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Intake

Intake is SetGet's system for collecting work requests from people outside your immediate team -- stakeholders, customers, support agents, or anyone who needs to report a bug or request a feature. Instead of these requests going directly into your project backlog (where they create noise and skip triage), they land in a dedicated intake queue where your team can review, modify, accept, or decline each one.

Why use intake?

Without intake, teams face two common problems:

  1. Noise in the backlog -- anyone with project access can create work items directly. Over time, the backlog fills with unreviewed requests, duplicates, and vague descriptions that slow down planning.
  2. Lost requests -- when there is no formal channel, requests arrive via email, Slack, spreadsheets, and hallway conversations. Many get lost.

Intake solves both problems by providing a structured, centralized, and reviewable submission pipeline.

How intake works

The intake workflow has four stages:

Submit --> Review --> Accept / Decline --> Work item in backlog

Stage 1 -- Submit

A request enters the intake queue through one of four channels:

ChannelDescriptionWho can use it
In-appGuest or member submits directly in SetGetAnyone with workspace access
FormsExternal form embedded on a website or shared via URLAnyone with the form link
EmailSend an email to a project-specific addressAnyone who can send email
SlackUse a Slack message shortcut or slash commandSlack workspace members

Each submission captures:

  • Title
  • Description
  • Priority (optional)
  • Attachments (optional)
  • Submitter information (name, email)
  • Source channel

Stage 2 -- Review

Admins and members with intake review permissions see incoming submissions in the Intake tab of the project. Each submission shows:

  • Submission details (title, description, priority, attachments)
  • Submitter information
  • Submission date and source channel
  • Customer record (if linked)

Reviewers can:

  • Ask clarifying questions by adding comments (the submitter is notified).
  • Modify the title, description, or priority before accepting.
  • Link the submission to an existing work item if it is a duplicate.

Stage 3 -- Accept or decline

ActionWhat happens
AcceptThe submission becomes a work item in the project backlog. State, priority, labels, and assignee can be set during acceptance.
DeclineThe submission is archived with a reason. The submitter is notified.
Accept as duplicateThe submission is linked to an existing work item. No new work item is created.

Stage 4 -- Backlog

Accepted submissions appear as regular work items in the project. They participate in cycles, modules, views, and all other SetGet features. The original intake submission is linked in the work item's activity log for traceability.

Intake queue management

Filtering

Filter the intake queue by:

FilterOptions
StatusPending, Accepted, Declined
SourceIn-app, Form, Email, Slack
PriorityUrgent, High, Medium, Low, None
Date rangeSubmitted within a date range
CustomerLinked customer record

Sorting

Sort by submission date (newest or oldest first), priority, or source channel.

Bulk actions

Select multiple submissions and:

  • Accept all (with a common state, priority, and assignee).
  • Decline all (with a common reason).
  • Assign a reviewer.

Intake settings

Configure intake per project in Project Settings > Intake:

SettingDescriptionDefault
Enable intakeTurn the intake queue on or off for this projectOff
Auto-acceptAutomatically accept all submissions (skip review)Off
Default stateThe state assigned to accepted work itemsBacklog
Default priorityThe priority assigned if the submitter does not set oneNone
Notification recipientsWho gets notified when a new submission arrivesProject admins
Allow guest submissionsLet workspace guests submit via in-app intakeOn
Require email for formsRequire submitters to provide an email on external formsOn

TIP

Enable intake on projects that receive requests from non-engineering stakeholders. For internal engineering-only projects, direct work item creation is usually simpler.

Intake permissions

RoleCan submitCan reviewCan accept/declineCan configure
OwnerYesYesYesYes
AdminYesYesYesYes
MemberYesYes (if granted)Yes (if granted)No
GuestYes (in-app only)NoNoNo

WARNING

Guests can submit requests but cannot see the intake queue or other submissions. They receive notifications only about their own submissions.

Metrics

The intake queue tracks:

MetricDescription
Submissions this weekTotal submissions received
Acceptance ratePercentage of submissions accepted
Average review timeTime from submission to accept/decline
Pending countSubmissions awaiting review
Top submittersMost active submitters

View these metrics in the Intake > Analytics tab.

Intake vs. direct work item creation

AspectIntakeDirect creation
Who can submitGuests, external users, anyone with form linkMembers with project access
Review requiredYes (unless auto-accept is on)No
Enters backlog immediatelyNo (goes to queue first)Yes
Best forExternal stakeholders, cross-team requestsInternal team members
Duplicate controlReviewers can catch duplicates during triageNo built-in duplicate detection

Use intake for projects that receive requests from outside the core team. Use direct creation for internal engineering work where team members are trusted to create well-formed work items.

Intake channels comparison

ChannelSetup effortBest forRequires SetGet account
In-appNoneWorkspace guests and membersYes
FormsLow (create form)External users, public feedbackNo
EmailLow (enable email)Support teams, email-first organizationsNo
SlackMedium (install app)Teams already using SlackNo (Slack account required)

TIP

You can use multiple channels simultaneously. All submissions flow into the same intake queue regardless of the source channel.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use intake on all projects?

Intake is enabled per project. You can enable it on any project where you want a review gate before work items enter the backlog.

What happens to declined submissions?

Declined submissions are archived in the intake queue. They are not deleted and can be reviewed later. The submitter receives a notification with the decline reason.

Can I convert an accepted work item back to a submission?

No. Once accepted, the submission becomes a regular work item. You can delete the work item, but the original submission remains in the archive.

Is there a limit on intake submissions?

There is no hard limit on the number of pending submissions. However, a large backlog of unreviewed submissions defeats the purpose of intake. Review regularly to keep the queue manageable.