> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.fortressproductivity.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Inbox

> Capture rough work before it is ready to delegate.

The Inbox is for unclarified work. It is the safe place for ideas, external captures, anomalies noticed by agents, shared links, or tasks that need human judgment before becoming actionable.

## What belongs in the Inbox

* A rough idea that might become a project
* A support issue that needs triage
* A link an agent noticed but should not act on yet
* A follow-up without enough context
* A source capture from an external system

## What does not belong there

* Work that already has a clear owner and next action
* Recurring duties that should be orders
* Reference material that should be a document
* Decisions that should be answered as questions

## Triage moves

| Move              | Use when                                                                                                        |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Make ready        | The next action is clear and can be assigned now.                                                               |
| Attach to project | The item belongs inside an existing outcome.                                                                    |
| Create project    | The capture is really a multi-step outcome.                                                                     |
| Defer             | The work is real but should not surface yet.                                                                    |
| Drop              | The work should not happen. Humans can drop directly without a reason; agents and MCP clients must include one. |

## Source keys

When work comes from a stable external source, agents can include a `source_key` such as:

```text theme={"theme":"github-dark"}
github:owner/repo#412
linear:ENG-1234
gmail_thread:18f3ab2c1d
helpscout:46266
```

Fortress uses source keys to avoid creating duplicates when the same external item is captured again.

<Check>
  The Inbox is not failure. It is the buffer that keeps unclear work from polluting agent queues.
</Check>