Your agency gets a dedicated email address for receiving records requests. Any email sent to this address is automatically created as a new request, and the AI agent begins searching for matching records immediately.
How It Works
Your agency has a Records Requests inbox address (visible in Settings > Services under your Records Requests service).
When an email arrives at that address, Records Requests creates a new request automatically.
The AI agent reads the email content and begins searching for matching records.
The request appears in your queue with a To-Do status.
The system extracts the requester's name and email from the message, plus the description of what they're asking for. If the email has PDF attachments (common for formal FOIA request forms), Records Requests parses those too.
Setting Up Email Forwarding
Option 1: Manual forwarding
Staff forward individual request emails to the Records Requests inbox address as they come in. Simple to start with, but relies on someone remembering to forward.
Option 2: Auto-forwarding (recommended)
Set up a mail flow rule so emails to your existing records mailbox are automatically forwarded to Records Requests.
Outlook / Exchange
Open the Exchange Admin Center (or ask your IT department).
Go to Mail Flow > Rules.
Click Add a rule > Create a new rule.
Configure the rule:
Name: "Forward to GovWorx Records Requests"
Apply this rule if: The recipient is your records request mailbox
Do the following: Redirect the message to your Records Requests inbox address
Save the rule and test it.
Gmail / Google Workspace
Open Gmail Settings > Forwarding.
Add the Records Requests inbox address as a forwarding address and confirm the verification email.
Set forwarding to "Forward a copy."
What Gets Created
When an email arrives, Records Requests creates a request with:
Field | Source |
Requester name | Extracted from the email sender or body |
Requester email | The sender's email address |
Request details | The email body text |
Attachments | PDF attachments are parsed for additional request details |
AI search results | The agent searches for matching records based on the request |
If the email is vague or doesn't contain enough detail for the agent to search, the request is still created — you'll just need to search manually. See Searching for Records.
Tips
Keep your existing public email address. Set up auto-forwarding rather than publishing the Records Requests inbox address directly.
Test before going live. Send a few test emails to confirm requests are created correctly.
PDF forms work. If your agency uses a standard records request form that requesters email as a PDF, Records Requests can parse those attachments.