MarketScale is built for decentralized, on-demand content creation. That means all of your users can submit content straight into your Channel. But when content starts flowing in fast, you need one simple place to review it before it goes live in your Channel, and that place is the Inbox. The Inbox helps you to keep quality tight, to protect your brand, to keep your content pipeline flowing without slowing down your creators.
Important scope note: The Inbox is only for content created via Upload and Record. Content submitted in response to a Request does not appear in the Inbox. Request submissions are managed in the Request’s Collector, which is a separate workspace tied to that specific Request. If you’re looking for Request submissions, go to the Request’s Collector, not the Inbox.
Why the Inbox?
When you open up content creation to your team or your audience, you get more authentic moments.
But you also get:
People uploading the wrong file
New creators who need a quick gut check
Crowd-sourced content that varies in quality
Submissions that may not follow your guidelines
The Inbox solves this with one simple rule: all raw Upload and Record content goes to the Inbox first.
Admins and Approvers give it a quick yes/no before it hits the Channel feed, where your whole team can see it and use it.
This is how the biggest brands in the world handle thousands of community submissions without chaos. One fast, self-serve checkpoint that keeps things clean and scalable.
How to Use the Inbox
The Inbox is your first checkpoint for quality control for Upload and Record content. Every Upload and Record asset lands here first, no matter which User created it.
You can get to it from the Inbox icon in the masthead or from your profile dropdown; both take you to the same approval queue and show you how many items are waiting on you.
The Inbox feed is just like the home feed, except this is where all Upload and Record content shows up first.
Admins see everything submitted to the Channel via Upload and Record. They are global approvers.
Approvers are granted approver permissions based on how the Upload or Record content was created (see the breakdown below). If you’re assigned as an Approver, you are able to approve or decline content just the same as your Admins.
How approvers are assigned for content that flows through the Inbox
The Inbox receives content from two creation paths only: Upload and Record. Approver permissions are assigned differently for each:
Upload: The person uploading picks an approver in the Select approver field. If no one is chosen, the uploader is the approver by default. This is the only creation path with a manual approver picker.
Record: There is no approver picker. Every user added to the recording room is automatically granted approver permissions for content created in that room. This is intentional: anyone invited to create in a shared room can also approve what comes out of it.
Requests are a separate flow. Request submissions never enter the Inbox. Each Request has its own Collector, which is where submissions live and where approval and publishing are handled. Approver control on a Request is configured in the Request’s collaborator settings: the Request creator plus any collaborators added to the Request can approve and publish submissions from that Request’s Collector. Use Requests when you need granular approver control over a specific content drive.
From here, approval is straightforward. If the content is usable, hit Approve. That moves the media into your Channel feed so anyone can use it.
Pro tip: Approving doesn’t mean it’s edited or published; it just unlocks it for your team. Don’t overthink it: approving rough or first-timer content helps you build a deeper bench of material to work with.
If the content truly can’t be used, hit Decline. Use this only when the file is wrong, off-topic, irrelevant, or something you’d never want repurposed. Declining permanently deletes the media, so you’ll leave a short note explaining why. The creator gets that feedback instantly, so they know what to fix next time.
Pro tip: Most assets aren't totally unusable. Editors can trim, clean up, or repurpose almost anything. So don't Decline stuff unless it's totally unusable. Remember, if you Decline it MarketScale cannot recover it, and you'll have to record again or resubmit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Approve mean Publish?
No. Approve only moves media from the Inbox (where only Admins and Approvers can see it) to the Channel feed (where every user can see it except invited Guests). Nothing gets published until you choose to publish it.
Do Admins see everything?
Yes. Admins are global approvers for the entire Channel’s Upload and Record content. Request submissions are scoped to each Request’s Collector and its configured collaborators, not the global Inbox.
If I decline something, can I get it back?
No. Declining deletes media permanently. When in doubt, approve and leave editing notes.
Can I select a specific approver when using Record?
No. The Record feature does not include an approver picker. Every user added to the recording room is automatically an approver for content created in that room. If you need to designate specific approvers, use the Request feature instead and configure collaborators in the Request settings. Note that Request submissions do not appear in the Inbox; they are managed in the Request’s Collector.
Why don’t I see Request submissions in the Inbox?
That’s expected. Request submissions never flow through the Inbox. Each Request has its own Collector, which is where submissions land and where approval and publishing are handled. Open the Request to access its Collector.
Why does it show items are pending in my Inbox, but I don’t see anything when I click into it?
If you see a number of pending items but don’t see anything in your Inbox (or see fewer items than expected), it means there are Upload or Record submissions in the Channel that you are not assigned to approve. Those items still exist in the Inbox, but they are only visible to admins and approvers assigned to that content.
Can I approve content from my phone?
Yes. The Inbox is mobile-friendly so you can clear approvals fast anywhere.
What's "Sent" in the Inbox?
It’s where you track all sent Surveys and Recording Rooms and can see who’s responded, who hasn’t, and who needs a reminder.