Bloom keeps all your communication in one place, whether your clients prefer email or chat. Here’s the simplest way to understand how messaging works.
Messages vs. emails — What’s the difference?
Messages (in-app chat)
Show inside Bloom and inside your client’s portal
Great for quick conversations
If a message isn’t read after a short time, Bloom automatically emails it to your client so nothing gets missed
Emails
Go directly to your client’s inbox
Still appear inside Bloom so your full communication history stays organized
Most of the time, Bloom handles this automatically — you don’t need to think about it.
How Bloom decides what you’re sending
Bloom has two ways to start a conversation:
1. Typing in the Messages tab
If you open the Messages tab and use the chat-style box at the bottom, Bloom treats it as a message (like a chat).
2. Clicking “Send Message”
If you click Send Message from:
the Messages tab
a Project
a Lead
a Contact
Bloom adds a subject line and sends it as an email, because it’s treated like a formal message.
Simple rule:
Chat box → Message
Send Message button → Email
How client replies work
If Gmail is not connected
Client email replies flow directly back into Bloom, and you can read and respond from the Messages tab.
If Gmail is connected
Replies go to your Gmail inbox (Google does not allow those replies to sync back into Bloom).
You can still send emails from Bloom — replies simply arrive in Gmail.
Bloom messenger widget
Bloom also includes a built-in chat widget for clients.
It appears in:
the client portal
your Bloom portfolio
image galleries
any website where you embed it
When a client messages you through the widget, you’ll receive it instantly:
in your Bloom Messages tab, and
in the Bloom mobile app
This keeps all communication centralized and easy to access.
In Summary
Messages = in-app chat (auto-email backup if unread)
Emails = go straight to inbox
Chat box → message
Send Message button → email
Gmail connected → replies go to Gmail
Gmail not connected → replies appear in Bloom
Messenger widget → all messages appear in Bloom