How to send emails, text messages, and voice messages?
What is the Communication tab?
STAC captures whether the message was delivered, the reply, and the translation of the message. It also allows a conversation to happen over text message.
Who can receive messages sent through STAC?
- Directories
- Relationship in a case
- Anyone with a phone number or email
What type of message can be sent through the Communication tab?
- Emails
- Text Messages
- Voice Messages
In the communication tab, users only have the ability to respond to text messages. They also have the ability to Forward emails, but they do not have the ability to Reply to emails.
Where can I send a message through STAC?
- Relationship tab, users can select multiple relationships and send a message to all selected recipients at the same time.
- Communication Message tab allows users to send a message to someone not related to the case and not in the STAC directory.
Other than those features, messages are sent the same way from each tab, and each way can be used based on user preference.How to send a message through the Communication Tab?
| Steps | Description |
|---|---|
| Step 1 | Add a recipient. This can be a relationship from the drop down, users can search for a Directory, or they can type in a phone number or email address manually |
| Step 2 | For text messages, a user can choose if they would like the recipient to have the ability to reply to the text message, if they want a reply they need to check the box Allow replies. |
| Step 3 | Users can choose to type a manual message or use a message template. Templates can be used for text messages, voice messages, and emails. When using an email template, the user can append the comment to the email if the email template has the variable Email_Comment in the email template |
| Step 4 | Users should use the Subject and Body when sending a free form message. This option will not merge in any case information so it is important to include that information in the free form message. (For text messaging, it is recommended to send messages that are less than 160 characters to ensure the best user experience) |
| Step 5 | Save and send message |
How to add a recipient in the communication module?
- Using the drop-down users can choose a relationship from the case
- Using the Person icon, users can search the Directory search to find a directory that might not be in the case
- Typing an email or phone number in the text space and selecting Enter to add a manual entry (If the information matches a relationship in the case, STAC will match the information and add the relationship as the recipient.)
Sending Messages from the Relationship Tab
Where can messages be viewed in STAC?
There are a few ways to view messages, this includes:
- The Outbox
- The Communication tab on the Case
- The Communication tab in the Directory
Communication Tab in the Directory
The tab is View only; to send a message the user will need to go to the Relationship tab or Communication tab of the case.
Can STAC translate text messages and voice messages?
If the conversation needs to be translated, CIP Portal will translate the messages from English to the recipient’s language and also will translate the messages from the recipient back to English. Both the original messages and translated messages are saved in STAC.
Can recipients reply to a text message?
By allowing replies, both STAC and the recipient can reply to the original message.
Response Distribution for Text Messages:
When a text message is sent to a directory associated with multiple cases (message sent on all the cases in the same day or on a different day) and requires a response, the response from the recipient is always only added to the last message sent. In other words, if we text someone about case A Yesterday and case B today, and they reply to the message tomorrow, then the answer will only be added to case B because that was the last message the user received.
How to view the text message replies?
Users have 4 days to reply before the conversation is closed. Once a conversation is closed, the user will need to send a new message to restart the conversation. The reason that STAC leaves the conversation open for 4 days, this is to allow text message conversations to continue around the weekends.
What does the message Status indicate?
In the Communication Message tab, users can view all email, phone or text messages that have been sent throughout the life span of the case.
The status of the Text/Voice messages:
When the message was sent but the response from the provider is still pending:
The status field will be -> SENT, while the Delivered field will be -> Pending.
When the message was successfully delivered:
The status field will be updated to -> DELIVERED, and the delivered field will read -> text/voice message delivered.
When the message was not successfully delivered:
Then the status field will be updated to -> UNDELIVERED, delivered field will be -> text/voice message delivered, and the error message field will show the error message from the provider’s platform.
Understanding how the STAC 3 Email Recipients works
In STAC 3, the Email function on the Image tab was redesigned to improve consistency and reliability.
While the feature still allows users to email images or documents to relationships in a case, the way the system records and displays those recipients has changed.
This article explains what’s different, why it was changed, and how to interpret the results you see in the log.
What’s New in STAC 3
- Select a relationship from the case.
- Search the directory for a contact.
- Type a new email address manually.
However, when an email address already exists on one or more relationships records, STAC 3 will automatically link it to one of them, by design.
Matching Logic
- STAC 3 matches email addresses to relationships because the email is treated as a unique identifier.
- If more than one directory uses the same email address, the system:
- Chooses one directory alphabetically by name to record in the log.
- Sends the email to all recipients who share that email address.
So, the email still reaches the correct inbox, but the log will display only the first alphabetical match.
Why the Change Was Made
This update supports long-term goals for:
- Exchange consistency: Email is a key identifier in system-to-system matching (e.g., FDLE, Clerk, or law enforcement exchanges).
- Data integrity: Prevents circumvention of directory relationships and ensures that records link consistently.
- Simplified communication controls: The same logic now applies across the application — Image tab, Voice message, Communication logs, etc.
In short: this was a structural improvement, not a functionality loss. The underlying email delivery hasn’t changed, only how it’s recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Why does STAC 3 show the “wrong” name in the log?
Because the same email exists on multiple Relationships in the case. STAC 3 displays the first alphabetical match, but all recipients sharing that address still receive the message.
Q2: Can I stop it from auto-matching?
Not currently. STAC 3 treats email as a unique identifier for data integrity reasons. If you must send to an address that isn’t tied to a directory, use a personal or alternate address.
Q3: Will the recipients still get the message?
Yes. Even if the log shows one name, everyone with that shared email address receives the message.
Q4: Can we have the old “manual entry only” field back?
No. the new unified field replaces the separate STAC 2 fields. It’s designed to streamline configuration and ensure consistency across communication features.
Q5: What should offices with shared inboxes do?
It’s best practice for agencies to assign unique email addresses per directory entry when possible. Shared inboxes can still be used, but staff should understand that the displayed name may not match their own.
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