# How RELAY Works

> RELAY routes inbound email into Podio records automatically. Set up a domain, define routing rules, and email goes from inbox to Podio without manual effort.
> Help → RELAY → How RELAY Works

URL: https://thatapp.io/help/relay/relay-overview
Category: RELAY — Email

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RELAY is ThatApp's inbound email routing engine. It receives email sent to your domain and automatically creates or updates records in Podio based on rules you define.

**The basic flow**

1. A customer, partner, or team member sends an email to an address on your domain (e.g., support@yourdomain.com or orders@yourdomain.com)
2. RELAY receives the email
3. RELAY matches the email against your routing rules
4. RELAY creates or updates a record in the Podio app you specified
5. The email content, sender, and attachments are stored on the Podio record

No one has to manually read the email and create a Podio record. RELAY handles it.

**What RELAY creates in Podio**

For each inbound email, RELAY can:
- Create a new Podio item (for new inquiries, new support tickets)
- Add a comment to an existing Podio item (for replies in an ongoing thread)
- Update a field on an existing Podio item (for status updates sent via email)
- Trigger an automation (for any downstream action — Slack notification, document generation, etc.)

**What RELAY costs**

RELAY is priced to scale with how much you actually send — no platform fees, no per-seat charges, no forced tiers.

| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Verified sending domain | $10.00 / domain / month |
| Transactional email (triggered sends, routing replies) | $1.50 / 1,000 emails |
| Campaign email (bulk / broadcast) | $1.50 / 1,000 emails |
| Email templates (built with Print Templates) | $0.00 — included |

Billed monthly. Email volume rounds up to the next 1,000. Inbound email (receiving into RELAY) is included with the domain fee. Domain setup requires DNS access to your domain provider.

**Related:** How to Set Up Your Domain for RELAY · How to Create Email Routing Rules · Billing Overview