What is Dispatch?
Dispatch is Timer's AI-powered email command center. Instead of a traditional inbox, Dispatch transforms your emails into actionable signals organized by intent. Pallas, the built-in AI assistant, automatically categorizes every email, generates summaries, and suggests replies in your voice so you can focus on what truly matters.
Pro Tip
Think of Dispatch as your email co-pilot. It reads every message, tells you what needs your attention, and even drafts replies for you. Start by connecting your Gmail or Outlook account to see it in action.
Key Features
Smart Categorization
Pallas AI automatically sorts emails into categories like Needs Action, Waiting, Meetings, Follow-up, Newsletters, Receipts, and more
Pallas Summaries
Every email gets an instant AI summary with key points, so you can triage quickly without reading the full message
Pallas Reply Suggestions
Get AI-generated reply options written in your voice. Pick a suggestion, edit if needed, and send in seconds
Contact Intelligence
See meeting history, email count, linked projects, and profile context for every sender right inside the email view
Multi-Account Support
Connect Gmail, Outlook, IMAP/SMTP (Yahoo, iCloud, etc.), and even WhatsApp in a single unified inbox
Digitize Attachments
Extract data from PDF and image attachments using AI-powered document processing
Snooze & Schedule
Snooze emails to resurface later or schedule outgoing messages for the perfect send time
Email Templates
Save and reuse frequently sent messages. Search by category and apply with a single click
Getting Started
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1
Connect Your Email
Open Dispatch and click "Connect Your Email" on the welcome screen. Choose your provider: Gmail, Outlook, IMAP/SMTP, or WhatsApp.
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2
Choose Your Categories
After connecting, select which email categories Pallas should organize for you. Your plan determines the maximum number of categories. You can change these at any time.
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3
Set Sync Volume
Use the sync slider to choose how many recent emails to fetch (20 to 250). More emails give Pallas better context for categorization and suggestions.
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4
Let Pallas Categorize
Dispatch will sync your emails in batches and Pallas will automatically categorize each one. Watch the progress bar as your inbox transforms into organized queues.
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5
Start Processing Signals
Click on any email signal to see its AI summary, sender context, and quick action buttons. Reply, archive, snooze, or create tasks right from the signal view.
The Command Center
The Dispatch command center is split into three areas: the command bar at the top, the category queues below it, and the workspace with your signal list on the left and signal detail on the right.
Command Bar
The top bar contains:
- Search: Click the search bar or press / to open the command palette. Search emails, contacts, or run quick actions like Compose, Sync, or Add Account.
- AI Hint: Shows the current Pallas status at a glance.
- Re-categorize: The brain icon resets and re-runs Pallas AI categorization on all emails.
- Sync: Click the sync icon to fetch new emails from your provider.
- Account Switcher: Switch between connected email accounts or add a new one.
Category Queues
Below the command bar, scrollable category tabs let you filter emails by intent. The "All" queue shows everything. Each queue displays a count badge. Available categories include:
- Needs Action: Emails that require your response or decision
- Waiting: Emails where you are waiting for someone else to respond
- Meetings: Meeting invites, agendas, and calendar-related emails
- Follow-up: Items flagged for follow-up reminders
- Newsletters: Subscriptions and newsletter content
- Receipts: Purchase confirmations and transaction records
- FYI: Informational emails that do not require a response
- Finance, Travel, Shipping, Social, Promotions, Updates, Alerts: Additional category options depending on your plan
Click the slider icon next to the queues to open the Category Configuration drawer where you can toggle categories on or off, drag to reorder them, enable sort-by-count, or reset to defaults.
Signal List
The left panel shows your email signals as compact cards. Each card displays the sender, subject, time, and AI category badge. At the bottom of the list you will find links to Snoozed, Archived, and Trash folders, plus a density toggle to switch between normal and compact views.
Signal View
Clicking a signal opens the detail panel on the right showing:
- Person Card: Sender name, avatar, profile link, "Book a Meeting" shortcut, and "Add to People" button if the sender is not yet in your contacts
- Person Stats: Number of meetings and emails exchanged with the sender
- Linked Projects: Projects associated with the sender displayed as chips
- Quick Actions: Reply, Follow-up, Task, Done, and Digitize buttons
- AI Intent Badge: The category Pallas assigned with a short reason
- Pallas Summary: A bullet-point summary of the email content generated by AI
- Full Email: Expandable section showing the complete email body, headers, and attachments
Composing & Replying
Compose New Email
Click the floating pen button (FAB) or press C to open the compose drawer. Select the From account, enter recipients, subject, and body. The compose drawer includes:
- Templates: Browse and apply saved email templates by category
- Pallas: Click the Pallas button to get an AI-suggested draft based on your context
- Schedule Send: Click the clock icon next to Send to schedule delivery for later today, tomorrow morning, Monday morning, or a custom date and time
- Follow-up Reminder: Check the follow-up box and choose a timeframe (1 to 7 days) to be reminded if no reply is received
Quick Reply
From any email signal, click the Reply button or press R to open the quick reply panel. Click the Pallas button to get AI-generated reply suggestions, pick one, edit if needed, and send directly.
Pro Tip
Pallas learns from your email context to suggest replies in your natural voice. The more you use Dispatch, the better the suggestions become.
