notices
Notices include items that require you to take action — typically completing an assessment or responding to a survey.
* **Self Assessment** — An assessment assigned to you for self-evaluation. Action: **Start** (new) or **Continue** (in progress).
* **Manager Assessment** — An assessment assigned to you as a manager to evaluate your team. Shows the number of employees assigned (e.g., "16 employees assigned"). Action: **Start** or **Continue**.
### Approvals
Approvals appear when a team member submits a certification or training record that requires your review.
* **Certification Approval** — A team member submitted a certification for review. Action: **Review** (opens the certification detail to approve or reject).
* **Training Approval** — A team member submitted a training completion record. Action: **Review**.
### Requests
Requests are submitted by employees or managers and require administrator action.
* **Skill Request** — An employee requested to add a skill to their profile or to the organization's library. Action: **Review** (approve, reject, or edit).
* **Certification Request** — A request for a certification to be added. Action: **Review**.
* **Training Suggestion** — A training resource suggestion submitted for review. Action: **Review**.
***
## Item Statuses
Each Inbox item displays a status badge indicating where it stands:
Statuses vary by category. Notices (assessments, surveys) use lifecycle statuses; approvals and requests use review statuses.
**Notices**
| Status | Meaning |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| **To do** | Not yet started |
| **Due soon** | Approaching the due date |
| **Past due** | The due date has passed without completion |
| **Complete** | Finished |
**Approvals and Requests**
| Status | Meaning |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Awaiting Approval** | Submitted and waiting for a reviewer to act |
| **Approved** | Reviewed and accepted |
| **Rejected** | Reviewed and denied |
Items with a **Past due** status display a red warning icon next to the due date.
***
## Filtering the Inbox
### New, All, and Archived
The **New** dropdown in the breadcrumb bar lets you switch between three views:
* **New** — Shows only unarchived, active items. This is the default view and displays a count (e.g., "New (11)").
* **All** — Shows both active and archived items together.
* **Archived** — Shows only items you have previously archived.
Archiving removes an item from your default Inbox view without deleting it. You can always find archived items by switching to the **Archived** view.
### Filter Controls
Select the **Filter** button to narrow your Inbox by:
* **Status** — Filter by item status (To Do, Past Due, Awaiting Approval, etc.)
* **Person** — Filter by employee name
* **Due Date** — Filter by date range (Today, This Week, This Month, or a custom range)
* **Type** — Select or deselect specific item types
Filters are reflected in the URL, so you can bookmark a filtered view or save it as a favorite using the **Save View** button.
***
## Taking Action on Inbox Items
The **Action** column on each row provides a button to act on the item:
| Action | What it does |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Start** | Opens a new assessment or survey that has not been started yet |
| **Continue** | Resumes an assessment or survey that is in progress |
| **Review** | Opens the detail view for an approval or request so you can approve, reject, or edit it |
After you complete an action, the item's status updates automatically and it moves out of the active Inbox view.
***
## Inbox Badge Count
The sidebar badge next to **Inbox** shows the total count of items requiring attention. This count is the sum of:
* Incomplete self assessments and manager assessments
* Pending certification and training approvals (managers and admins)
* Outstanding skill requests, certification requests, and training suggestions (admins)
* Incomplete survey invitations
The badge updates in real time as items are completed, approved, or archived.
***
# Common Questions
Inbox content is role-based. Employees see only their own assessments and surveys. Managers also see approvals for their direct reports. Administrators see all approvals and requests organization-wide. If you expect to see items that are missing, check with your administrator to confirm your role and permissions.
Archiving removes the item from your default Inbox view but does not delete it or affect the underlying record. You can find archived items by selecting **Archived** from the **New** dropdown. Archiving is useful for clearing items you have already reviewed but do not want to delete.
The Inbox currently processes items one at a time. Select **Start**, **Continue**, or **Review** on each individual item to take action. For assessments with many employees, the assessment page itself supports batch grading.
The badge count reflects all active items across all categories. If you have a category filter selected (e.g., Approvals only), the visible list may show fewer items than the badge count. Switch to the **All** tab to see the full count.
***
# Related Articles
Learn how to complete self-assessments that appear in your Inbox.
Understand how to complete manager assessments for your team.
Learn about the training approval workflow and how to review submissions.
Understand how surveys work and how to respond to survey invitations.
***
# Need Help?
If you run into any issues or have questions, reach out to your organization's SkillsDB administrator or contact [SkillsDB Support](https://www.skillsdb.com/support).