# Messages

> One email in a conversation, linked to the people it was between and their companies.

A message is one email in a [conversation](/docs/apps/inbox/conversations), with its sender,
recipients, time, and text.

## How it works

The sync sets each message's fields from Gmail:

- **Direction** is **Sent** when the mailbox's own account sent it, and **Received** otherwise.
- The text is plain. HTML email is turned into readable text.
- Attachments are listed by name and size. Their contents stay in Gmail.

Continual matches the sender and recipients to your people by email address. **About** then names
those people and their companies, and the message appears in their
[Activity](/docs/concepts/activity) for people who can read the mailbox.

<RecordReference type="inbox.message" />

## Next steps

<Cards>
  <Card title="Addresses" href="/docs/apps/inbox/addresses" icon="users">
    The addresses a message is from and to.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Activity" href="/docs/concepts/activity" icon="list">
    See email beside a record's other history.
  </Card>
</Cards>