Email Actions
Dispatch provides several ways to process your emails efficiently:
Archive
Move the email out of your active queue. Press E as a shortcut. Access archived emails from the footer link.
Snooze
Temporarily hide an email and have it reappear later. Choose from preset times (later today, tomorrow, next week) or pick a custom date and time.
Mark Done
Mark an email as handled. It moves to the Done category and clears from your active queues.
Delete
Move the email to Trash. Access deleted emails from the Trash link at the bottom of the signal list.
Create Task
Convert an email into a Timer task with one click. The email subject and sender are automatically linked.
Follow-up
Set a follow-up reminder on any email. Choose the number of days and get notified if no reply arrives.
Connecting Accounts
Dispatch supports multiple email providers in a single unified view:
Gmail
Click Add Account and select Gmail. You will be redirected to Google's OAuth flow. Grant Timer read and send permissions. Your credentials are never stored - Timer uses secure OAuth tokens.
Outlook
Select Outlook to connect a Microsoft 365 or personal Outlook.com account via Microsoft's OAuth flow.
IMAP/SMTP (Other Email)
For Yahoo, iCloud, AOL, Zoho, Fastmail, ProtonMail Bridge, or any custom mail server, select "Other Email." Use the Quick Setup dropdown to auto-fill server settings, or choose Custom Server to enter IMAP and SMTP details manually. For Yahoo, iCloud, and AOL, use an App Password from your provider's account settings.
WhatsApp
Connect your personal WhatsApp by scanning a QR code. Once linked, your WhatsApp conversations appear as signals in Dispatch. You can read messages, reply directly, create tasks, set follow-ups, and generate AI summaries from WhatsApp chats.
Security
Your credentials are encrypted and Timer never stores passwords. OAuth tokens are used for Gmail and Outlook. IMAP credentials are encrypted at rest.
Pallas AI Features
Pallas is the AI engine powering Dispatch. Here is what it does:
Auto-Categorization: Every synced email is analyzed and sorted into the appropriate category queue automatically.
Email Summaries: Each email gets a bullet-point summary highlighting key points, action items, and deadlines.
Reply Suggestions: When composing or replying, Pallas generates context-aware response options you can use or customize.
Compose Assistance: In the compose drawer, Pallas can draft an entire email based on your subject and recipient context.
Intent Detection: Pallas identifies the purpose of each email (action needed, FYI, meeting invite, etc.) and displays a reason badge.
Re-categorize: Use the brain button in the command bar to reset all categories and let Pallas re-analyze your entire inbox.
WhatsApp Summaries: Generate AI summaries of WhatsApp conversation threads to quickly catch up on long chats.
Email Templates
Save time with reusable email templates:
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1
Open Templates
In the compose drawer, click the "Templates" button to open the templates panel.
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2
Browse or Search
Filter templates by category or use the search bar to find the template you need.
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3
Apply a Template
Click a template to populate the subject and body of your compose draft. Edit as needed before sending.
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4
Save New Templates
Write an email and click "Save Current as Template" in the templates panel footer to save it for future use.
Digitize Attachments
When an email contains PDF or image attachments, Dispatch can extract structured data using AI:
- Open an email signal that has attachments
- Click the "Digitize" quick action button (appears automatically for supported file types)
- The Digitize drawer opens showing a step-by-step progress: uploading, analyzing, extracting, and completing
- Review the extracted data and use it directly in Timer
Supported file types include PDF, PNG, JPG, and JPEG attachments.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Work faster with these keyboard shortcuts:
/ — Open Command Palette (search emails, contacts, quick actions)
C — Compose a new email
R — Quick reply to the selected email
E — Archive the selected email
Esc — Close any open panel, modal, or overlay
0 — Switch to All queue
1-5 — Switch to category queues (1=Action, 2=Waiting, 3=Follow-up, 4=Meetings, 5=FYI)
Book Meetings from Email
When viewing an email from a known contact, click the "Book" button on the person card to open the booking drawer. Set a date, time, duration (15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes), and optional notes, then send the invite directly from Dispatch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many email accounts can I connect?
You can connect multiple accounts across Gmail, Outlook, IMAP, and WhatsApp. Use the account switcher in the command bar to switch between them or add new ones.
How many emails does Dispatch sync?
During initial setup you choose between 20 and 250 emails to sync. A higher number gives Pallas more context for smarter categorization. You can sync additional emails at any time by clicking the sync button.
Can I change my email categories later?
Yes. Click the slider icon next to the category tabs to open the configuration drawer. Toggle categories on or off, drag to reorder, or reset to defaults. Your plan determines the maximum number of active categories.
Is my email data secure?
Timer uses OAuth for Gmail and Outlook so your password is never stored. IMAP credentials are encrypted at rest. All email data is transmitted over HTTPS.
What is the Re-categorize button?
The brain icon in the command bar resets all AI categories and re-runs Pallas categorization on every email. This is useful if you have changed your category preferences or want a fresh analysis.
Can I use Dispatch on mobile?
Yes. Dispatch is fully responsive with a mobile tab bar and collapsible panels. On mobile, the signal list takes full width and the detail view slides in when you select a signal.